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Temporary protection for those fleeing Ukraine

The purpose of temporary protection is to provide swift help to those fleeing the war in Ukraine.

Who can be granted temporary protection? 

Temporary protection can only be granted to

  • Ukrainian citizens unable to return to Ukraine due to the Russian attack
  • citizens of countries outside the European Union, citizens of countries not party to the Schengen Agreement, and stateless persons who have resided in Ukraine legally and whose return to the relevant country of origin safely and permanently is not possible.
  • the family members of Ukrainian citizens and of those granted international protection or equivalent national protection in Ukraine, if the family ties were established in Ukraine before 24 February 2022 and the family member is not a citizen of a European Union Member State, a Nordic country, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland.
    • Family members do not need to apply at the same time. They can, for example, come to Finland later and apply for temporary protection then.
    • If the family member is a citizen of a European Union Member State, or a citizen of Liechtenstein or Switzerland, he or she can apply for EU registration.

What is the validity period of residence permits granted on the basis of temporary protection?

All residence permits that we grant on the basis of temporary protection will be valid until 4 March 2024. Starting from 19 January 2023, we will extend all residence permits granted on the basis of temporary protection so that the permits will be valid until 4 March 2024. This means that we will extend your permit automatically and you do not need to apply for an extension

For more information, see our customer bulletin: All residence permits granted on the basis of temporary protection will be extended until 4 March 2024, you do not need to apply for an extended permit.

Applying for temporary protection

  1. Once you have arrived in Finland, visit the police (poliisi.fi) or a border control authority and inform them of your intention to apply for temporary protection. Applying is free of charge.
    • It is recommended that you apply for temporary protection even if you have already submitted an application for asylum. Applications for temporary protection are processed at a considerably faster rate than asylum applications. 
  2. The police or border control authority registers your application for temporary protection and makes a record of 
    • your personal details and place of residence
    • details related to your arrival in Finland and the route you took to travel here
    • your family members’ details.
    • You will also need to provide a photo, fingerprints and a signature.
  3. The police or border control authority will ask you whether you wish to apply for temporary protection only, or if you would also like to submit an application for asylum. 
    • The differences between temporary protection and asylum will be explained to you, so that you can make an informed decision. You may also apply for asylum at a later date.
  4. Following registration, the Finnish Immigration Service makes a decision on your application.
    • You will be heard before the decision is made only if the Finnish Immigration Service considers there to be a particular reason to do so.
  5. You will be served with the decision.
    • The Finnish Immigration Service will send you the decision by post. The decision will be sent to the reception centre at which you are staying. If you live in private accommodation, the decision will be sent to the address which you have given as your Finnish address. For this reason, it is important that you notify your reception centre in Finland of any address changes in Finland without delay.
    • In cases when you are not served with the decision by post, you will be informed of the decision at the police.

When will I get a decision on temporary protection?

For the time being, the estimated processing time for an application for temporary protection is one week, if no additional information is needed for the application. After a decision has been issued, the Finnish Immigration Service will send you the decision by post. According to an estimate by the Finnish Immigration Service, the postal delivery will take approximately one week. This means that you will receive the decision within approximately 2 weeks from the date on which you submitted your application

After a decision has been issued, the Finnish Immigration Service will order a residence permit card for you. At present, it takes approximately 2 weeks to obtain a residence permit card. 

If you are granted temporary protection

  • You will receive a residence permit card.
    • Your card will be sent to the DB Schenker collection point closest to your address within 2 weeks of the date on which we make a decision on your application for temporary protection.  When your residence permit card is ready, you will receive a notification from DB Schenker by email or text message. The email or text message notification will tell you which collection point you should visit to collect your card.
    • Here’s what you should do when you receive the notification:
      1. Bring with you the email or text message notification you received from DB Schenker, and your customer number, which is also your PIN code. Your customer number is printed on your reception centre customer card ("Asiakasnumero/Kundnummer"). You do not need to show your customer card to DB Schenker staff. It is enough to tell them your customer number. 
      2. Show a member of the DB Schenker collection point staff the arrival notification you received, and tell them your customer number. If the DB Schenker staff ask you for a PIN code, they mean your customer number.
      3. DB Schenker staff will then give you an envelope that contains your new residence permit card.
    • If you are collecting a card for another person, you do not need a power of attorney. Bring with you the arrival notification from DB Schenker and the customer number of the person whose card you are collecting.
  • A personal identity code will be issued to you. Your personal identity code will be indicated on the residence permit card. Read more on the page Personal identity code.
    • If you cannot be registered in the Population Information System when you get a positive decision on your application, you will need to visit a service point of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (dvv.fi) or contact your reception centre. After doing so, you will not receive a new residence permit card automatically but you can, if you so wish, apply for a new residence permit card that contains your personal identity code.
  • If you have also applied for asylum, the Finnish Immigration Service will suspend the processing of your asylum application for as long as your residence permit issued on the basis of temporary protection is valid.

When is temporary protection not granted?

The Finnish Immigration Service may issue a negative decision on your application for temporary protection if 

  • there aren't sufficient grounds for granting a residence permit on the basis of temporary protection in your case 
  • you are considered to present a danger to public order or security
  • you can be reasonably suspected of having committed
    • a crime against peace, a war crime or a crime against humanity
    • a serious non-political crime before entering Finland
    • an act which violates the aims and principles of the United Nations.

Can decisions regarding temporary protection be appealed?

If you are granted temporary protection, you may not appeal against the positive decision if

  • you have applied for asylum, and 
  • the processing of your asylum application is ongoing.

If you are not granted temporary protection, you may appeal against the decision to an administrative court. Instructions for lodging an appeal are attached to the decision.

Make sure that the reception centre has your correct address and telephone number

Notify your reception centre immediately of any changes in your address or telephone number. The Finnish Immigration Service will get the information from the reception centre.

How to make the notification

  • Notify your reception centre:
    • by telephone
    • visit the reception centre; or
    • send the notification as a letter by post

The contact details of reception centres are available on our website at migri.fi/en/reception-centers.

  • Notify your reception centre of your information and the information of your family members relevant to the notification:
    • fist name and last name
    • date of birth
    • Finnish Immigration Service customer number
    • new address
    • new telephone number

If you move from one reception centre to another or do not know your reception centre

  • If you move from one reception centre to another, the Finnish Immigration Service is informed automatically. Therefore, you don’t need to notify the Finnish Immigration Service separately of your new reception centre's address. 
  • If you don't know which reception centre is yours, you can send your notification of a new address to the Finnish Immigration Service. Notifications should be sent by encrypted email to the following address: migri@migri.fi. You can send an encrypted message by using the securemail.migri.fi service.

Why is it important to give your address and telephone number?

The correct address and telephone number are important so that:

  • we can send you our decisions on your applications and your residence permit card.
  • your reception centre can reach you and you maintain your right to reception services. 

Making sure that the address details of unaccompanied children are up to date is important so 
that the necessary services can be organised for them.

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