Foreign members of the family of a Finnish citizen or a residence permit holder (sponsor) who live elsewhere and want to join him in Finland can apply for a residence permit based on family ties.
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Who can get a family residence permit?
Such a permit in Finland is issued to the closest family members of Finnish citizens or those who have a residence permit. The definition of who is considered the closest family member varies from country to country. In Finland this is:
- your spouse or registered partner;
- your compatible partner;
- legal guardian (if the applicant is a child under the age of 18);
- your children under the age of 18.
In some cases, permission may be issued to a person with whom you are dating on the basis of an intimate relationship.
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When should I apply for family reunification permits?
If your sponsor is already a citizen or resident of Finland, you can apply when you are ready and collect all the necessary documents. You can also apply at the same time as your sponsor's application for a residence permit.
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Prepare all the documents
Collect all the documents you need to apply. Contact the embassy and get a list of requirements and documents required for obtaining a residence permit. Embassies may be asked to provide additional documents.
Your documents also need to be translated if they are not in English, Finnish, or Swedish.
Basic list of required documents:
- Valid applicant's passport;
- Pc1_plus Form. This form must be completed and signed by your sponsor in Finland, and then sent to you so that you can add it to the rest of the application.;
- Photography;
- A copy of your passport page;
- A copy of your sponsor's passport page;
- Birth certificates;
- Marriage certificate;
- Divorce certificate (if you and your spouse were divorced once and are now married again);
- Certificate of registered partnership;
- Death certificate (if you or your spouse / partner is a widower);
- Adoption documents. If the application concerns an adopted child;
- Confirmation of financial stability. You must provide proof that you can support yourself financially if you move to Finland. If your spouse / partner finances your stay, you must provide their income statement. Financial security depends on the size of the family; the requirements are different for each program;
- Document which is confirmed the place of residence. You will also need to provide a certificate confirming that you are legally residing in your current country;
- Certificate of good condition. This is a certificate usually issued by civil courts that proves that you are not under investigation and that no criminal charges have been brought against you;
- A copy of your employment contract;
- Confirmation of your partner's financial condition. You will also need to provide the following documents:
– Your partner's bank statements for the last six months.
– Copies of your partner's latest tax card, tax decision, and tax return.
– Documents related to your spouse's/partner's business, such as business license, income statement, bank statements, number of employees, etc.
– Documents related to your spouse's pension.
– Documents related to other income.
17. Certificate of paternity. If you are applying for reunification with a child in Finland or are applying at the same time as the child, you must provide a certificate of paternity in cases where the child was born out of wedlock;
18. Consent letter. If a minor applies for reunification with one of the parents/legal guardian and the other parent/legal guardian is located in another country, the consent letter is mandatory.
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When everything will be ready by you, you can apply for a permit. You can apply via an online electronic service, or contact your local Finnish mission and apply in person. In any case, you are the only one who can make an application that your sponsor can’t submit for you, even if you give them permission.
On the site https://enterfinland.fi/eServices/info/familytiespermit you can learn more about the requirements for obtaining a permit specifically in your case.
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Contact your local Finnish mission
Once you apply, you will need to contact your local embassy/consulate, submit your fingerprints, and verify your identity. Also bring the original documents that you added to the online application.
Prepare for a possible interview, and an embassy representative can ask you questions related to your relationship with the sponsor.
If you have applied for your child, take it with you, even if your child is still an infant.
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The period for obtaining a family residence permit in Finland is usually from 2 to 9 months. Online registration takes less time than a paper application. If something is missing from your application, the processing time will be extended, so make sure you have everything when you apply for the first time.
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After reviewing your application and receiving a positive response, the Immigration Service will send your residence card to the embassy. You can pick it up and then head to Finland when you're ready. Upon arrival, you must check in with your local check-in office.
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How long is a family residence permit valid in Finland?
The first permit is valid for 12 months. However, your permit may be valid for up to 4 years, depending on the specific circumstances in which you applied for a visa.
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How much does a family reunification permit cost in Finland?
An electronic application costs 470 euros, while a paper application costs 520 euros. You must also pay a visa renewal fee.
Finnish citizenship may be granted to an alien if the applicant is over the age of 18 and has permanently resided in Finland for the last five years continuously or for seven years after reaching the age of 15, the last two years of which are without interruption.
If the applicant demonstrates satisfactory knowledge of Finnish or Swedish, citizenship can be granted after four years of residence in Finland.
After living in the country for the required period of time, a foreigner must:
- Get documentary proof of your language skills. This can be, for example, a certificate of completion of a general education school, a university diploma, or a certificate of passing a language exam;
- Get confirmation of the existence and legality of sources of income and housing;
- Collect a package of necessary documents;
- Pay the state fee for submitting an application;
- Apply for citizenship in any prescribed way.
- If this is an electronic registration of an application for citizenship, you must additionally report to the Migration Service to confirm your identity, submit original documents and check your language skills. This must be done within three months after submitting the application, and admission is made by appointment.
- Wait for a decision to be made;
- If the decision is positive, contact the local Civil Police Department to apply for a Finnish passport;
- If the decision is negative, the foreigner has the right to appeal it.
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Where should I Apply?
Issues of granting Finnish citizenship are handled by the local Immigration Service (Maahanmuuttoviraston) at the place of residence of the foreigner. However, they can contact any office that is convenient for them. Admission for citizenship issues is carried out by appointment. You can book a place and a convenient time for reception using the electronic queue service. The addresses and opening hours of the Migration Service offices can be found on the website.
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If you do not want to visit Maahanmuuttoviraston in person, you can apply electronically on the Enter Finland website. To do this, you need to pre-register on the resource, identifying your identity in any convenient way, for example, by phone number or bank account, or by e-mail.
When submitting an electronic application, a person will still have to visit the Migration Service to identify their identity, check their language skills, and submit original documents. Pre-registration is also required for this purpose.
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Package of required documents
The main document when applying for citizenship is an application. It must be completed in Finnish or Swedish and meet the established requirements in the form (form KAN 1). The following documents are submitted together with it:
- passport or other identity document in the absence of a passport;
- language certificate, University diploma or certificate of basic education;
- documents which are confirmed the sources of funding for living in Finland.
This is the minimum package of documents that the applicant needs. Depending on the circumstances, the Migration Service may ask you to provide other documents, such as a certificate of non-criminal record, documents on the right to use housing, some medical or travel documents, and others. You don't need to provide photos, residence permits, or any other documents yourself.
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Cost and terms of processing the application
Finns charge applicants a state fee for processing the application. Its size depends on the application form: when submitting an online application, a person pays 350 euros, and a paper application costs 440 euros.
In addition, the applicant will have to pay for a language exam. The cost of passing it depends on the level of knowledge that the applicant plans to confirm with a certificate. In any case, the cost of the exam will be from 100 to 160 euros. No other mandatory expenses are provided.
As for the terms of consideration, they are individual in each case. The average application processing and decision-making time is 5-9 months.
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If the Migration Service needs additional information, it will contact the applicant independently. If a written application is submitted, the applicant will be notified of the decision by mail.
If an electronic application has been submitted, notification of the decision is sent by text message to the email address.
