How long the process of residence permit extension will take

majidek · Post by **majidek** » Wed Feb 05, 2014 12:20 pm

Dears,

I have a question regarding the extending of my residence permit card.

I have a 1 year residence permit card with "A" type. It will expire 1st-April and last week after I called the police they gave me 25-March as an appointment for submitting my application(plus my wife).

Here are my questions:
1- Usually how long it will take to receive the new card?
2- How long is the validity of the new card?
3- I was planning to go to my country during Easter holidays which is 3 weeks after my appointment. So do you think I will receive the card by that time? Is there any way to submit my application earlier without making any appointment?

4- If I didn't receive my new card till that time, can I leave the country and come back?

thanks,

**Sponsor:**

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Wed Feb 05, 2014 4:22 pm

majidek wrote: 4- If I didn't receive my new card till that time, can I leave the country and come back?

You can leave, getting back depends if you have all the necessary papers to get back. Either you need visa or rp or not.

foca · Post by **foca** » Wed Feb 05, 2014 10:20 pm

majidek wrote:Dears,

I have a question regarding the extending of my residence permit card.

I have a 1 year residence permit card with "A" type. It will expire 1st-April and last week after I called the police they gave me 25-March as an appointment for submitting my application(plus my wife).

Here are my questions:
1- Usually how long it will take to receive the new card?
2- How long is the validity of the new card?
3- I was planning to go to my country during Easter holidays which is 3 weeks after my appointment. So do you think I will receive the card by that time? Is there any way to submit my application earlier without making any appointment?

4- If I didn't receive my new card till that time, can I leave the country and come back?

thanks,

1. depends on municipality , but varies from 2 days ( that did happen !!!) to 3 months. no one will tell you exact time lines.
2. nowadays it is usually 4 years, but it greatly depends on reasons for you to stay here
3. and 4. usually you may travel abroad ( not to EU !!) with the paper confirming that you have submitted your application and the current card . the Finnish border patrol will allow you to enter. in some cases it is the airlines in your own country that may not allow you to board , since that is not a "valid" travel document for them. nowadays you have to have an appointment - you may try and see if you can reschedule it , but if there is no time available , then - no.

betelgeuse · Post by **betelgeuse** » Wed Feb 05, 2014 11:23 pm

majidek wrote:
3- I was planning to go to my country during Easter holidays which is 3 weeks after my appointment. So do you think I will receive the card by that time? Is there any way to submit my application earlier without making any appointment?
,

Yes. You just go to the police station and they will have to serve you (you just might have to wait a long time for that):

http://www.oikeusasiamies.fi/Resource.p ... tx?id=1002

justaguy · Post by **justaguy** » Thu Feb 06, 2014 1:30 am

majidek wrote:Dears,
I have a question regarding the extending of my residence permit card.
I have a 1 year residence permit card with "A" type. It will expire 1st-April and last week after I called the police they gave me 25-March as an appointment for submitting my application(plus my wife).

Here are my questions:
1- Usually how long it will take to receive the new card?

- It depends:
A) What nationality you are.
B) What place you apply for the extension at. (ergo. how busy are they)
C) If there are any mitigating factors (eg. you spent the whole year on Kela benefits, got accused of some crimes etc).
// General waiting period is usually ~3 months. I had 1 friend wait for over 6 months though but there was some complications with her housing that they wanted to double-check.
// My first extension took 2 months, 14 days and most people considered that fast.

2- How long is the validity of the new card?

- It depends again:
A) Some say it's 4 years (but I've never seen proof)
B) I have 1 friend who's first extension was only 2 years.
C) Then I have another friend who's extension was actually 3 years.

3- I was planning to go to my country during Easter holidays which is 3 weeks after my appointment. So do you think I will receive the card by that time? Is there any way to submit my application earlier without making any appointment?

- Absolutely not. No chance in hell.
Also no, you cannot apply for an extension without an appointment. It wouldn't matter anyway. Unlike the guy above me, I tried myself personally to get them to do it faster without an appointment and they adamantly refused and stated that I absolutely needed an appointment. So oikeusasiamies/laki etc. aside, you need an appointment.

4- If I didn't receive my new card till that time, can I leave the country and come back?

