Moving from the UK to Finland across two trips. What do I say at the border control?

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MattUK
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Mar 22, 2023 3:31 pm

Moving from the UK to Finland across two trips. What do I say at the border control?

Post by MattUK » Wed Mar 22, 2023 4:17 pm

Hi, new member here!

Typing this out, the scenario seems perfectly normal and my fears are probably overblown, but I do just want to double-check to see if anyone has been through a similar situation.

I am a UK citizen. My partner (a Finnish citizen) and I have lived together in the UK since 2016. We are now hoping to move to Finland for at least a year (may be temporary, may be permanent).

I did a search and my situation is a bit similar to this one (e.g. see betelgeuse's reply):
viewtopic.php?p=594268&hilit=residence+ ... en#p594268

My aim is to apply for a "residence card for a family member of an EU citizen" (https://migri.fi/en/residence-card-for-family-members). We seem to meet all the requirements (since we lived together pre-Brexit) and, even though it sounds like a weird loophole post-Brexit, the Immigration Service said our interpretation was correct.

So unless we missed something, I think this will work for me. (Please let me know if you think I've missed anything!)

I am 99% sure everything will be fine but I just have that 1% of doubt about how I will explain this at border control.

Our plan is:
Entry #1: We fly to Finland with our pets. I enter on a tourist visa, and stay for a week.
• After a week, I come back to the UK to wrap up things at home. My partner will also come back to the UK (separately) after a few weeks to help me with the last few days of preparation.
Entry #2: A few weeks later, we fly to Finland a second time. I enter on a tourist visa, apply for the residence card ASAP, and await my decision. (The Immigration Service said this was the way to do things. If there is a delay, I can stay past 90 days while awaiting a decision.)

For my post-Brexit trips to Finland, at border control, I have always kept it brief - I say I'm travelling for leisure; I'm staying a week; my partner is Finnish etc. - and there's never been a problem.

For Entry #1 I'm not sure what to say. I don't want to overcomplicate things but I don't want to hide anything. I don't know what would be better:

Plan A
I show up with two big suitcases and a cat. "Hi, I'm moving to Finland later this year and applying for residency, but not right now. I'm just transporting some things now, and only staying for a week. I go back to the UK on Sunday. Can you let me in on a tourist visa?"

Plan B
I show up with two big suitcases and a cat. "Hi, I'm travelling for leisure and returning on Sunday. Can you let me in on a tourist visa?"

Like I say, I'm 99% sure Plan A is fine, I just have that 1% of doubt that it will sound suspicious and I'll get further questioning or even rejected. Has anyone been through a similar experience?

For Entry #2, I suppose the only way to do it is just be honest and say "I want to move to Finland with my partner. I'm going to apply for residence ASAP and stay here while awaiting a decision." Which I assume is fine, people must do that all the time, right?

Thanks in advance!



Moving from the UK to Finland across two trips. What do I say at the border control?

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actualbunnyvolunteer
Posts: 14
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2020 2:03 pm

Re: Moving from the UK to Finland across two trips. What do I say at the border control?

Post by actualbunnyvolunteer » Thu Mar 23, 2023 9:20 pm

If your partner is a Finnish citizen who hasn’t been a long term resident of another EU country, I don’t think your partner counts as a “EU citizen” in the matters of the EU family residence card. You would have to apply for a residence permit for a family member of a Finnish citizen. Definitely check with Migri, bc idk how the Brexit situation plays into this.

As for the entry and stay, you’ll be fine. You can always apply for the residence permit in Finland. They will give you a paper that allows you to stay in Finland while waiting for the decision, even after overstaying the tourist visa duration.

FinlandGirl
Posts: 1329
Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2019 10:43 am

Re: Moving from the UK to Finland across two trips. What do I say at the border control?

Post by FinlandGirl » Fri Mar 24, 2023 11:02 am

MattUK wrote:
Wed Mar 22, 2023 4:17 pm
I am a UK citizen. My partner (a Finnish citizen) and I have lived together in the UK since 2016. We are now hoping to move to Finland for at least a year (may be temporary, may be permanent).

I did a search and my situation is a bit similar to this one (e.g. see betelgeuse's reply):
viewtopic.php?p=594268&hilit=residence+ ... en#p594268

My aim is to apply for a "residence card for a family member of an EU citizen" (https://migri.fi/en/residence-card-for-family-members). We seem to meet all the requirements (since we lived together pre-Brexit) and, even though it sounds like a weird loophole post-Brexit, the Immigration Service said our interpretation was correct.

So unless we missed something, I think this will work for me. (Please let me know if you think I've missed anything!)

I am 99% sure everything will be fine but I just have that 1% of doubt about how I will explain this at border control.

