travel while waiting for residency permit?

[letaan]

Hello,

I'm trying to find out if I am allowed to travel while waiting for a decision to be made regarding my application for a residency permit. To give you a bit of background, I relocated to be with my Finnish boyfriend. I arrived in May as a tourist from the States, and have not left yet. We applied for a year long residency permit on the basis of our relationship a couple of months ago, and were told that I was able to stay while the request was being processed. They estimated this would take five months. I would like to be able to do some traveling, to Russia, around the EU, and possibly even take a trip back to the states. I am worried that because my passport shows only that I have been here since May, that I may not be allowed back into Finland. My boyfriend and I contacted the Ulkomaalaisvirto (?) and the Foreign Police, and nobody would give us a straight answer. The foreign police said something like it's up to the passport control. I have a kind of receipt that shows I've applied for the permit...? Does anyone have any advise or experience with this? Thanks.

[Hank W.]

As you're overstayed the 90 days in the Schengen zone, I'd be very careful. You may be denied entry to Schengen alltogether, and they won't much appreciate any Finnish receipt out of the country.

So they didn't take in your passport to process the permit?
(In olden times they did, and taking it out meant your application process was tabled - once you returned it the process continued.) But after the new law came some stuff has changed.

[Vera]

So they didn't take in your passport to process the permit?
(In olden times they did, and taking it out meant your application process was tabled - once you returned it the process continued.) But after the new law came some stuff has changed.

This has changed before the new law. Last year I applied in June (the residence permit was due to expire in December), kept my passport and promised them to bring it to them in October as soon as my last planned trip is over. In September they call me: "hey, your residence permit is ready, come bring your passport, we'll put it in there". So they did not really keep my passport at any point except the few days that it took them to glue it in.

Vera

[letaan]

Hi,

yes, I still have my passport. They made some copies and gave it back to me. The only thing I really know is that I'll be notified by mail about the decision. And then? I'm feeling a bit nervous about that. Know anything about getting deported? Hmmm.
A friend asked me to accompany her on a short trip next month to an orphanage in Russia with some charity stuff. We would travel by bus, but now I don't know.
I want to find out for sure!

Thanks for your replies,
leta

[ilikepeanutbutter]

Hi,

yes, I still have my passport. They made some copies and gave it back to me. The only thing I really know is that I'll be notified by mail about the decision. And then? I'm feeling a bit nervous about that. Know anything about getting deported? Hmmm.
A friend asked me to accompany her on a short trip next month to an orphanage in Russia with some charity stuff. We would travel by bus, but now I don't know.
I want to find out for sure!

Thanks for your replies,
leta

Hi! Yep they just photocopied my passport, and wished me a good trip. I had to be back in the country a day before my residence expired(there could be problems getting back into EU borders they said)..so I spent 2 months with my folks back home. I came here and waited until my papers were finished, and then they took my passport for 2 days to put the sticker on it. You can travel freely, but carry that receit they gave you saying you're other one is being processed just to be sure.

I was never notified by mail at all:)lol I called them and asked about 2 times maybe? I hope this helps!

Kat

[acwan]

You can travel freely, but carry that receit they gave you saying you're other one is being processed just to be sure.

I was never notified by mail at all:)lol I called them and asked about 2 times maybe? I hope this helps!

Kat

I travelled after my 90 day tourist visa expired and while my residence permit was still in process. When I returned to Finland, I got stopped by immigrations at the airport. However, they were able to look me up on their computers and find out I was legit.

So the answer is it is possible to travel, but just be prepared to get pulled over - bring your receipt just in case, but if you're legit, they should be able to track you down in their system (That's "big brother" Finland for ya)

[Hank W.]

But if you land in say Amsterdam or Frankfurt and change planes - then your Border check is there, as Finland is a "domestic" flight so they don't have the big brother system there so they might be "and you shall be taken back to the place you came from..."

[acwan]

But if you land in say Amsterdam or Frankfurt and change planes - then your Border check is there, as Finland is a "domestic" flight so they don't have the big brother system there so they might be "and you shall be taken back to the place you came from..."

This may be true - if you don't have your passport with you. I had my passport with me but I didn't have a valid res. permit for Finland. But I think only the Finnish authorities should care if your residence permit has expired or not. (I've travelled within Schengen on several occasions and never had my passport checked once - wouldn't recommend it though).

Btw, even after they've taken your passport to put the visa in, you can still get it back if you need to travel (you just need to explain the reason to them).