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Last updated July 27, 2026

Finland Visa and Residence-Permit Appointment: VFS, Enter Finland, Biometrics and Documents

Finland uses different channels for:

Schengen short-stay visas;
first residence permits;
extended residence permits;
residence cards for EU-family members;
registration of EU residence.

A short-stay visa is normally lodged through:

VFS Global;
Finnish mission;
another Schengen state representing Finland.

A first residence permit generally begins in Enter Finland and is completed with an identity and biometric visit at:

Finnish embassy or consulate;
VFS centre authorised for Finnish residence permits.

Inside Finland, Migri service points handle eligible applications and identity visits.

Do not book a Migri service-point appointment abroad or a visa slot for a residence permit.

Schengen visa appointment

The applicant first confirms that Finland is the competent main-destination state.

Then:

complete the visa form under the local Finnish mission's process;
gather the checklist;
book VFS or mission appointment;
attend personally;
provide passport, documents and biometrics;
pay fees;
track and collect passport.

The local Finland Abroad page identifies:

centre;
booking link;
jurisdiction;
representation arrangement;
payment;
collection.

Do not use a VFS Finland page for a country where another Schengen embassy represents Finland.

Residence permit through Enter Finland

For a first residence permit:

create an Enter Finland account;
choose the correct application;
complete the form;
upload documents;
choose the service point;
pay the processing fee;
submit the application;
book identity appointment;
attend with originals and passport;
follow the case online.

The application can be completed online before the appointment.

The case does not proceed fully until identity is verified.

Do not wait to book the identity visit until the estimated processing time has nearly passed.

First residence permit is normally filed abroad

An applicant for a first Finnish residence permit generally applies before entering Finland and visits a Finnish mission or VFS centre abroad.

Limited exceptions exist under the Aliens Act.

Migri states that a person cannot extend a stay merely by filing a new first-permit application inside Finland after the previous lawful stay ends.

Do not travel to Finland as a visitor expecting to convert every case at a Migri service point.

Check the specific permit page.

Appointment at a Finnish mission or VFS

After online submission, contact the mission or use the authorised VFS booking link.

The applicant may need to travel to a mission in another country.

The official Finland Abroad guidance warns that:

the service point can be outside the current country;
the applicant can need a visa to enter the country of the appointment;
VFS service fees are additional.

Confirm territorial jurisdiction.

Do not book before verifying that the mission accepts residents of the applicant's country.

Migri service points in Finland

Applicants eligible to use a Migri service point book through the online appointment system.

The system asks for:

application category;
service type;
service point;
date;
customer information.

One appointment is needed for each separate application, unless the family booking process is used.

The applicant receives:

confirmation;
appointment key;
PIN.

Use the key and PIN to change or cancel.

Do not book an appointment only to ask for case status or leave additional documents.

Those actions normally do not require an appointment.

Appointment availability

Migri releases new appointment times regularly.

The agency recommends checking again if no slot is available.

Waiting-number service is reserved for defined urgent matters, such as an expiring permit or Finnish-issued passport within the stated period.

A first residence-permit applicant abroad should follow the mission's system rather than Migri's domestic urgency rules.

Do not classify ordinary travel plans as an urgent residence-permit matter.

Passport

For a residence permit:

passport must be valid;
biodata and signature pages must be clear;
identity must match all forms;
the passport should remain valid for the intended permit period under the category's rules.

The applicant attends with the original passport.

For a visa, Schengen passport requirements apply:

issued within ten years;
two blank pages;
valid three months beyond planned departure.

Do not upload a low-resolution biodata page where the machine-readable zone cannot be read.

Passport photograph

Migri requires an official passport photograph.

It can be submitted as:

paper photo; or
photograph retrieval code from a Finnish-compatible photo shop where available.

The photo must not be more than six months old.

Use the Finnish police photograph standard.

Do not upload a selfie or digitally altered image.

Residence-permit biometrics

The identity visit records:

fingerprints;
facial image;
signature;
passport identity.

The resulting residence permit card contains biometric identifiers.

The card is proof of residence status, not a general official identity document in the same way as a national ID.

Do not confuse the residence card with a Finnish identity card.

Visa biometrics

Schengen visa applicants generally provide:

fingerprints;
photograph

at VFS or the mission.

Fingerprints can normally be reused where collected for a prior Schengen application within 59 months.

The mission can require new collection.

Children under 12 and other Visa Code exemption categories do not provide fingerprints.

Do not assume residence-permit fingerprints replace Schengen visa fingerprints in every case.

Supporting documents

Use the application-specific list.

Residence-permit files can include:

employment contract;
terms of employment;
university admission;
income;
family relationship;
housing;
insurance;
criminal or civil records;
employer attachments.

The applicant is responsible for a complete file.

Migri can request additional information, but missing documents delay the case and can lead to refusal.

Do not upload placeholder pages stating that the document will be provided later unless the authority permits it.

Official translations

If a residence-permit document is not in:

Finnish;
Swedish;
English,

it must generally be officially translated.

Submit:

original or certified copy;
complete translation;
translator certification.

The translation should include:

stamps;
apostille;
reverse-side entries;
handwritten notes.

Do not translate only the central text.

Apostille and legalisation

Foreign civil documents can require:

apostille;
legalisation;
exemption under EU or Nordic rules.

Family-reunification applications often require authenticated:

marriage;
birth;
custody;
divorce.

The issuing-country and Finnish mission guidance controls the route.

Authenticate the original before translation where the apostille should be translated.

Do not confuse a certified copy with legalisation of the original public act.

Paper application

A paper residence-permit application is lodged personally.

Bring:

completed form;
originals;
copies;
passport;
photograph;
fee;
translations;
legalisation.

The mission can collect the full paper application at the identity appointment.

Online applications are generally cheaper and easier to track, but the applicant should choose the channel allowed for the permit.

Do not file online and paper versions simultaneously.

Family appointments

Where family members apply together:

select family booking;
enter each applicant;
choose the correct application type for each;
bring separate forms and documents;
prove family relationship.

A spouse, parent and child do not necessarily use the same permit category.

Do not use one adult appointment for several unregistered family members.

Extended permits

An extended permit is normally filed in Finland before the current permit expires.

When submitted online in time, the application becomes pending and work rights can continue according to the old permit.

In some cases, Migri can process the online extended application without a new identity visit.

The service will tell the applicant whether attendance is needed.

Do not book an unnecessary service-point appointment before reading the Enter Finland message.

Sources

This article provides general information. The Finland Abroad page for the applicant's country controls the responsible mission, VFS booking and local document-submission process.