Residence Permit on the Basis of Family Ties.

[Infonatic]

I have a dutch temporary residence permit and I have some plans to move to Finland. My wife lives in Finland and she has Permanent residence permit. Our marriage took place in Holland last year. We have submitted our official marriage certicate and all the necessary documents to the Finnish authorities just some weeks ago.

I was wondering if I could request Finnish residence permit now and move to Finland in june 2007. If I apply now and get a residence permit, would I be allowed to live outside Finland for around two years? I also want to know which kind of residence permit do I get, how long it takes to get, how long it takes to expire and what next if it expires? Where can I also apply? At the Finnish Embassy in the Netherlands or inside finland?

I am working at this time and I want to get organized and learn some finnish before I move to Finland. I don't think I can get a work or get used to the Finnish calture If I don't learn Finnish.

Thanks in advance.

[Hank W.]

Well, the thing is basically getting a residence permit on family ties, as in married, is more or less a straightforward procedure. However, as I understand you are from outside the EU, then you do need to apply for a residence permit - the thing is a residence permit is granted for you to reside here, so if you plan on not moving here then the officials might get slightly suspicious.

Go to http://www.uvi.fi and then find the "family" and non-eu category. Its all explained there.

You are spot on on the learning Finnish part.

[Dan]

It doesn't matter where you apply. All requests based on family ties are dealt with in Finland. Is your wife Finnish?

Permanent residence permits aren't really permanent. They're only valid for as long as the passport is valid and once a new passport is granted, you need to fill out the same application form, pay 16 € and wait 4 weeks. Also if you do not maintain ties to Finland for a period of 2 years the permit is revoked unless you request for it not to be by writing to UVI.

I would wait until at least January 2007 to apply if you have no intention of living in Finland until June 2007.

[Infonatic]

Thank you Hank and Dan for the quick reply.

...also if you do not maintain ties to Finland for a period of 2 years the permit is revoked unless you request for it not to be by writing to UVI.

I usualy see my wife once in a month, thanks to the cheap airfares! And if I get the Finnish residence permit, I will be traveling to Finland just as usual, but what worries me is, if this dual Residence permit violates any law.

I think, if it takes only 4 weeks something to get a residence permit, then I should apply in January 2007. I thought it might take a year or longer to get the residence permit.

What type of residence permit would it be then? Anyone with any idea about htis, and how long migt it be valid?

[odon]

Dude, i advise you to do it now, if you do not have a EU passport, then when u apply for one, they see from which Year. u have your permanent residence, so it is usually 4 yrs of permanent residence........then u can apply for Eu passport......so it does no hame to start counting now!