Finnish Immigration Service accepts passports issued by Palestinian Authority for residence permit applications
The Finnish Immigration Service has reviewed its guidelines about travel documents accepted for residence permit applications. From now on, the Finnish Immigration Service accepts passports issued by the Palestinian Authority for all residence permit applications. Earlier, Palestinians may have been issued with a residence permit on the basis of family ties in situations where it has been possible to grant an exception to the passport requirement.
What has changed?
The legislative amendments that entered into force on 1 September 2024 introduced stricter identification requirements regarding residence permit applicants. Due to the legislative amendments, applicants who do not have a passport issued by their country of nationality may receive a negative decision on their residence permit applications. The government proposal specified that this concerns stateless persons as well, including Palestinians.
The Finnish Immigration Service now accepts passports issued by the Palestinian Authority for applications for a residence permit on the basis of work, studies and family ties. The other requirements must also be met before a residence permit can be granted. Passports issued by Hamas in Gaza will not be accepted, as has been the case so far.
Applying for a residence permit
Apply for a first residence permit outside Finland. When you visit a Finnish mission (embassy or consulate) to prove your identity, bring your passport with you.
Applications for an extended permit can only be submitted in Finland. Remember to apply for an extended permit before your current residence permit expires. Your application for an extended permit is considered to have arrived in time if you submit it via Enter Finland before your current residence permit expires. If you use a paper form to apply, your application is considered to be submitted when you have visited a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service.
It is not yet possible to select Palestinian citizenship in Enter Finland. For the time being, you can select the option ‘stateless’ in your residence permit application.
If you have received a negative decision
Between 1 September 2024 and 5 September 2025, the Finnish Immigration Service has issued negative decisions for customers applying for a residence permit with a Palestinian passport. We will examine the decisions that have been issued during this period. If you have received a negative decision, you can contact the Finnish Immigration Service by email: migri@migri.fi. Use the Finnish Immigration Service’s Securemail service when you send email. Read more about how to use the Securemail service from the page Contact Information.
