Read the instructions for citizens of EU countries, Switzerland or Liechtenstein and Nordic citizens on our website.
NOTE. Have you arrived from Ukraine, received a temporary protection residence permit and lived in Finland for at least one year? Read the instructions on our page “Instructions on arriving in Finland from Ukraine”.
What is a municipality of residence?
Finland is divided into several administrative regions called municipalities. A municipality of residence is usually the municipality where you live.
When you have a municipality of residence,
- you usually have the right to use the services provided by your municipality of residence, such as public health care or children’s day care
- you can get a Finnish identity card and a driving licence
- services provided by authorities or receive financial benefits or subsidies.
Can I get a municipality of residence?
You can get a municipality of residence if the following conditions are met:
- You have arrived in Finland.
- You are staying in Finland legally.
- You are planning to live in Finland for at least one year.
You must also have one of the following:
- a family member* who has a municipality of residence in Finland
- 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.
**Please note that a residence card for an EU citizen’s family member is not the same as a residence permit card. Read more about a family member’s residence card on the Finnish Immigration Service’s website.
***The studies must be vocational or higher education studies that lead to a degree.
Do the following
I do not yet have a Finnish personal identity code:
I already have a Finnish personal identity code:
A) Use the online form to apply for a municipality of residence
First check under "Can I get a municipality of residence" that you meet the conditions for getting a municipality of residence.
Apply for a municipality of residence here
You must also personally visit a service location of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. The confirmation message for your reservation will tell you what you need to bring with you to the appointment.
B) You cannot use the online form
Request registration by filling in and printing a paper form.
First check under "Can I get a municipality of residence" that you meet the conditions for getting a municipality of residence.
1. Fill in and print out the form “Changing a temporary address into a permanent address” in advance.
Changing a temporary address into a permanent address
2. Book an appointment.
3. Please bring the following documents with you:
-
completed “Changing a temporary address into a permanent address” form
- a valid passport
- document proving your right to a municipality of residence, that is, one of the following:
- a 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.
- the original, legalised and translated certificates of family relationships if you can receive a municipality of residence based on a family relationship. Remember to check whether the certificates must be legalised or translated.
NOTE. Are you a third-country national and have a residence card for a family member of an EU citizen?
You can get a municipality of residence without a personal visit if you have received a residence card within a year. See instructions on our Municipality of residence for an EU citizen page.
Please note that a residence card for an EU citizen’s spouse is not the same as a residence permit card. Read more about a family member’s residence card on the Finnish Immigration Service’s website.
NOTE. Persons arriving from Ukraine
- If you have received temporary protection and lived in Finland for at least one year, see the instructions on the Instructions on arriving in Finland from Ukraine page to apply for a municipality of residence.
- If you have not received temporary protection or have lived in Finland for less than a year, follow the instructions above.
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.
Check the website of the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs to see whether you need a visa.
If you already have a Finnish personal identity code, you can register a temporary address in Finland by submitting a notification of temporary move to Finland to the post office. Select the section “temporary change of address” in the form.
You can apply for a municipality of residence when the conditions for receiving a municipality of residence listed at the beginning of the page are met.
A municipality of residence may be granted from the date on which the conditions for receiving a municipality of residence are met. However, the date on which the municipality of residence is granted cannot go back more than one month of the date on which you submitted the notification.
If you have moved from Kosovo or another country that you cannot find on the list of previous countries of residence on the online form, you must use a paper form and visit a service location of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency to apply for a municipality of residence. For instructions, see ‘If you do not have a residence permit or if you have a temporary residence permit (B permit) or you can not use the online form ’
If information about your family relations has not yet been stored and you want to report them at the same time, please, bring with you a legalised original or certified copy of the original family relationship certificate, a translation of the certificate, if necessary, and a completed family relationship form. Please, find the correct form and more detailed instructions in "Life changes while living abroad".
If you have been issued a residence permit based on international protection (refugee status or subsidiary protection), you do not usually need to present certificates of family relationships. If you want your marital status to be recorded, please, take the completed form with you. If your marital status is unmarried, fill in the form for changing registered data (in Finnish) or, if your marital status is something else, select the correct notification form on our page "Life changes while living abroad".
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