Our plan is:
Entry #1: We fly to Finland with our pets. I enter on a tourist visa, and stay for a week.
• After a week, I come back to the UK to wrap up things at home. My partner will also come back to the UK (separately) after a few weeks to help me with the last few days of preparation.
Entry #2: A few weeks later, we fly to Finland a second time. I enter on a tourist visa, apply for the residence card ASAP, and await my decision. (The Immigration Service said this was the way to do things. If there is a delay, I can stay past 90 days while awaiting a decision.)

For my post-Brexit trips to Finland, at border control, I have always kept it brief - I say I'm travelling for leisure; I'm staying a week; my partner is Finnish etc. - and there's never been a problem.

For Entry #1 I'm not sure what to say. I don't want to overcomplicate things but I don't want to hide anything. I don't know what would be better:

Plan A
I show up with two big suitcases and a cat. "Hi, I'm moving to Finland later this year and applying for residency, but not right now. I'm just transporting some things now, and only staying for a week. I go back to the UK on Sunday. Can you let me in on a tourist visa?"

Plan B
I show up with two big suitcases and a cat. "Hi, I'm travelling for leisure and returning on Sunday. Can you let me in on a tourist visa?"

Like I say, I'm 99% sure Plan A is fine, I just have that 1% of doubt that it will sound suspicious and I'll get further questioning or even rejected. Has anyone been through a similar experience?
As UK citizen you do not need a tourist visa.

The one-word description for your entry would be "tourism" if there is a box to tick somewhere, if someone asks further questions explain your situation. There are no grounds for denying you entry.

In any case, check in advance that the entry requirements for your pets are fulfilled.

betelgeuse
Posts: 4353
Joined: Thu Aug 29, 2013 1:24 am

Re: Moving from the UK to Finland across two trips. What do I say at the border control?

Post by betelgeuse » Fri Mar 24, 2023 4:05 pm

FinlandGirl wrote:
Fri Mar 24, 2023 11:02 am
As UK citizen you do not need a tourist visa.

The one-word description for your entry would be "tourism" if there is a box to tick somewhere, if someone asks further questions explain your situation. There are no grounds for denying you entry.
Tourism is a good answer when leaving after a week. However, it's not an accurate status description from immigration point of view. As a family member of a Finnish citizen who has exercised free movement rights to another member state (UK while still a member) entry happens under free movement rights and not as a third country national entering for tourism purposes.

"The provisions of paragraph 1 shall also apply to family members in possession of a valid passport who are not nationals of a Member State, accompanying or joining the Union citizen."

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content ... 16&from=EN
actualbunnyvolunteer wrote:
Thu Mar 23, 2023 9:20 pm
If your partner is a Finnish citizen who hasn’t been a long term resident of another EU country, I don’t think your partner counts as a “EU citizen” in the matters of the EU family residence card. You would have to apply for a residence permit for a family member of a Finnish citizen. Definitely check with Migri, bc idk how the Brexit situation plays into this.

As for the entry and stay, you’ll be fine. You can always apply for the residence permit in Finland. They will give you a paper that allows you to stay in Finland while waiting for the decision, even after overstaying the tourist visa duration.
This answer is total hogwash and should be ignored.

FinlandGirl
Posts: 1329
Joined: Sat Nov 09, 2019 10:43 am

Re: Moving from the UK to Finland across two trips. What do I say at the border control?

Post by FinlandGirl » Fri Mar 24, 2023 5:15 pm

betelgeuse wrote:
Fri Mar 24, 2023 4:05 pm
FinlandGirl wrote:
Fri Mar 24, 2023 11:02 am
MattUK wrote:
Wed Mar 22, 2023 4:17 pm
Entry #1: We fly to Finland with our pets. I enter on a tourist visa, and stay for a week.
• After a week, I come back to the UK to wrap up things at home.
MattUK wrote:
Wed Mar 22, 2023 4:17 pm
For Entry #1 I'm not sure what to say. I don't want to overcomplicate things but I don't want to hide anything. I don't know what would be better:
As UK citizen you do not need a tourist visa.

The one-word description for your entry would be "tourism" if there is a box to tick somewhere, if someone asks further questions explain your situation. There are no grounds for denying you entry.
Tourism is a good answer when leaving after a week. However, it's not an accurate status description from immigration point of view. As a family member of a Finnish citizen who has exercised free movement rights to another member state (UK while still a member) entry happens under free movement rights and not as a third country national entering for tourism purposes.
I was only answering to the question about the one week stay, free movement rights don't apply if no registration happens in Finland before flying back.

betelgeuse
Posts: 4353
Joined: Thu Aug 29, 2013 1:24 am

Re: Moving from the UK to Finland across two trips. What do I say at the border control?

Post by betelgeuse » Fri Mar 24, 2023 6:11 pm

FinlandGirl wrote:
Fri Mar 24, 2023 5:15 pm
I was only answering to the question about the one week stay, free movement rights don't apply if no registration happens in Finland before flying back.
They do. Unlike a tourist (a third country national without free movement rights) there’s the unlimited right to work for the one week stay, for example.


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