Many Russians dream of leaving for Finland for permanent residence, but this is not entirely easy. It is possible to obtain a permit for permanent residence in Finland only after staying in the country for a certain time on the first residence permit, which, in turn, is issued only if there is a serious reason for obtaining it. There are several ways to immigrate to Finland, however, before embarking on the implementation of one of them, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with all the nuances accompanying this process.
Benefits of moving to Finland for permanent residence
There are several advantages of moving to Finland permanently from Russia or other CIS countries:
- the opportunity to use medical services on an equal basis with Finnish citizens (insurance covering treatment, operations and some medicines);
- the ability to travel freely within the Schengen countries (up to 90 days in half a year);
- the ability to transport relatives on the basis of family reunification;
- the opportunity to obtain a residence permit without relatives in Finland;
- this northern state occupies one of the highest places in the ranking of countries in terms of environmental efficiency;
- low level of corruption.
Requirements for applicants for permanent residence
In order to obtain a permanent residence permit in Finland, a foreigner must meet the following requirements:
- live here continuously for 4 years on the basis of a type A residence permit, provided that at the time of applying for permanent residence, the conditions for obtaining a previous residence permit were preserved;
- to be in the country legally (and as a confirmation of this, have a foreign passport);
- have no bans on entering Finland;
- not pose a danger to public order and safety;
- not pose a danger to public health;
- not pose a threat to international relations in Finland.
Grounds for issuing a permit for permanent residence
In most cases, the basis for issuing a permanent residence permit is the same as for the previous residence permit. A new basis for obtaining permanent residence can be work or family reunification. You can move to Finland for permanent residence in 2021 for the following reasons:
- Work;
- family reunification;
- education;
- re-emigration (for former citizens of Finland, their descendants, as well as for those who were evacuated from Ingria or served in the Finnish army in 1939-1945);
- business;
- obtaining a residence permit for victims of human trafficking.
People who have retired are often interested in moving to Finland. In this case, you should know that a pensioner, like any other applicant, must have one of the above reasons to move to Finland for permanent residence, and retirement is not.
In any case, before receiving a permanent residence permit (type P), a foreigner must have lived in Finland for 4 years with a continuous residence permit (type A), regardless of the basis for obtaining it.
Before applying for a four-year residence permit of type A, a foreigner must apply for a temporary residence permit for a year (type B).
Required documents
To obtain permanent residence, the following documents are required:
- application for permanent residence (you can submit online or print a paper version, and then submit to the office of the Finnish Migration Service);
- passport + copy of data pages;
- a document confirming the existence of a place of residence in Finland (document for real estate ownership or lease);
- documents confirming the basis for moving;
- confirmation of payment of the duty.
Foreigners planning to immigrate to Finland with children should be aware that the following documents are required for minors:
- birth certificate;
- the consent of the second parent for the child to move to permanent residence in Finland.
Where to go
You can independently apply for a permanent residence permit through the branch of the Finnish Migration Service. The offices of the Migration Service are located in the largest cities in Finland. For more information on the addresses and working schedules of the branches, follow the link. Before applying, you must complete all the required documents in accordance with your grounds for staying in Finland.
Terms of waiting for a solution and the cost of registration
The processing time for applications depends on the number of applications submitted. Most often, it is not possible to issue a permit for permanent residence quickly - waiting for notification of the decision made can last on average from two to nine months.
Applicants who receive permanent residence on the basis of Finnish roots must pass the Finnish language proficiency test - DIPAKI.
This exam is taken in Russia. When submitting documents in Finland, the YKI exam is taken - it is needed for those who plan to work, study or live here.
Registration of a permanent residence permit costs 180 euros.
How to track the status of the application
You can find out about the status of the application processing on the website of the Finnish Migration Service by clicking on the link. For this you need:
- indicate the name of the basis for obtaining a residence permit (work, family, study or obtaining a permanent residence permit);
- answer the question whether an application was sent to the Enter Finland electronic service or not;
- enter the date of identity confirmation (submission of documents) at the immigration office.
After that, the system will display the approximate date of receipt of the notification of the decision.
Possible reasons for refusal
If your plan to make life in Finland was ruined by a refusal, you should know that you have the right to appeal this decision to an administrative court. The disclaimer is accompanied by instructions on how to file an appeal.
The most common reasons for refusal to issue a permit for permanent residence are:
- incorrectly completed documents;
- forgery of papers;
- incomplete package of documents;
- past violation of the laws of Finland or other Schengen countries;
- inconsistency of the information specified in the documents with reality;
- insufficient amount of financial resources for moving to permanent residence.
How to get citizenship
A child, one of whose parents is Finnish, acquires Finnish citizenship automatically, provided that he is born in Finland and is married (principle of origin). However, Finnish citizenship does not automatically pass to a child if he was born abroad or out of wedlock.
The following categories of persons are eligible to apply for Finnish citizenship:
- a child, one of whose parents is Finnish;
- a child adopted by the Finns at the age of 12-17;
- former citizen of Finland;
- citizen of Northern Europe;
- applicant aged 18-22 who has lived in Finland for a long time.
If you do not belong to any of the above categories, you can obtain citizenship by naturalization.
It should be borne in mind that it is impossible to obtain Finnish citizenship without knowing the language.
In addition, you need to meet other requirements:
- have an established identity;
- live in Finland for a long time;
- to be honest;
- have a sufficient amount of funds;
- fulfill payment obligations.
Finland recognizes multiple citizenship.
Finally
Citizens of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan or any other CIS countries have the opportunity to move to Finland for permanent residence. However, there must be good reasons for this. Such grounds can be admission to an educational institution in Finland, official employment or starting your own business.
You can also get permanent residence on the basis of reunification with a family living in a northern country, or on the basis of repatriation (if the applicant has Finnish roots).
In any of these cases, you first need to come to Finland on a visa, then apply for a temporary residence permit for a year (type B), and after that - a continuous residence permit (type A), which requires you to reside in the country for 4 years. After all this, a permanent residence permit is issued (type P).
