The residence permit card and its renewal

Residence permits and residence permit cards are separate things and may have different periods of validity. For instance, it is possible that someone has a permanent residence permit and still have to change the residence permit card because it is about to expire.

Similarly, losing a residence permit card does not mean that the holder must apply for a new residence permit or that s/he cannot be in Finland anymore. The right to stay in the country remains in force until it expires. In case of losing the card, the holder will have to order a new card to replace the lost one and pay a fee of 100€ to the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri).

In any case, as Migri explains on its website, the law states that if you are granted a residence permit then you will receive a residence permit card.

This card is issued by the Finnish authorities and contains important information such as your personal data, the period of validity of your residence permit and a chip to be used by the authorities to check your identity.

The chip of the residence permit card includes several biometric identifiers, for instance an image of your face and two fingerprints. Because this is information that may vary over the time and to ensure data security, the card has to be renewed every five years.

How to get a residence permit card

If you submitted your residence permit application while being in Finland, the card will be sent to you as a letter to the Finnish address that you provided. Migri does not allow to collect cards from its service points.

If you sent your application from abroad, then you may get the card through a Finnish embassy or consulate. In case that you did not receive you residence permit card 30 days after received the positive decision, the Finnish Immigration Service recommends that you notify it by sending a description of your case to the email address migri@migri.fi

The period of validity of your residence permit is printed on the main side of your residence permit card. If your permit expires, you cannot get an extension just by applying for a new residence permit card. You will need to apply for an extended residence permit instead.

As we said above, you must not forget that the residence permit and the card are two different things. Migri recommends to apply for the extension before the residence permit expires.

For the same reason, if you have a permanent residence permit and your card is about to expire, you do not need to apply for a new permanent residence permit. In that case, you only need to apply for a new card. A residence permit card must be renewed every five years. Apply for the card renewal before the old one expires.

The contents of your residence permit card

Images by: Migri

As detailed by Migri in its website, the contents of your residence permit card are the following:

1. The period of validity of the residence permit is printed on the card. If the residence permit is permanent, the card bears the words PYSYVÄ/PERMANENT.
2. Permit type, or the grounds for issuing the permit:

A = continuous residence permit.

B = temporary residence permit.

P = permanent residence permit.

P-EU or P-EY = a long-term resident’s EU residence permit issued to a third-country national.

3. The section of the Aliens Act printed on the card reveals the extent of the card holder’s right to work. TTOL means a residence permit for an employed person. This is followed by a list of industries where the permit holder may work.

4. Finnish Immigration Service customer number.

5. The date before which the card must be renewed.

How to renew your residence permit card

To renew your residence permit card, the first thing you must do is to book an appointment in Migri’s system. You will not need to fill or submit any application form. You can hand over your previous residence permit card at the service point or later after the card’s validity has expired. Your fingerprints will be taken at the service point and you will have to pay a processing fee:

• Renewal of a residence permit card 80 euros.
• New residence permit card to replace a lost one 100 euros

If you want to book an appointment with Migri for this purpose, you can access its appointment facility directly by clicking HERE

Remember that when you visit Migri’s service point you must bring with you:

• A valid passport.
• A passport photo that is no more than six months old or a photograph retrieval code you received from a photo shop.
• A copy of your passport page containing personal data and copies of all your passport pages with notes.
• A written consent of a guardian when you are applying for a residence permit card for a child and not all guardians are coming with the child to the service point.
• The report you filed with the police, if your card is lost or stolen.
• When applying for a residence permit card for a child, you have to bring the child also with you to the service point.

Once the process is completed you will receive your new residence permit card by mail. If you have to collect your card from the post office, you must show your identity card there. You can also give a power of attorney to another person.

Only apply for a new card in the following situations:

• You have a permanent residence permit and the validity of your residence permit card is about to expire.
• You have a valid residence permit and your residence permit card has been lost or stolen.
• You have a valid residence permit and your residence permit card is so worn out that the information contained on it is unreadable.
• You have a valid residence permit and the personal data printed on your residence permit card has changed, for example after renewing your home country’s passport.
• You have a permanent residence permit sticker on your passport and the validity of your passport is about to expire.