Finnish Government to grant residence permits “as quick as possible” to Brits in case of no-deal Brexit
The Ministry of Interior encourages British citizens to register for the right of residence in order to make the process easier
The Finnish Government has said on Tuesday, through a statement issued by its Ministry of Interior, its intention to "protect the opportunities for citizens of the United Kingdom to live, work and study in Finland in the future, too, even after the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union".
The government statement highlights that the Parliament of the United Kingdom is to vote on the Brexit withdrawal agreement on Tuesday 15 January. "If there is a no-deal Brexit, where the UK withdraws from the EU without an agreement, UK citizens in Finland would become third-country nationals. If, however, the UK were to cancel its withdrawal decision, the situation would remain the same as it is at present", explains the text.
It is estimated that in case of a no-deal Brexit, some 5,000 UK citizens would apply for a residence permit in Finland. "The intention is that the permit procedure would be as quick and flexible as possible", declared the Ministry of Interior. "Work and study rights of UK citizens in Finland will be protected", stresses the release.
The Ministry of the Interior said that will publish further information in the coming weeks about the position regarding residence and work permits.
UK citizens living in Finland are in any event advised to register their right of residence with the Finnish Immigration Service as soon as possible. Information on this can be found on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service.
If you want to read the release published by the Finnish Government, click HERE