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Updates about Syria

The change of regime in Syria in December 2024 led to changes in the country’s security situation. We have updated this page with current information about how the situation in Syria has affected customers of the Finnish Immigration Service. The decision-making regarding applications for international protection from Syrians was paused for several months, but has now been resumed for all permit categories. As the decision-making has been resumed, this page is no longer actively updated. The page has been published also in Arabic and in Kurmanji. 

This page was last updated on 26 September 2025.

Decisions on international protection

Asylum applications

The Finnish Immigration Service has resumed making decisions on asylum applications from Syrians.
The decision-making was paused between December 2024 and August 2025 due to the changed security situation in Syria.

Finnish Immigration Service or police will inform you of the decision

If we make a positive decision on your asylum application, you will be granted one of the following:
•    asylum (refugee status)
•    subsidiary protection
•    a residence permit on other grounds.

For more information, see the page Positive decision.

If you are not granted a residence permit on the basis of international protection, the Finnish Immigration Service will usually issue a decision on denial of admittance or stay in connection with the negative decision. If you have already held a residence permit in Finland or your valid residence permit is withdrawn, the Finnish Immigration Service makes a deportation decision for you. 

At the same time, the Finnish Immigration Service usually gives you 30 days to leave Finland voluntarily. If you do not leave Finland within this time, the police can remove you from the country.

For more information, see the pages Negative decision and Removal from the country.

Other applications

The Finnish Immigration Service has previously resumed making decisions on the following applications:

  • Extended permits and permanent residence permits for Syrian citizens who have been granted international protection.
  • Applications for alien’s passports and refugee travel documents. 
  • Applications for a first residence permit on the basis of family ties that require determining whether protection status should be granted.

Applications for international protection

You can apply for asylum by informing the border authorities or the police that you want to apply for asylum.   

If you are applying for an extended permit on the basis of refugee status or subsidiary protection status, remember to submit your residence permit application before your current residence permit expires. Your right to work will remain valid if you submit your application for an extended permit on time. 

Asylum interviews

We have started conducting asylum interviews as usual in August 2025.

Requests for expedited processing

If you have submitted your asylum application in 2023, the Finnish Immigration Service will prioritise your application. As the applications submitted in 2023 are already given priority, requests for expedited processing will not speed up their processing.

If you need someone to talk to

The MIELI Crisis Helpline in Finnish (mieli.fi) offers crisis assistance and support in Finnish 24/7 at +358 9 2525 0111. The MIELI Crisis Helpline in English (mieli.fi) offers crisis assistance and support in English. You can read more on the website of MIELI ry (mieli.fi).

The MIELI Crisis Centre Helsinki offers short-term crisis counselling and guidance in crisis situations. For more information, see MIELI Crisis Centre Helsinki – MIELI ry (mieli.fi).

If you are a client of a reception centre, you can contact an employee of your reception centre or the reception centre nurse for advice and help. If you have been granted a municipality of residence, contact your local health centre. If you go to school or are studying, you can contact the school psychologist, the school social worker or the school nurse.

In urgent situations, call 112 (the emergency number in Finland).

Voluntary return

Syrians may be eligible for assisted voluntary return or return assistance provided by wellbeing services counties. For more information about the support provided by wellbeing services counties, see the section ‘You can get assistance for returning to Syria’.

When you have a pending asylum application

If you wish to return to Syria, you need to cancel your asylum application first. For instructions, see the page Cancelling an application.

When you have international protection status in Finland

If you have international protection status and you move permanently to your country of origin, you can ask the Finnish Immigration Service to cancel your residence permit. Notify the Finnish Immigration Service of this by completing and submitting the form Notice of voluntary return to home country (pdf). If you do so, your protection status will end, too. 

For instructions on how to ask for cancellation of your residence permit, see the page Withdrawal of residence permits. See the page Ending of refugee status and subsidiary protection for more information about ending your protection status.

You can get assistance for returning to Syria

Your wellbeing services county may grant you financial assistance for returning to Syria if you have a municipality of residence. Contact the social services of your wellbeing services county to apply for the assistance. You will find the contact details in the following file: Wellbeing services counties (pdf). The return assistance granted by the wellbeing services counties covers the following costs:

  • Travel and relocation costs. 
  • Essential expenses arising from obtaining a travel document.
  • Other expenses that are necessary for the journey to Syria.
  • A discretionary return assistance of up to EUR 1,187.10 for a person returning alone and of up to EUR 2,374.20 for a family.

Your wellbeing services county may also provide you with guidance on the arrangements for returning to Syria. Before the wellbeing services country can assess whether you are eligible for the return assistance, you must first request the Finnish Immigration Service to end your protection status.

This is how you can apply for the return assistance granted by the wellbeing services counties:

  1. Contact your local wellbeing services county. If you are considering returning to Syria, you will be provided with guidance and support.
  2. Submit an application for return assistance to your wellbeing services county.
  3. The wellbeing services county decides whether or not you can be granted the return assistance. 
  4. The wellbeing services county will give guidance and instructions on the different stages of the return arrangements.

If there is a large number of people returning to Syria voluntarily, they may be assisted by arranging a charter flight. The police will assist with arranging the possible charter flight.

If you have a pending asylum application and you live in a reception centre, you cannot be granted financial assistance to cover the costs of returning.

Getting a travel document

This is how you can apply for a travel document independently:

  1. Email the Syrian Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden.
  2. State in your message that you need a travel document for travelling to Syria.
  3. Attach to the message a copy of your old Syrian passport or ID card. If you do not have them, mention this in your message to the embassy.

The embassy will arrange a telephone interview with you and confirm that you are returning to Syria voluntarily. You do not need to travel to Stockholm.

The embassy can grant you a temporary travel document that is valid for 30 days. The document will be sent to you by post.
For contact details of the embassy, see the website of the Syrian Embassy in Stockholm.