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Residence permit for a child
This form is for you if you are applying for a first Finnish residence permit for a child under the age of 18 on the basis of family ties. The purpose of the application is that the child intends to move to Finland and to lead a family life with his or her guardian. The application may be filed by the child with his/her guardian abroad. The child must be unmarried for a residence permit to be granted on the basis of family ties between parent and child.
If you are not a Finnish citizen, the granting of the permit requires that the livelihood of your family is secured in Finland through means other than benefits paid by the state. Livelihood is normally secured through income from wages or pursuit of trade.
If your child is born in Finland, you must submit a residence permit application for the child within three months from the birth. It is necessary to apply for a residence permit even if you have applied for Finnish citizenship for the child. Otherwise, your child does not have the right to reside in Finland.
If you are adopting a child abroad through international adoption, apply for a residence permit for your adopted child by filling out the application for a residence permit for adoption.
Get ready
Check that you have all the necessary attachments and information before you begin. You must have, at least, the child's valid passport (or a passport that includes the child) and
- birth certificate with information on the child's parents (legalised)
- documentation on the guardianship of the child (legalised)
- consent given by the other parent to the child to move to Finland if the guardian does not move to Finland at the same time (notarised or legalised).
Official certificates, such as birth and marriage certificates, must be legalised if they are not issued by authorities in one of the Nordic countries or in an EU Member State. If the documents that are attached to the application are not in Finnish, Swedish or English, they must be accompanied by a translation into one of these languages by an authorised translator. The original documents and their translations must be presented when the applicant visits the service point to prove his or her identity.
If a sponsor is already in Finland they must use the form PK4_plus, and a guardian with the child abroad who is not moving to Finland with them must use the form PH4_plus. A clarification of family ties must be attached to those forms. However, the clarification of family ties is not needed if the child is applying for a residence permit simultaneously with their guardian, or if the child was born in Finland and their foreign parents reside in Finland with a residence permit. The forms must be filled out and signed by the child or the guardian.
If the family is required to have secure means of support, a clarification of income must be attached to the application. If the guardian applies for a residence permit on the basis of work simultaneously:
- Copy of employment contract
If the guardian already lives in Finland:
- Pay slips and bank statements of the guardian from the past six months for all Finnish bank accounts the guardian can use
- Copy of the guardian’s latest tax card, tax decision and tax return
- Copy of the guardian’s employment contract
- Documents concerning the guardian’s business
- Clarification of other possible income or funds which can be transferred to Finland and will be used to support you
If the child was born in Finland and the parents live in Finland with a residence permit, you only need to attach a copy of the child's valid passport in order to submit the application. If the child does not yet have a passport, you can submit the application but must deliver a copy of the passport to the Finnish Immigration Service. The permit cannot be granted before you do so. In this case, attach a written document to the application explaining that you have applied for a passport.
If your child does not have a valid passport that is approved by the Finnish authorities and you cannot obtain one due to circumstances beyond your control, you can attach a written statement instead of a passport copy where you explain why your child cannot obtain a passport.
Fill in the application and pay the fee
Complete the application form and attach all the required documents. Select a service point. The service point is where your child proves his or her identity. You will find more information at migri.fi/en/identification. When you choose the service point, please remember that the child must reside legally in the country where he or she visits a service point to prove his or her identity.
If the child is applying for a residence permit abroad, he or she must visit a Finnish embassy or consulate. If the child is already in Finland, he or she must visit a Migri service point. Please take into account that the service points can be very busy. If you are in Finland, you can book an appointment before submitting an application in Migri's appointments system. If you are abroad, contact the embassy or consulate directly.
The guardian of the child does not need to accompany the child at the embassy, but if the person who accompanies the child is not the child’s guardian, he or she cannot represent the guardian without power of attorney from the guardian. The person who accompanies the child must also prove his or her identity.
Book an appointment to visit a service point
The processing of an application is subject to a fee. You can pay the processing fee with most credit cards, or use the online banking services provided by Finnish banks. You can also pay the processing fee at the embassy or at the Migri service point during your visit to prove your identity.
Visit the selected authority to prove your identity
When you have submitted your child’s application via the e-service, you and your child must visit the service point you selected in order to prove your and your child’s identity and to present the original copies of the attachments required for the application. If the child is six years old or older, his or her fingerprints are also taken. Remember to take your child’s passport photo with you. Passport photo guidelines can be found on the website of the Finnish police.
If you cannot visit the service point together with your child, the child can be accompanied by some other person, for example a relative.
Follow the processing
It is difficult to estimate the exact processing time of an individual application made on the basis of family ties. For example, if further clarifications are needed for the application and if the required information cannot be obtained from documents but an oral hearing must be arranged, this will affect the processing time. If the child is born in Finland, the aim is to process the application within four months. According to the Aliens Act, residence permit applications made on the basis of family ties are processed, as a rule, within nine months.
You can follow the processing of your application in the e-service. If further information or documents are required for your application, we will send you a request first and foremost through the e-service.
The authorities can also contact your family member who lives in Finland.
You will receive a notification when a decision has been made and can be read online.