Voluntary return

Do you want to return to your home country voluntarily? These pages provide information on voluntary return and on how you can apply for assisted voluntary return. You will also find information in Arabic, Dari, Farsi, Sorani Kurdish, Somali, Turkish and Russian.

Currently, assisted return cannot be arranged to the following countries: Eritrea, Yemen, Syria, Taiwan and Afghanistan. If you wish to return to one of these countries, please contact the Finnish Immigration Service. Call or send a WhatsApp message to 050413 8625 or send an e-mail to [email protected]

Applying for assisted voluntary return

Are you a client of a reception centre?

Contact the reception centre staff. They will give you more information about how to submit an application for assisted voluntary return. The reception centre may grant you assistance for your return if you withdraw your applications for asylum or have received a negative asylum decision. Assistance is provided only if you leave Finland voluntarily. You must withdraw all your pending applications for asylum, a residence permit or an alien’s passport.

Have you stayed in Finland without a residence permit after your reception services have ended?

The Finnish Immigration Service will advise you and help you apply for voluntary return. Call or send a WhatsApp message to 050 413 8625. You can also send e-mail to [email protected]. The Finnish Immigration Service may grant you assistance if you have applied for international protection and stayed in Finland without a residence permit after your reception services have ended. Assistance may also be granted to victims of human trafficking. Assistance is provided only if you leave Finland voluntarily. You must withdraw all your pending applications for asylum, a residence permit or an alien’s passport.

What kind of assistance can you get?

Assistance for voluntary return includes:

compensation for travel expenses and relocation costs
reintegration assistance in your home country.

The assistance can be either cash assistance or in-kind support. In-kind support means different services or supplies, such as assistance with

starting your own business
accessing education or training
renting an apartment
healthcare costs.

The in-kind support is tailored according to your own needs and opportunities.

The amount of cash assistance depends on the country you are returning to. You will find more information on the page Assistance for voluntary return by country.

How does the processing of your application proceed?

Your application will be processed by the reception centre or the Finnish Immigration Service. In the decision, we take your life situation into account in its entirety. We also consider such matters as your family circumstances and health.

The reception centre or the Finnish Immigration Service will check with the police whether it is possible for you to return to your home country voluntarily. If the police have not initiated your removal from the country and there are no other obstacles to your voluntary return, the decision will be sent to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). IOM will start the return arrangements with you.

Returning home

IOM will give you advice on your return in several different languages and book your journeys to your home country. If you do not have a passport, you will get help for obtaining a travel document from the embassy of your home country. If you have problems with your health, they will be taken into account in the return arrangements.

In Finland, IOM will arrange you:

travel documents
tickets
documents held by the Finnish authorities
contact details of the actors who will provide you reintegration support in your home country.

If you have been granted cash assistance or in-kind support, you will receive EUR 200 in cash when you leave Finland. If you have a child or children, you receive EUR 100 for each child.

Further information:

www.paluuinfo.fi/en

Decree of the Ministry of the Interior on Assistance for Voluntary Return