Information in Ukrainian: Інструкції для українців
Information on applying for a municipality of residence
You can use the online form to apply for a municipality of residence when all of the following conditions are met:
You have a Finnish personal identity code.
You have a residence permit for temporary protection that is valid for at least one year.
You have lived in Finland for a year. Living here starts from the date you have received or applied for a residence permit based on temporary protection from the Finnish Immigration Service.
Example: You have applied for a temporary protection residence permit on 5 May 2023. You can apply for a municipality of residence on 5 May 2024.
Before filling out the application read the instructions in the section 2A.
You can also apply for a municipality of residence on other bases, of which you can find more information below.
1. How to get a Finnish personal identity code
You can get a Finnish personal identity code if you reside in Finland legally and one of the following conditions is met:
- You have a residence permit granted by the Finnish Immigration Service.
- You work in Finland and have a right to work.
- You are studying in Finland.
- You have a family member* with a registered address in Finland, in addition to the original and legalised certificates of your family relationships.
*Family members include a spouse, guardian or dependent child. A cohabiting partner is also a family member if you have lived together continuously for at least 2 years before moving to Finland or if you share custody of a child you have had together.
1. Fill in and submit an online form
Request registration hereLink to an external websiteyja-external-link-opens-in-a-new-tab
You cannot use the online form: fill in and print out the paper form if possible.
2. Book an appointment for the Registration of a foreigner´s personal data in our booking service.
3. Please bring the following documents with you:
- a valid passport
- your residence permit card
- if you wish to register based on a work relationship, bring your employment contract
- if you wish to register based on studies, bring your certificate of student status
- if you wish to register based on a family relationship, bring your original, legalised and translated family relationship certificates if these relationships have not yet been recorded in the Population Information System.
You can also apply for a municipality of residence at the same time if you have lived in Finland for a year. In this case, also include evidence that you have already lived in Finland for one year (for example, a rental agreement or a certificate on one year’s residence issued by a reception centre).
2. How to apply for a municipality of residence
Applying for a municipality of residence is voluntary. You can get a municipality of residence even if you still live in temporary accommodations at a reception centre.
Select the appropriate instructions for your situation:
Apply for a municipality of residence using the online form when the following conditions are met:
- You have a Finnish personal identity code.
- Your temporary protection residence permit is valid for at least one year.
- You have applied for a temporary protection residence permit or asylum at least one year ago.
Example: You have applied for a temporary protection residence permit on 5 May 2023. You have been informed by the Finnish Immigration Service that your residence permit has been extended. You can apply for a municipality of residence on 5 May 2024.
You do not need to visit the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. We will send the information to the email address you provided in the online form when your application has been processed and the municipality of residence has been registered.
You can also apply for a municipality of residence for your family members at the same time if
- they are requesting a municipality of residence at the same address and at the same time, and
- they also have a Finnish personal identity code and a temporary protection residence permit valid for at least one year, which they have applied for at least one year ago.
If you do not apply for a municipality of residence for yourself but, for example, only for your child or spouse, do not fill in your personal information elsewhere than under "Name of person filling in the form".
A municipality of residence may be requested for a minor child by their guardian or a representative appointed by the District Court. 15-17-year-olds can themselves request a municipality of residence using an online form, but then the opinion of the guardian or representative must also be heard.
When you apply for a municipality of residence using the online form, the date on which you submitted the form is entered as the start date of the municipality of residence. If you want a different start date, use a paper form to apply for a municipality of residence and visit our service location. Read the instructions in the section "You cannot use the online form".
You can apply for a municipality of residence if either of the following conditions is met:
- You are staying in Finland legally
- You are planning to live in Finland for at least one year and have already arrived in Finland.
You must also have one of the following:
- you have a family member* who has a municipality of residence in Finland and you can present legalised documents proving the family relationship
- a residence card for a family member of an EU citizen issued by the Finnish Immigration Service
- a continuous (A) or permanent (P) residence permit
- a temporary (B) residence permit that is valid for at least one year in addition to one of the following conditions being met:
- you have an employment contract or a certificate of student status which shows that your employment or studies** in Finland will continue for at least two years
- you have already lived in Finland for at least one year
- you have previously had a municipality of residence in Finland
- you are of Finnish descent.
*Family members include a spouse, guardian or dependent child. A cohabiting partner is also a family member if you have lived together continuously for at least 2 years before moving to Finland or if you share custody of a child you have had together.
** The studies must be vocational or higher education studies that lead to a degree.
Once you have checked that you meet the conditions for being granted a municipality of residence:
Please note that in addition to sending the form, you must also personally visit a service location of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency within one month of sending the form.
2. Book an appointment for the Registration of a foreigner´s municipality of residence and permanent address service in our booking service.
Book an appointmentLink to an external websiteyja-external-link-opens-in-a-new-tab
1. Before visiting, fill in and print out the form if possible.
2. Book an appointment for the Registration of a foreigner´s municipality of residence and permanent address service in our booking service.
Book an appointmentLink to an external websiteyja-external-link-opens-in-a-new-tab
3. Please bring the following documents with you:
- completed form
- a valid passport
- your residence permit card
- proof of work or studies in Finland lasting more than 2 years (employment contract or certificate of student status) if you are applying for a municipality of residence based on your temporary residence permit B.
- If you are granted a municipality of residence on the basis of a family relationship:
- an original certificate of your family relationship, legalised using an Apostille
- a translation of the certificate made by an authorised translator if the certificate is not in Finnish, Swedish or English. The translation must also be legalised using an Apostille if it has been made abroad.
Why apply for a municipality of residence?
