Instructions on arriving in Finland from Ukraine
The instructions on this page are intended for persons arriving from Ukraine who have been granted a residence permit on the basis of temporary protection.
- If you have a residence permit granted on other grounds, read the instructions on the municipality of residence page.
- If you have not yet applied for a residence permit granted on the basis of temporary protection, read the instructions on the Finnish Immigration Service’s website.
Information on applying for a municipality of residence
You can apply for a municipality of residence from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency when the following conditions are met:
- You have lived in Finland for a year.
- You have been granted a residence permit for temporary protection at least one year ago, which has been extended until 4 March 2024.
- You have a Finnish personal identity code.
Example: You have been granted a residence permit for temporary protection on 5 May 2022, and it has been extended until 4 March 2024. You can apply for a municipality of residence at the earliest on 5 May 2023.
Apply for a municipality of residence with the online form from 1.3.2023
Apply for a municipality of residence using the online form. The form will be published on the site:on 1 March 2023. You do not need to visit our service location. You cannot apply for a municipality of residence using the notification of move form.
Don't have a personal identity code?
You can apply for a personal identity code at your reception centre at any time. The centre will forward your application to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. Alternatively, you can apply by visiting a service location of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.
Are you studying? Are you employed?
You can already apply for a municipality of residence by visiting our service location if you have:
- a residence permit for temporary protection that is valid for at least one year, and an employment relationship or a student status that lasts for at least two years, or
- a family member who has a municipality of residence in Finland.
1. How to get a Finnish personal identity code
You can register in the Population Information System and 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 or
- you work in Finland and have a right to work or
- you have a family member* with a registered address in Finland, in addition to the original and legalised certificates of your family relations.
*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.
You can already apply for a personal identity code from the nearest reception centre, which will forward your application to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, or by visiting the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s service location.
Read more about the Finnish personal identity code and how to get it.
2. How to apply for a municipality of residence
You can apply for a municipality of residence from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency when you have a residence permit granted on the basis of temporary protection that is valid for one year and one of the following conditions is met:
- You have continuously lived in Finland for at least one year.
- You have a job or a study place in Finland that lasts at least two years.
- You have a family member who has a municipality of residence in Finland.
The reception centre will advise you on applying for a municipality of residence.
A municipality of residence means that you will stop being a client of reception services and become a client of a specific municipality’s services and a resident of the municipality. Your municipality of residence is determined based on where you live.
Do as follows
Select your situation from the list below and read the instructions for applying for a municipality of residence.
Note that you can
- get a municipality of residence and a permanent address even if you still live in the temporary accommodation at the reception centre
- apply for a municipality of residence only for yourself instead of all family members if you wish to do so.
Apply for a municipality of residence with our electronic form that will be published on this page on 1 March 2023.
You can apply for a municipality of residence in this way if
- you have a residence permit for temporary protection that is valid for one year
- you have lived in Finland continuously for one year and
- you have a Finnish personal identity code.
Example: If you have arrived in Finland on 5 May 2022, you can apply for a municipality of residence on 5 May 2023 based on your residence in Finland.
Don't have a personal identity code?
You can already apply for a personal identity code from the nearest reception centre or by visiting the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s service location.
You can already apply for a municipality of residence if
- your employment relationship or studies will last at least two years and
- you have a residence permit for temporary protection that is valid for at least one year.
Apply for a municipality of residence by visiting the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s service location. Read the instructions on the Registration of foreigners page.
You can already get a municipality of residence if
- your family member already has a municipality of residence in Finland
- you have an official certificate of your family relationship and
- you have a residence permit for temporary protection.
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.
Apply for a municipality of residence by visiting the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s service location. Read the instructions on the Municipality of residence page.
Why apply for a municipality of residence?
Once you have got your municipality of residence, you have the same rights and obligations as those permanently residing in Finland. You can also use the same services. It is useful if you are going to stay in Finland for the time being.
Your nationality or rights in Ukraine are not affected by your municipality of residence in Finland. A municipality of residence in Finland is not an obstacle if you want to return to Ukraine later.
Even if you do not apply for a municipality of residence, you can continue your life in Finland as a customer of reception services.
