Missing travel document

When you apply for a residence permit, you must have a valid passport issued by your country of nationality.

Your child must have a passport issued by the child’s country of nationality. If your child is born in Finland and you apply for a first residence permit for the child on the basis of family ties but there is no embassy or consulate for the child’s country of nationality in Finland, the child can be granted a residence permit even if he or she does not yet have a passport. However, when you apply for an extended permit for the child, the child must hold a passport issued by his or her country of nationality.

Exceptions to the travel document requirement

It is possible to make an exception to the requirement concerning travel documents on the basis of international human rights conventions. An exception is possible mainly if you come from a country where it is impossible to obtain a travel document that would be acceptable in Finland. Such countries include Somalia.