Remember that you have to apply for an extension to your residence permit well before your previous residence permit expires. In Finland, permit extension is applied for at at police service points and the police decide upon the granting of permit extensions. Check with the police of your place of residence in which service point in your area permit affairs are processed.
Application can only be submitted in Finland
Please note that you cannot apply for an extended permit at a Finnish embassy abroad. Therefore pay special attention to applying for an extension if you have planned a visit abroad.
During the summer, the Finnish Immigration Service received several inquiries concerning permit extension issues, for which reason we want to remind you that, in Finland, the police are responsible for permit extensions.
You also need to make an appointment at a police service point well in advance
Unfortunately, the Finnish Immigration Service cannot help you if you are unable to make an appointment with the police for filing your application for permit extension or verifying your identity and giving your fingerprints for electronically filed application. The police are responsible for affairs related to permit extensions and identification via electronic service. It is important to make the appointment in time, since, depending on the police station, the processing periods may be quite long.
Please note that you are residing in Finland illegally if you have not applied for an extension to your residence permit before it expires. Your right to employment related to your residence permit will also end if your residence permit expires. If you apply for extension to your permit in time, your right to employment will continue for the duration of the processing of the extension application. In addition, the period of four years of continuous residence in Finland required for a permanent residence permit will be interrupted if you have not applied for an extension in time.
Read more about residence permit extensions.
