Finland Immigration Procedures: How to Relocate to Finland

Finland Immigration Procedures: How to Relocate to Finland

Finland attracts immigration from many countries around the world due to its high quality of life. Finland is among the most preferred countries to settle in; because many factors such as finding a job, getting an education, family reunification and being a refugee have higher standards than other countries.

Since the proportion of the elderly population in Finland is higher than the proportion of the young population, labor force from outside the country is needed to meet the needs of the elderly.

The settlement conditions in Finland are more moderate than those in other European Union countries. The perspective of Finnish citizens towards foreigners who come to Finland as immigrants is positive and warm.

Foreigners who immigrate to Finland generally come from Russia, Estonia, Sweden, Iraq, Somalia, China, Serbia and Turkey. Immigration rates to Finland have been increasing over the years. 404,179 foreign nationals, which constitute 7.3% of the total population of Finland, live in Finland as immigrants.

How Can European Union Citizens Immigrate to Finland?

The immigration methods of citizens of European Union member states to Finland are given below.

• Working as a laborer
• Being a student in educational institutions
• Being a family member of a person residing in Finland
• Opening a business
• Invest

What is the Immigration Process for European Union Citizens to Finland?

In order for European Union citizens to immigrate to Finland, they must apply for Finnish immigration themselves. The processes that European Union citizens who immigrate to Finland for work, education, family reunification or refugee reasons must follow are listed below.

1. An appointment must be made at the Finnish Immigration Service within 3 months of your arrival in Finland.
2. The Finland immigration application form must be filled out and signed by the applicant.
3. The documents required for the Finland immigration application must be prepared.
4. Applications for Finnish immigration are made through a face-to-face identity check at the Finnish Immigration Office when the appointment date arrives.
5. If the immigration process in Finland continues uninterruptedly and legally for 5 years, people are entitled to receive a Finnish residence permit.

What are the Finland Immigration Requirements for Non-EU Citizens?

Finland immigration requirements for non-EU citizens are listed below.

• Immigration by working in Finland
• Immigrating as an entrepreneur in Finland
• Immigration by studying in Finland
• Immigration through family reunification in Finland
• Immigration to Finland by seeking asylum

Do Non-EU Citizens Need a Residence Permit to Immigrate to Finland?

Yes, a residence permit is required for non-EU citizens to immigrate to Finland. It is not legal for non-EU citizens without a residence permit to immigrate to Finland.

How to Settle in Finland by Working?

People who come to Finland to work may have the right to settle in Finland. In the Finland immigration application process, it is first necessary to find a job in Finland. Factors such as the reputation of the job in Finland, salary status, and working style play an effective role in the evaluation of the Finland immigration application.

People who will work in service areas such as cooks, cleaners, caretakers, and those who have fixed-income jobs such as managers, teachers, scientific researchers, artists, and those participating in internship activities must apply for a residence permit based on work reasons.

People who plan to do seasonal work in Finland, such as agricultural work, forestry work and festival work, must have a Finnish worker visa.

People who have a residence permit in Finland due to family reunification have the right to work in Finland.

How to Settle in Finland by Starting a Business?

In order to establish a business and settle in Finland, you must have a residence permit. People who want to establish a company or business in Finland and want to be entrepreneurs can have the right to settle in Finland after obtaining a residence permit.

The conditions for people who want to establish a business and settle in Finland are listed below.

• Having a startup idea as an entrepreneur
• Establishing a sole proprietorship
• Becoming a partner in an existing business in Finland
• Receiving an offer to become a senior manager in an existing company in Finland

There are two stages to applying for a residence permit for work in Finland. In order to establish a business in Finland, an application must first be made to the Finnish Centre for Livelihoods, Transport and the Environment. The Finnish Centre for Livelihoods, Transport and the Environment evaluates the business activity plan and financing and makes a decision on the business. Then, the Finnish Immigration Service evaluates the applicant's residence permit.

How to Move to Finland as a Student?

In order to settle in Finland as a student, it is necessary to receive an invitation and acceptance from comprehensive and approved educational institutions such as universities, applied science centers and vocational schools in Finland.

Things to do to settle in Finland as a student are listed below.

1. There must be an educational institution that invites and accepts training.
2. A health insurance valid and covered in the European Union must be obtained.
3. An adequate financial plan must be provided to cover living expenses throughout the education period.
4. In order to settle in Finland as a student, the documents required during the application must be prepared in an orderly manner.

If the student stay in Finland is shorter than 90 days, a Finland student visa must be obtained. If the student stay in Finland is longer than 90 days, a residence permit must be obtained from Finland. When a residence permit is obtained for education in Finland, people gain the right to settle in Finland as a student.

Non-EU citizens with a family member residing in Finland are entitled to settle in Finland through family reunification. In order to reunite with a family member residing in Finland, sufficient resources such as regular salary, business income, assets or pension are required.

Children with one parent who is a Finnish citizen may be eligible to settle in Finland with a Finnish family reunification visa . In order for children to be eligible for a residence permit in Finland, the parent residing in Finland must have custody of the child. If both parents are guardians of the child, the other parent must also give notarized consent for the child to move to Finland.

How to Settle in Finland as a Refugee?

People who face threats to their life and property in their country of citizenship can apply for refugee status in Finland. Refugee applications made to Finland by people who are persecuted in their own country due to ethnic origin, religion, nationality or political views are investigated and decided by the Finnish Immigration Service.

Applications for asylum in Finland can be made to border control units or federal police authorities upon arrival in Finland. Applications for asylum in Finland can be made for each individual on their own behalf. In the asylum interview conducted before settling in Finland as a refugee, the applicant is asked why they had to leave their country. The most important stage in the assessment of an asylum application in Finland is the interview stage. During the interview, the applicant must provide a detailed and transparent explanation.

Applicants seeking asylum in Finland have the right to have a legal aid lawyer present at the interview. If an interpreter is needed during the interview, the Finnish Immigration Service is responsible for assigning one.

How can people of Finnish origin and those who have lost their Finnish citizenship immigrate to Finland?

People of Finnish origin or those who have lost Finnish citizenship have the right to immigrate to Finland. People can obtain a residence permit in Finland if at least one person in their lineage is a native Finnish citizen.

In order to settle in Finland, people who apply due to their origin must submit the original birth certificate of their ancestors in their family tree. It is possible to settle in Finland by applying at Finnish Consulates in countries outside Finland or at the Finnish Immigration Office in Finland.

What is the Immigrant Population in Finland?

The proportion of immigrants in the Finnish population is 6.6%. The proportion of immigrants residing in Finland to the general population is Swedish (5.6%), Russian (0.5%), Estonian (0.5%) and Roma (0.1%).

The immigrant population in Finland is increasing day by day. The population of Finland consists of 5.53 million people.

What is the contact information for the Finnish Immigration Service?

The address for the Finnish Immigration Service contact information is Finnish Immigration Services, PO Box 10, FI-00086 Maahanmuuttovirasto, Head Office: Opastinsilta 12 A, Helsinki.

There are several competent authorities for oral interviews of asylum applicants in Finland. These are located at Ratapihantie 11, Helsinki Valtakatu 25B, Lappeenranta Tutkijankuja 9 and Nallinkatu 8.

The official e-mail address of the Finnish Immigration Service is migri@migri.fi.