A municipality of residence is usually the municipality where you live. A municipality of residence is useful if you are going to stay in Finland for the time being.
When you have a municipality of residence,
- you will stop being a client of reception services and become a client of the municipality’s services and a resident of the municipality.
- you have the same rights and obligations as those permanently residing in Finland.
A municipality of residence in Finland does not affect your citizenship or prevent you from returning to Ukraine.
If you do not apply for a municipality of residence, you can continue as a client of reception services.
You can also ask questions related to services from your municipality of residence.
3. If I do not want or cannot get a municipality of residence, how do I get a temporary address or extend the validity of a temporary address?
If you do not have a municipality of residence in Finland, a temporary address may be registered for you. It is valid for a certain period of time, usually one year.
Submit the temporary address using the notification of change of address form if you have a Finnish personal identity code.
If you do not have a Finnish personal identity code, apply for it using the instructions in section 1. Your address will be registered at the same time, so you do not need to submit the address separately using the notification of change of address form.
Fill in the notification of change of address in person at a Posti service point.
Pay attention to the following when filling in the notification of change of address form so that your address can be registered as soon as possible:
- Fill in the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s section of the form. Fill in Posti’s section if you also want to provide the address for mail delivery.
- Select the option “Temporary change of address in Finland or to Finland”.
- Enter the date on which you are filling in the form as the date of the change of address, for example. We cannot register a date that goes back more than one month.
- Also enter the end date of the temporary change of address, for example, one year after the date of the change of address. You can extend the validity of the address later if necessary.
- Leave the section “Home municipality after the move” blank.
- Enter your personal identity code and name and the details of those who have moved with you.
- Enter from where and to where you moved. If your address does not change, enter your current address in both sections.
- Enter your email address and phone number so that you can be contacted.
- Remember to sign the form.
We will not send you a confirmation when your address has been registered.
4. I already have a municipality of residence and am moving to a new address
If you already have a municipality of residence and are moving to a new address, do not fill in the online form. Report your new address with a notification of change of address.
Fill in the notification of change of address in either of the following ways:
- in person at a Posti service point. Take a document proving your identity with you.
- online at changeaddress.fiLink to an external website, Opens in a new tabyja-external-link-opens-in-a-new-tab, if you have Finnish online banking IDs or a mobile certificate.
Frequently asked questions
A non-EU citizen is legally residing in Finland in, for example, the following situations:
- They have a valid or pending Finnish residence permit.
- They stay for a maximum of 90 days with a visa, exempted from the visa requirement or with a residence permit of another Schengen state.
The application date for the residence permit is the date on which you visited the police or the border authorities to request temporary protection. At that time, you may have received a certificate of submitting the application from them. The date on which you have applied for the permit is written in the certificate.
If you do not know the application date, you can use the date on which the permit was granted as the application date. The date on which the permit was granted is written on the residence permit card.
We cannot answer questions concerning the exact date of application for a residence permit.
Residence permit cards granted on the basis of temporary protection primarily state the expiry date to be 4 March 2023. Despite that, the Finnish Immigration Service has automatically extended the validity of the residence permit. If you have received a message from the Finnish Immigration Service stating that your residence permit has been extended, it will be valid for more than one year, even if the residence permit card states a shorter period of validity.
When you apply for a municipality of residence using the online form, the date on which you submitted the form is entered as the start date of the municipality of residence.
If you want a different start date, use a paper form to apply for a municipality of residence and visit our service location. For more detailed instructions, see section “A) You have lived in Finland for at least one year” and “Have you applied for a permit less than a year ago but lived in Finland for more than one year?”.
Your family relations and marital status can be registered if you have official certificates of the family relations. They include, for example, a marriage certificate or a child’s birth certificate.
You will also need the certificates if you wish to register based on a family member living in Finland.
What must the certificate be like?
- It must be the original. In addition, a certificate issued in Ukraine, for instance, must be legalised using an Apostille in Ukraine. A certificate issued in an EU country does not need to be legalised or translated if it is accompanied by a standard form that facilitates translation.
- If the certificate is not in Finnish, Swedish or English, you will need a translation of it. You can obtain a translation from an authorised translator in Finland. If the translation has been made abroad, you will also need to legalise the translation using an Apostille. The translations must also be the originals. More information on legalisation and translation.
What if I do not have the original and legalised certificates?
- Unfortunately, if you do not have the original and legalised certificates, your family relations cannot be registered.
- If you want to apply for a municipality of residence on the basis of a family member living in Finland but you do not have the original certificates, you cannot get a municipality of residence. See the previous section whether you can apply for a municipality of residence based on residence, studying or working in Finland.
If the baby's mother has a municipality of residence when the baby is born, they will automatically receive a personal identity code from the maternity hospital.
If the baby's mother does not have a municipality of residence, the baby does not receive a personal identity code from the hospital. Instead, it must be requested separately from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. Fill in the "The registration information of a foreigner" form, book an appointment at our service location and bring with you the original birth certificate from the hospital. Bring passports for yourself and the baby as well, if you have them. You notify the official name of the child with the form. If the parent's marriage has not been registered in the Population Information System and paternity has not been confirmed, the child's surname must be entered as the mother's surname. You do not have to bring the baby with you. See section 1 "How to get a Finnish personal identity code" for instructions on appointments and the form.
If a municipality of residence is already registered, it can be cancelled with a written request that is sent to us within one month from the registration. Please send the request to: international@dvv.fi
How long will it take to register a municipality of residence?
The applications are processed in the order of arrival. You can see the current average processing time below.
Processing time
- 4–5 weeks.
- If the processing of a municipality of residence requires a personal visit, the processing time starts from the date of the visit.