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Backlog in the Finnish Immigration Service’s appointments continues

Publication date 16.11.2020 11.19
Press release

We apologise for any inconvenience.

Free appointments come up at a steady rate. Some customers cancel their appointments, and we make more time slots available whenever possible. Additionally, our service point in Lahti is now open also on Fridays. We recommend that you keep an eye on the situation in our appointment system

When you make an appointment, only book one time slot to ensure that as many customers as possible can get appointments. Please remember to cancel your appointment if you cannot come. For instructions on booking appointments, visit migri.fi/how-to-book-an-appointment.

To improve the situation, we are making constant efforts on many fronts to make sure that we can see as many customers as possible. More appointments have been available this autumn than in the spring. We have increased the personnel numbers at our service points and experimented with shorter time slots. We have also deleted appointments that were clearly not needed. We are currently exploring the possibilities of providing even more time slots for our customers to book.

In most cases, you do not need to prove your identity at the service point right now

  • If you submit your application using the online service Enter Finland, your stay in the country is legal.
    • If you are applying for your first residence permit while already in Finland and submit your application on Enter Finland, your stay in Finland is legal even if you are unable to get an appointment at a service point and prove your identity within three months of submitting the application.
  • If you are applying for an extended residence permit, you may not have to visit a service point.
    • When you start using strong electronic identification in the online service Enter Finland and submit an application for an extended permit, the service will tell you whether you need to visit a service point to prove your identity or not. Read more about strong identification at migri.fi/identification
  • If you submit your application for an extended residence permit on Enter Finland before your previous one expires and if you have a right to work, this right often continues.
    • In most cases, your right to work remains valid even if you have not been able to come to a service point to prove your identity before your previous permit expires. You can print out a certificate of having submitted your application for an extended permit on Enter Finland and show it to your employer if necessary. Read more about the right to work while your application for an extended permit is being processed.
  • If your residence permit is valid and you apply for a new residence permit card too late, your right to work remains valid. 

Appointments are for customers who need to prove their identity and submit applications

If you need advice, you can find answers to many questions on our website at Migri.fi:

If you would like to attach any documents to your application, use Enter Finland. If you did not submit your application on Enter Finland, send your additional documents to the Finnish Immigration Service by mail or e-mail. For our contact information, visit migri.fi/contact information. Please do not make an appointment with a service point just to drop in documents.

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