Aliens Act amended on 12 June 2026, affects beneficiaries of temporary protection

12.6.2026 14.10

Press release

The Finnish Parliament has approved amendments to the Aliens Act concerning removal from the country and entry bans. The amendments enter into force on 12 June 2026.

This customer bulletin contains information on the effects of the legislative amendments on beneficiaries of temporary protection.

Beneficiaries of temporary protection may only hold one valid residence permit

Moving forward, beneficiaries of temporary protection may only hold one valid residence permit or other right to reside in Finland. A residence permit issued on the basis of temporary protection will expire when a client’s purpose of residence has changed and the client has been issued a new residence permit, the client’s right of residence as an EU citizen has been registered or the client has been issued a residence card of a family member of an EU citizen.

If you have a permit on some other grounds in addition to the residence permit issued on the basis of temporary protection

If you have been granted a residence permit on grounds other than temporary protection in addition to your temporary protection residence permit before 12 June 2026, your temporary protection residence permit will expire on 12 August 2026. Your temporary protection residence permit will expire automatically on 12 August 2026 and the expiry cannot be appealed.

If the permit issued to you on other grounds expires before 12 August 2026, your temporary protection residence permit will not expire on 12 August 2026.

The legislative amendments also affect reception services and the validity of residence permit cards issued on the basis of temporary protection:

If you are receiving reception services on the basis of temporary protection, your right to reception services ends when your temporary protection residence permit expires.
Your temporary protection residence permit card will expire at the same time as your temporary protection residence permit expires. Your residence permit card expires automatically on 12 August 2026 even if the expiry date printed on your card is 4 March 2027. Destroy your old temporary protection residence permit card once it has expired.

Your right to reside and work in Finland continues according to the other residence permit which was issued to you before 12 June 2026.

If you hold a residence permit issued on the basis of temporary protection, and you are issued a residence permit on some other grounds on or after 12 June 2026

If you have been granted temporary protection, and you are issued a residence permit on some other grounds on or after 12 June 2026, your temporary protection residence permit will expire automatically when you receive a new residence permit. The expiry of the permit cannot be appealed.

The residence permit issued on the basis of temporary protection will also expire if you receive a decision on the registration of your right of residence as an EU citizen or are issued a residence card of a family member of an EU citizen on or after 12 June 2026.

The legislative amendments also affect reception services and the validity of residence permit cards issued on the basis of temporary protection:

If you are receiving reception services on the basis of temporary protection, your right to reception services ends when you are issued a new residence permit.
Your temporary protection residence permit card expires when you are issued a residence permit on some other grounds. In this case, your residence permit card expires automatically even if the expiry date printed on your card is 4 March 2027. Destroy your old temporary protection residence permit card once it has expired.

Your right to reside and work in Finland continues according to the residence permit issued to you on or after 12 June 2026.

Extending the validity of a residence permit issued on the basis of temporary protection

If you want your residence permit issued on the basis of temporary protection to remain valid, you can request your other residence permit to be withdrawn by a written notice. Read the instructions for withdrawing a residence permit.

If you wish, you can also apply for temporary protection again later. The amendments to the Aliens Act do not affect your right to receive temporary protection if you still meet the requirements for temporary protection. If you are granted a new residence permit on the basis of temporary protection in Finland, the permit issued to you on other grounds expires.