Housing
You are free to choose in which municipality you want to live. When you get a municipality of residence, you have to arrange and pay for your own housing. Kela may provide support for housing costs.
Working
Your right to work will continue without changes. When you get a municipality of residence, you may also become a customer of local government pilots on employment.
Income and social security
When you get a municipality of residence, your right to receive a reception allowance ends.
Instead, you can apply for Kela benefits, such as child benefit, housing allowance and, in certain cases, basic social assistance. For more information on applying for benefits, contact Kela.
Children’s school and day care
- When you get a municipality of residence, you have the right to early childhood education and care for a child under school age, even if both parents or one of the parents is at home.
- From the year your children turn 6, they are required to participate in pre-primary education. Pre-primary education prepares children for comprehensive school.
- When you and your children have a municipality of residence, your children are subject to compulsory education, which means that they are required to participate in education in accordance with Finnish the education system.
Social welfare and health care services
When you get a municipality of residence, you are entitled to social welfare and health care services organised by the wellbeing services county.
- Your rights to various social welfare services are considerably expanded: for example, you can receive home services that support coping at home if you have a disability or illness.
- The scope of health care services remains unchanged.
Further information
You can also ask questions related to services from your municipality of residence.
3. How do I register my address?
You can get a municipality of residence and the related permanent address only if you have a residence permit granted on the basis of temporary protection that is valid for one year and one of the following conditions is met:
- You have continuously lived in Finland for at least one year.
- You have a job or a study place in Finland that lasts at least two years.
A permanent address is valid until further notice.
If you do not have a municipality of residence, a temporary address may be recorded for you. It is valid for a certain period of time, usually one year.
Select your situation from the list below and read the instructions for registering an address.
You must visit our service location in person. Please note that you can only receive a permanent address if you meet the conditions for receiving a municipality of residence. Check whether you meet these conditions in the section ‘Can I obtain a municipality of residence in Finland?’.
1. If you meet the conditions, make an appointment with the International Registrations Service at www.dvv.fi/ajanvaraus
2. Please bring the following documents with you:
- your valid passport or EU citizen’s official identity card with a photograph
- a document proving your right to a municipality of residence (e.g. a continuous (A) residence permit or original, legalised family relationship certificates)
- the completed form.
Fill in the Notification of Temporary Address form.
Notification of Temporary Address
You can also use the same form to provide the details of your family members living at the same address if they also have personal identification numbers and residence permits for temporary protection.
Send the filled-in form to [email protected]. Send your email using the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s secure email service (https://turvaviesti.dvv.fi) in order to ensure your data is encrypted.
We will not send a separate confirmation when your address has been registered.
Remember to submit a new temporary move notification when the validity period of your temporary address is about to expire and you are still staying in Finland.
Complete a notification of move for the temporary move
- by post, or
- online at muuttoilmoitus.fi. Strong identification is required for using the service.
Remember to submit a new temporary move notification when the validity period of your temporary address is about to expire and you are still staying in Finland.
You must visit our service location in person.
1. If possible, bring with you a completed ‘the Registration Information of a Foreigner’ form. Fill in the attachments if necessary.
The registration information of a foreigner
Appendix A - Marriage or registered partnership
2. Make an appointment with the International Registrations Service at www.dvv.fi/ajanvaraus
3. Please bring the following documents with you:
- your valid passport or EU citizen’s official identity card with a photograph
- residence permit card or decision on a residence permit
- if you are working or studying, please include your employment contract or certificate of student status
- if you have original, legalised and translated certificates of your family relationships, bring them with you as well.
You must visit our service location in person.
1. If possible, bring with you a completed ‘the Registration Information of a Foreigner’ form. Fill in the attachments if necessary.
The registration information of a foreigner
Appendix A - Marriage or registered partnership
2. Make an appointment with the International Registrations Service at www.dvv.fi/ajanvaraus
3. Please bring the following documents with you:
- your valid passport or EU citizen's official identity card with a photograph
- 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.
Frequently asked questions
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 English, you need a translation into Finnish, Swedish or English. You can obtain a translation in Finland or another EU country from a certified translator. If the translation was made by another kind of a translator, you will also need to get the translation legalised using an Apostille. The translations must also be the originals. More information on legalisation and translation.
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.