Residence permit

Residence permit

If you come to Finland from outside the European Union for more than 90 days, you must apply for a residence permit.

An application for a first residence permit must usually be submitted abroad, not in Finland. The applicant must also prove his or her identity at a Finnish mission (embassy or consulate) abroad. For more information, see the page Proving your identity abroad. Applications for a first residence permit can be submitted in Finland only in certain exceptional situations. See the page First residence permit for more information.

If you apply for a residence permit while in Finland, you must be residing legally in Finland. If you do not reside legally in Finland when you submit the application, you cannot stay to wait for a decision on your application in Finland but must leave Finland.

Your residence in Finland must be legal

If you apply for a residence permit in Finland, you must reside legally in Finland. If you do not reside legally in Finland when you submit your application, you cannot stay to wait for a decision on your application in Finland. Instead, you must leave Finland and wait for a decision abroad. Your residence in Finland is legal when you have a valid residence permit. Residing in Finland without a valid residence permit may be a violation of the Aliens’ Act and the police may fine you for it.

Your residence in Finland is legal also when you have stayed in Finland for no more than 90 days in a 180-day period and one of the following applies:

You have a valid visa.
You hold a valid Schengen residence permit granted by another country.
You are not required to have a visa due to your citizenship.

If you plan to work, you may need a residence permit even if your stay will be shorter than 90 days.

You must apply for your residence permit personally. You cannot for example apply for a residence permit for your spouse or employee.

If you are a citizen of an EU Member State, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you do not need a residence permit for Finland but you must register your right of residence in Finland. Read more on the page Registration of right of residence.

When you move to Finland after being granted a residence permit, make sure you meet the following requirements during the entire time you live in Finland:

You have a valid residence permit.
You meet the requirements for the permit.

The Finnish Immigration Service conducts post-decision monitoring of residence permits. Read more on the page Post-decision monitoring of residence permits.
Your permit may be withdrawn if you do not meet the permit requirements. For more information, see the page Withdrawal of residence permits.

If your first residence permit is going to expire but you want to stay in Finland, apply for an extended permit or a permanent residence permit in good time. Submit the application before your previous permit expires. The decision may be negative if you do not apply for extension before your previous permit expires.