In Finland without a residence permit

If you are an asylum seeker, you have the right to stay in Finland without a visa or residence permit for as long as your asylum application is being processed.

Even if you came to Finland legally, your stay may later become illegal. Such situations include the following:

• you receive a negative decision on your residence permit or asylum application, or
• your residence permit expires and you do not apply in time for an extended permit or
• you have entered the country on a visa and your visa expires.

If you receive a negative residence permit or asylum decision, you must leave the country by the deadline given to you. You can receive support for voluntary return to your home country. Read more on the InfoFinland page Negative residence permit decision.

The Finnish Immigration Service may revoke your residence permit if you have received the permit for a reason that no longer exists. Read more on the InfoFinland page Can I lose my residence permit?

Food assistance and accommodation

If you have no money for food or no place to stay the night, you are entitled to emergency accommodation and food assistance. Emergency accommodation is organised by municipalities, parishes and some organisations.

Help and support for undocumented people

You can get help and support for everyday matters at the Diakonissalaitos day centre in Helsinki. You can get service in several different languages. You can call the day centre or contact the centre by email. You can also visit the centre. You can find the contact information on the Diakonissalaitos website.

Legal advice

You can get legal advice on issues related to residence permits from a Finnish Refugee Advice Centre (Pakolaisneuvonta) lawyer. The counselling is free of charge.

Paperittomat (Undocumented people) counselling service
tel. 045 2377 104, Mondays from 14.00 to 16.00
email: paperittomat@pakolaisneuvonta.fi (Link opens default mail program)

If you fall ill or get injured, you are entitled to urgent and necessary medical care in public health care, for example at a health centre or hospital.

Public health care in Finland is organised by the wellbeing services counties (hyvinvointialue). If you need health services, please contact the nearest health and social services centre (sosiaali- ja terveyskeskus) in your residential area.

If you are in Finland without a residence permit, you can access health-related advice, guidance to treatment and multi-professional help through Global Clinic. You can find the contact information on the Global Clinic website.

Read more on the health services of undocumented migrants on the InfoFinland page Health services in Finland.