Residence permit services in the Middle East

The security situation in the Middle East affects the operation of Finland's missions and VFS application centres in the region. The availability of services may be temporarily limited.

The security situation in the Middle East significantly affects the operation of Finland’s missions and VFS application centres. Some VFS centres have closed temporarily or are operating reduced services. They will return to normal operations as soon as the situation allows it.

As it is unclear how long this will take, we recommend checking the local VFS application centre’s website for the latest updates.

Services of Finnish missions abroad

The Decree of the President of the Republic defines the locations for the missions and the missions that provide consular services, including residence permit services.  

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ Visa Unit is currently looking at alternative ways of providing services. For the time being, services are only available at the designated missions.

If there is no Finnish mission in your country of residence and you require a visa to travel to a country where a Finnish mission is located, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs cannot influence or provide guidance on other countries’ immigration matters, such as the application for or issuance of a visa.

Important note for applicants:

• If you cannot prove your identity at a Finnish mission within three months of submitting your application in Enter Finland, please notify the Finnish Immigration Service of your situation and new appointment via the ‘Send additional information’ feature in Enter Finland.
• If you have secured a student place in Finland and cannot prove your identity to apply for a residence permit, please contact your educational institution.

We appreciate your patience while we work to resolve this difficult situation.