Lower residence permit fees for people staying in Finland due to coronavirus crisis

The Decree on Fees Charged for Services Provided by the Finnish Immigration Service will be temporarily amended. Because of the travel restrictions imposed due to the prevailing coronavirus pandemic, there are people in Finland whose right of residence is about to end or has already ended and who are unable to leave the country. They will be charged a lower fee for the processing of their residence permit application than usual.

Under the Decree on Fees Charged for Services Provided by the Finnish Immigration Service issued for 2020, the processing fee for a residence permit application is EUR 520 for adults and EUR 270 for minors. The Decree will be temporarily amended so that the processing fee is EUR 150 for adults and EUR 100 for minors in cases where the permit is applied for because of the travel restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The amendment enters into force on 22 May 2020 and will remain in force until 31 October 2020. The residence permits granted on the basis of the travel restrictions will also be valid until 31 October 2020 at the latest.

Possible applicants include people whose visa-free stay, visa, or residence permit has expired. The Finnish Immigration Service has already received residence permit applications from people whose departure from Finland has been prevented or significantly hampered because of the coronavirus crisis. It is fair and reasonable to reduce the fees, as these people remain in Finland against their will, the duration of the stay is estimated to be short, and the validity of the permit is also shorter than usual.

If the reason for submitting an application is other than the applicant’s inability to leave the country due to the coronavirus epidemic, the applicant is requested to supplement the application and pay the processing fee for the correct type of application.

The processing fees for residence permit applications are determined annually by decree of the Ministry of the Interior. The Decree is issued under the Act on Criteria for Charges Payable to the State. Under the Act, the fee charged by the Finnish Immigration Service for a residence permit application must correspond to the cost price of the application, i.e. the cost of processing the application. However, for special reasons, the fee can be lower than the cost price or it can be completely waived.

The proposed amendment was circulated for comments to the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, and the Finnish Immigration Service.

Inquiries:

Satu Kaskinen, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 488 680, satu.kaskinen@intermin.fi

Source:

Migri Finland to give refunds for extension of residence permits due to Covid/19

Indian nationals stranded in Finland have applied to Migri for short-term residence permit and paid a full price (520 Euros).

Government of Finland announced that such persons can apply for refund of 370 Euros from Migri as it reduced its charge to 150 Euros in cases related to corona virus.

If it is not possible for you to return to your home country or country of permanent residence due to restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic, you can, under certain conditions, apply for a temporary residence permit.

Apply for a temporary residence permit on the basis of restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic, if:

  • the police cannot extend the validity of your visa;
  • your visa-free residence period has ended;
  • your previous temporary residence permit is about to expire and you do not have grounds for permit extension; or
  • you are not planning to remain in Finland on other grounds, such as work, studies or family ties.

If you apply for a temporary residence permit:

  • Fill in the application form entitled OLE_MUU available on our website.
  • Check on our website which appendices you need to attach to your application.
  • Bring or send the completed application to us.

a. Book an appointment at a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service through the appointment system (service category: Residence permit, service: Other grounds) and bring the completed application with you to the appointment; or
b. send the application to us by post or email, and we will send you an invitation to come and identify yourself at a service point.

You cannot use Enter Finland to apply for this residence permit.

The application fee is EUR 150 for adults and EUR 100 for children. These fees only apply to the temporary residence permit applied for on the grounds of restrictions due to the coronavirus.

The temporary residence permit granted on the grounds of restrictions due to the coronavirus will be valid until 31 October 2020. The date the application becomes pending does not affect the validity period of the residence permit.

The following in themselves are not sufficient grounds for obtaining a residence permit:

  • Financial reasons, such as high travel costs
  • The fact that there are no direct flights or other direct transport connections available to your home country or your country of residence
  • The fact that the coronavirus situation is worse in your home country or country of residence than it is in Finland

If you have paid a full fee for your application, we will refund the difference to you

If you have already applied for a temporary residence permit on other grounds because of coronavirus restrictions and have paid the regular fee for a residence permit application (first residence permit EUR 520 per adult and permit extension EUR 260 per adult), send a refund request to esupport@migri.fi. We will refund the difference to you when we have processed your request. We are busy processing requests – please wait for us to contact you.

Further information:

Updates are available on our website: migri.fi/en/coronavirus. Keep checking the website for the latest information about the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak on our services, as well as answers to frequently asked questions. We will provide information about any changes without delay.

If you are staying in Finland with a valid visa, contact the Police. The Police provide answers regarding the extension of visas. For further information, visit the website of the Finnish police

Disclaimer: The information is reproduced “as is” from the below source.