Asylum in Finland Resettlement of quota refugees Quota refugee refers to a person who: has been forced to leave their home country or country of permanent residence for another country; and cannot stay in the country to which they have fled; and h...

Services Frequently asked questions: Refugees and asylum seekers Applying for asylum Legislative amendments of 1 September 2024:Switching application procedures Border procedure Asylum seeker's right to work Reception allowance Returning to home c...

27.2.2026 | The Finnish Parliament has approved an amendment to the Social Assistance Act, which will also tighten the conditions for receiving reception allowance as of 1 March 2026. In future, all earned income and allowances will be taken into account in full when determining the amount of reception allowance.

27.3.2025 | Due to a significant decrease in the number of residents at reception centres, we have to close down some reception centres. The number of clients has decreased as there are fewer asylum seekers and recipients of temporary protection and some reception centre clients have moved to municipalities. As a result, we will not be able to offer the same number of places of accommodation as before.

11.3.2025 | These checks will concern all clients who have received a prepaid card from the Finnish Immigration Service, both new and existing card holders. All account and card holders are checked regularly. The check is automated, and you do not need to do anything because of it. An automated check does not usually stop the card from working.

12.2.2026 | 1(3) 1.1.2026 – englanti Ohje kiintiövalintahaastatteluun – Suomelle kiintiöpakolaiseksi esitettyjen henkilöiden henkilötietojen käsittely Processing of the personal data of persons proposed as quota refugees to Finland The Finnish Immigration Ser...

Services Glossary This glossary contains key terms used by the Finnish Immigration Service on its website, and their definitions. The definitions do not always follow the legislation word for word, which is why, for more formal definitions, you sh...

Asylum in Finland Positive decision When the Finnish Immigration Service has made a decision on your asylum application, you will be informed about it by the Finnish Immigration Service or the police. The decision will be served to you in your mot...

Services Projects Every year, the Finnish Immigration Service runs a number of projects funded by the European Union (EU) to develop our work. The projects are financed by the European Union Home Affairs Funds and the European Union Recovery and R...

Services Division of tasks in immigration affairs The Finnish Immigration Service grants residence permits to foreign nationals entering Finland, such as students, employees, self-employed people, returnees and family members of foreign nationals ...

Updates about Syria

Services Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is responsible for integration The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is responsible for the integration of immigrants. The Economic Development Centres and the municipalities are respo...

Temporary protection Municipality of residence You can apply for a municipality of residence from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency if: you have lived in Finland for one year; and you have a residence permit on the basis of temporary...

Temporary protection Family The family member of a foreigner who has been granted temporary protection can apply for a residence permit in Finland. Family members may also be eligible for temporary protection themselves. Schooling, early childhood...

Permits and citizenship Proving your identity abroad If you are submitting a residence permit application abroad, you must visit a Finnish mission (embassy or consulate) to prove your identity. You can also prove your identity at a VFS Global appl...

Services Frequently asked questions about the situation in Afghanistan On this page, we have put together answers to frequently asked questions about the situation in Afghanistan. The page will be updated as the situation develops. Language versio...

Return to the front page of the newsroom Our information bank contains basic information about immigration and answers to common questions about the Finnish Immigration Service. If you are a customer, our Application Finder will help and guide you...

After applying Processing of applications We will contact you if we need any additional information concerning your application. We will also contact you when we have made a decision. Track the processing of your application Submit your applicatio...

Asylum in Finland Negative decision When the Finnish Immigration Service has made a decision on your asylum application, you will be informed about it by the Finnish Immigration Service or the police. The decision will be served to you in your mot...

Temporary protection Instructions for pet owners Ukrainian pet owners are allowed to bring their pet to Finland. From July 1, 2023, dogs, cats and ferrets arriving in Finland from Ukraine must meet the normal entry conditions. If your pet does not...