Quick guide on moving to Finland

If you are a Nordic citizen, you do not need a residence permit for Finland. You can work, run a business or study in Finland.

However, you still need to:

1. submit a notification of change of adress within a week of moving.

2. register at a Digital and Population Data Services Agency service point.

A change of address notification can be made online or on a printed form that you can pick up at a Posti outlet or a Digital and Population Data Services Agency service point.

Note, that you need to register in person at the agency. Book an appointment.

Digital and Populations Data Services Agency (DVV)

Contact information for the service point in Kokkola (DVV)

For more detailed information, please visit the InfoFinland website

If you are a citizen of an EU Member State, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you do not need a residence permit for Finland.

If you want to stay in Finland for a period longer than three months

• apply for the registration of the right of residence of a citizen of the European Union at the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri).

Apply for the registration of an EU citizen’s right of residence in the Enter Finland online service. For more detailed information on registration, please visit the InfoFinland website.

If you want to stay in Finland for a period longer than a year

• you also need to register at a Digital and Population Data Services Agency service point in person (by appointment only).

Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV)

Contact information for the service point in Kokkola (DVV)

For more detailed information, please visit the InfoFinland website

• Moving to Finland – EU citizens
• Registration of an EU citizen’s right of residence

If you plan to work, engage in business activities or study in Finland, you will need a residence permit.

There are different residence permit applications depending on for example the field you are going to work in.

When to apply for a residence permit?

• You need to apply for a residence permit before coming to Finland or when you need an extended permit.
• Submit your application for a permit well in advance, but not earlier than 3 months before your current permit expires.

Where and how to apply for a residence permit?

1. Fill in the application in the Enter Finland online service.
2. Prove your identity at a Finnish mission within 3 months and provide originals of the attachments.

Or

1. Print out the application form on the website of Finnish Immigration Service webpage and fill it in.
2. Bring the application form and originals of the attachments to the nearest Finnish mission.

Source and additional information

For more information on and applying for residence permits, please visit the InfoFinland website.

There are certain jobs in which you may work without a residence permit. Read from Migri’s website in which cases you can work without a residence permit.

If you are visiting Finland for a short period of time, you usually need a visa. For more information on short stays in Finland, please visit the InfoFinland website.

Registering as a resident

If you do not have a personal identity code, you must visit the Digital and Population Data Services Agency in person. If you want a municipality of residence, you usually must visit Digital and Population Data Services Agency. If you want the Digital and Population Data Services to store information about your marital status, you must also visit the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

If you already have a personal identity code, you can register a temporary address in Finland by submitting a notification of change of address at a post office or online. In the notification of change of address, you can only notify your address.

Instructions on registering as a resident, please visit the InfoFinland website

Digital and Population Data Services Agency – Registration of a foreigner’s personal data in the Population Information System