Residence card and validity
The sponsor must fulfil the requirements for registering the right of residence before you can get a residence card.
A residence card is issued for five years at a time. It can also be issued for a shorter time if you plan to stay in Finland for less than five years. After five years, you may get a permanent residence card.
If your residence card has been granted for a period shorter than five years and you stay longer, submit a new application. Renew your residence card also if you misplace your card, the card is damaged or the information on the card is no longer valid.
There are three ways to renew your residence card
Fill in the following application: Renewal of residence permit card or residence card for a family member of an EU citizen.
- When you apply for a new residence card in Enter Finland, you do not necessarily need to visit a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service if you meet the following conditions:
- You are using strong identification to log in to your Enter Finland account. This means that you log in using your online banking credentials, mobile certificate or citizen certificate.
- You add the photograph retrieval code for your digital passport photo to your application. The code is given to you by the photo shop.
- You pay for the application before you submit it.
After you have submitted your application, Enter Finland will tell you whether you need to visit a service point or not.
A visit to a service point is always required if
- you are under 18 years of age
- you are renewing your card due to changes in your name.
- You can fill in the application form in Enter Finland in advance.
Read more about renewing your residence card without visiting a service point on page Identification.
- Renewal of a residence card 54 euros.
- New residence card to replace a lost one 120 euros.
Fill in the following application: Renewal of residence permit card or residence card for a family member of an EU citizen.
- Submit your application in Enter Finland. Book an appointment in our appointment system for proving your identity at a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service.
- Your fingerprints will be taken at the service point and you will have to pay the processing fee, unless you already paid it in Enter Finland.
You can also hand over your previous residence card, or you can do it later after the card has expired.
- Renewal of residence card: EUR 54
- New residence card to replace a lost one: EUR 120
When you do not apply for the residence card in Enter Finland, you cannot fill in the application form in advance.
Your fingerprints will be taken at the service point and you will have to pay the processing fee.
You can also hand over your previous residence card, or you can do it later after the card has expired.
- Renewal of residence card: EUR 54
- New residence card to replace a lost one: EUR 120
Your new residence card will be delivered to a DB Schenker collection point
Once a decision has been issued, the card will be sent to your nearest DB Schenker collection point within 2 weeks. You will receive a notification of arrival by email and text message, containing the DB Schenker consignment number, the address of the collection point and the last day when the card is still available for collection. If you do not have a phone number or an email address, the DB Schenker notification of arrival will be sent to you by post.
When collecting your card, bring with you:
- the notice of arrival sent by DB Schenker indicating the item ID; and
- your customer number, in other words your PIN code. You can find your customer number in the certificate of a pending application provided by the Finnish Immigration Service or your old residence card.
- If you applied for a residence card in Enter Finland, you will find the certificate of a pending application in Enter Finland.
- If you applied on paper, you can pick up a certificate of a pending application from a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service.
If you are picking up a card on behalf of another person, you will not need a power of attorney. Bring the notice of arrival sent by DB Schenker and the customer number of the person whose card you are picking up.
This website is part of the European Commission's Your Europe portal. Did you find what you were looking for? Give feedback to the European Commission! If you wish to give feedback to the Finnish Immigration Service, go to the page migri.fi/feedback.