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2.3.2026 | Finland to refuse non-biometric passports issued by Russia as of 1 June 2026 Ministry for Foreign Affairs Publication date 2.3.2026 14.55 | Published in English on 2.3.2026 at 15.00 Type: Press release From 1 June 2026, Finland will not accept non...

18.4.2024 | The Government proposes legislative amendments to prevent the evasion of provisions on entry more effectively than at present. The amendments would prohibit asylum applicants from switching to a work-based or education-based application procedure in order to apply for a residence permit. The amendments would also tighten the identity verification procedure. The Government submitted the proposal to Parliament on 18 April. The proposed acts would enter into force on 1 July 2024.

31.10.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project to develop the regulation on removal from the country.

4.7.2024 | New legislative amendments will prevent the evasion of provisions on entry more effectively than before. In its session on 4 July, the Government proposed that the President of the Republic approve the amendments to the Aliens Act and the Researchers and Students Act. The President of the Republic is scheduled to approve the amendments on 5 July, and they will enter into force on 1 September 2024.

20.12.2024 | The start of 2025 will see the entry into force of new acts and decrees. This press release provides a summary of the most important changes in the Ministry of the Interior’s administrative branch.

30.1.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a legislative proposal on amendments to the Aliens Act. The deadline for submitting comments is 20 February 2024.

4.12.2023 | The EU home affairs ministers will gather in Brussels on 5 December for a meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council. Items on the agenda for the meeting include issues related to the Schengen area, improving the efficiency of procedures to return migrants, and the implications of the situation in the Middle East for the EU’s internal security.

21.5.2024 | Unofficial translation Government proposal to Parliament for an Act on Temporary Measures to Combat Instrumentalised Migration MAIN CONTENTS OF PROPOSAL The Government proposes that an act on temporary measures to combat instrumentalised migration...

10.2.2022 | The Ministry of the Interior has completed an investigation into a statutory amendment that would allow a residence permit and alien’s passport to be issued to applicants whose lack of a travel document is the sole impediment to granting the permit. The same project also investigated other potential solutions to address the situation of individuals who have remained in Finland for an extended period with no right of residence.

18.11.2021 | Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished seminar participants here in Helsinki and over the live stream,

18.8.2023 | In July 2023, the European Union adopted the outcome of the negotiations on the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR).  In the Regulation, there is flexibility in areas that are important for Finland. On 15 August 2023, the Ministry of Transport and Communications decided to launch a legislative project on the matter and start preparations for adopting legislative amendments. 

24.5.2021 | On 24 May, the Ministry of the Interior set up a project to carry out a study on a legislative amendment that would enable the granting of a temporary residence permit and an alien’s passport for a limited period to asylum seekers who have received a negative decision but who have found work. The purpose of the amendment would be to allow a person to travel to obtain a travel document from the authorities of their own country.

16.6.2022 | When a family member of a minor who has been granted international protection applies for family reunification, a residence permit could be granted without the requirement for sufficient financial resources of sponsors who are minors. This would promote the protection of family life and the realisation of the best interests of the child. The Government submitted the relevant proposal for amending the Aliens Act to Parliament on 16 June.

17.12.2020 | The Government has proposed on 17 December 2020, that the Aliens Act be amended to more effectively prevent the exploitation of foreign labour. The legal position of victims of exploitation will also improve. The amendment aims to improve the detection of work-related exploitation.

10.1.2019 | The Government will strengthen the powers of the Finnish Border Guard to quickly and effectively intervene in hybrid threats. Better preparedness for hybrid threats will improve the Border Guard's crisis resilience and capacity to manage large-scale incidents. The Government submitted the amendments to the Border Guard Act, the Aliens Act and certain related acts for approval on 10 January. The President of the Republic is to approve the amendments on 11 January.

20.2.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a proposal for a legislative amendment that would shorten the length of international protection permits to the minimum allowed by the Qualification Directive. The deadline for submitting comments is 12 March 2024.