- You won't get it in that time, even if you tried to bribe them 1000€. Yes you can leave but depending on your nationality (what passport you are traveling on etc) you may need a VISA to come back. Generally it is not at all advised. Especially if the destination is outside the Schengen Area as it can be a pain in the ass to get back in.

thanks,

You're welcome. But in general terms I'd expect a decision to be made on your permit by sometime Early/Mid/Late July or August (if your appointment is April 1st).

betelgeuse · Post by **betelgeuse** » Thu Feb 06, 2014 2:16 am

justaguy wrote:
- Absolutely not. No chance in hell.
Also no, you cannot apply for an extension without an appointment. It wouldn't matter anyway. Unlike the guy above me, I tried myself personally to get them to do it faster without an appointment and they adamantly refused and stated that I absolutely needed an appointment. So oikeusasiamies/laki etc. aside, you need an appointment.

The ombudsman's opinion is quite recent (last October). Did you do this before or after?

rider1000 · Post by **rider1000** » Thu Feb 06, 2014 9:51 am

I've seen rumor that you can apply for the extension at ANY police station. You could always call a smaller town and see if they'd take you...

majidek · Post by **majidek** » Thu Feb 06, 2014 11:23 am

betelgeuse wrote:
majidek wrote:
3- I was planning to go to my country during Easter holidays which is 3 weeks after my appointment. So do you think I will receive the card by that time? Is there any way to submit my application earlier without making any appointment?
,
Yes. You just go to the police station and they will have to serve you (you just might have to wait a long time for that):

http://www.oikeusasiamies.fi/Resource.p ... tx?id=1002

Thanks for this hint.
I will try to go there myself and stay in the Queue.

majidek · Post by **majidek** » Thu Feb 06, 2014 12:35 pm

rider1000 wrote:I've seen rumor that you can apply for the extension at ANY police station. You could always call a smaller town and see if they'd take you...

I live in Helsinki but I work in Espoo. So I think I can also ask the Espoo police office if they will accept my application.

onkko · Post by **onkko** » Thu Feb 06, 2014 2:00 pm

rider1000 wrote:I've seen rumor that you can apply for the extension at ANY police station. You could always call a smaller town and see if they'd take you...

And they will reroute your application on your police station so that only adds delay.

majidek · Post by **majidek** » Thu Feb 06, 2014 2:07 pm

onkko wrote:
rider1000 wrote:I've seen rumor that you can apply for the extension at ANY police station. You could always call a smaller town and see if they'd take you...
And they will reroute your application on your police station so that only adds delay.

but for example right now the first available time in Espoo is 5-March which is 20 days earlier than my current reserved time in helsinki office. Even if they send my application to Helsinki it will be better than applying on 25-March.

justaguy · Post by **justaguy** » Fri Feb 07, 2014 8:03 am

betelgeuse wrote:
justaguy wrote:
- Absolutely not. No chance in hell.
Also no, you cannot apply for an extension without an appointment. It wouldn't matter anyway. Unlike the guy above me, I tried myself personally to get them to do it faster without an appointment and they adamantly refused and stated that I absolutely needed an appointment. So oikeusasiamies/laki etc. aside, you need an appointment.
The ombudsman's opinion is quite recent (last October).

Ah fair enough.

majidek wrote:
onkko wrote:
rider1000 wrote:I've seen rumor that you can apply for the extension at ANY police station. You could always call a smaller town and see if they'd take you...
And they will reroute your application on your police station so that only adds delay.
but for example right now the first available time in Espoo is 5-March which is 20 days earlier than my current reserved time in helsinki office. Even if they send my application to Helsinki it will be better than applying on 25-March.

There's no general proof of that and you're talking '5' days or something. Point is, you're NOT going to get it done before Easter.

majidek · Post by **majidek** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 4:20 pm

justaguy wrote:
- Absolutely not. No chance in hell.
Also no, you cannot apply for an extension without an appointment. It wouldn't matter anyway. Unlike the guy above me, I tried myself personally to get them to do it faster without an appointment and they adamantly refused and stated that I absolutely needed an appointment. So oikeusasiamies/laki etc. aside, you need an appointment.

There's no general proof of that and you're talking '5' days or something. Point is, you're NOT going to get it done before Easter.

I have just picked up my new resident permit card from Pasila police station. There are always different ways to speed up the process. I booked a time in Kirkkonummi and submit my application there. They accepted my application without any question. and then they said usually it will take 3 weeks and they would sent my application to Helsinki.
I checked the status after 2 weeks from helsinki by the phone and they informed me that the decision has been made and I can collect the card after 1 week. Now I have my new card with 4 years validity.
So it's better not to be pessimistic always by giving the sentences "no chance in hell" or "you will NOT make it.". It's better to think and find the way to solve the issues.

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 4:59 pm

majidek wrote:So it's better not to be pessimistic always by giving the sentences "no chance in hell" or "you will NOT make it.". It's better to think and find the way to solve the issues.

Pessimisti ei pety.

Finland Forum

Find information about moving to, living in and life in Finland