Lupa-asiat

Visa

A visa is an entry permit for a short and temporary visit that lasts no longer than three months. Foreigners, who wish to travel to Finland for a short period of time, for example for a holiday, a business trip or a visit to their friends or family need a visa unless they are citizens of a country that is exempt from the need to obtain a visa.
You can check the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Finland or ask the Finnish diplomatic mission closest to you to find out whether or not you need a visa to enter Finland.
You must apply for a visa before you travel to Finland. You can apply for one in a Finnish diplomatic mission in your own country.

Finland has agreements with certain countries that exempt the citizens of those countries from the need to obtain a visa when entering Finland. These include the Nordic countries and countries within the EU.

More about visas can be obtained from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ulkoasiainministeriö) website.

Residence Permit in Finland

If you wish to live permanently in Finland, you will usually need a residence permit. You must apply for a residence permit before you enter Finland. You can apply for a residence permit at a Finnish diplomatic mission in your own country.

You must have a justified reason for moving to Finland. The following are grounds for gaining a residence permit in Finland:

• work
• business activities
• studying
• family ties (a family member is residing in Finland)
• remigration
• Finnish heritage
• International protection (asylum, for example)
• other reason

The website for the Finnish Immigration Service (maahanmuuttovirasto) has information on how to obtain a residence permit. The permits are usually subject to a fee.

If you will be staying in Finland for no longer than three months, you will usually not have to apply for a residence permit. A visa will cover a short visit. In some cases, however, you may need to obtain a residence permit even for a visit shorter than three months. You can check whether this applies to you in a Finnish diplomatic mission closest to you.

Citizens of Nordic and EU countries

You will not need a residence permit, if you are:

• national of a Nordic Country, or
• citizen of an EU member state, or
• national of Switzerland or Liechtenstein.

You are free to stay, work and engage in entrepreneurship in Finland.

Nationals of the Nordic Countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland) residing in Finland for more than six months must register at their local Register Office. The website of the Local Register Offices contain information on the registration of the citizen of the Nordic countries in Finnish, Swedish and English.

Citizens of EU member states, Switzerland ja Liechtenstein residing in Finland for longer than three months must register their right of residency at their local police station. The website of the Finnish Police contains information about the registration of the right of residence in Finnish.

Visit also the Info Bank page EU Nationals.

Citizens of other countries

Information on applying for a residence permit and visa

Forms for applying for a residence permit:

English
Finnish
Swedish

Information on the prices of residence permits

English
Finnish
Swedish

The website of the Finnish Immigration Service contains more information on visas and residence permits for non-EU/EEA nationals in Finnish, Swedish, English, French and Russian.

Further details on immigration and permit issues can be obtained from the online service Suomi.fi in Finnish, Swedish and English.