Proof for Cohabitation without Rental Agreement?

[ForestEmerge]

Hyvää päivää to you all,

My girlfriend has already got the Researcher Residence Permit in Finland, and now I'm thinking about what kind of residence permit I should apply for. Back in 2018-2021, we have lived together for more than 2 years, which supposedly should make it possible for us to get the Cohabitation RP, but the tricky thing is, during those times we were both living in my parents' apartment in China and didn't sign any rental agreement on paper... (which in that situation would've been rather weird).

So, we're truly wondering what we could do under this situation. I thought of asking my mother (who is the owner of the apartment) to write a letter as our explanation, but I'm very doubtful as to its validity in the eyes of Migri. Is there any way we can prove our cohabitation? Or do we have to resort to the Intimate Relationship RP?

Thank you very much for whatever imput you may have, truly!

[FinlandGirl]

My girlfriend has already got the Researcher Residence Permit in Finland, and now I'm thinking about what kind of residence permit I should apply for. Back in 2018-2021, we have lived together for more than 2 years, which supposedly should make it possible for us to get the Cohabitation RP, but the tricky thing is, during those times we were both living in my parents' apartment in China and didn't sign any rental agreement on paper... (which in that situation would've been rather weird).

So, we're truly wondering what we could do under this situation. I thought of asking my mother (who is the owner of the apartment) to write a letter as our explanation, but I'm very doubtful as to its validity in the eyes of Migri. Is there any way we can prove our cohabitation?

There are two issues here.

The first issue is proving that you lived together.
Does China have a system where people have to register their place of residence with the government?
Finland has a population register, and one can order online a paper certificate with Apostille listing all addresses since 1971.
Government certificates showing that you two were living at the same time in the same apartment would have some validity in the eyes of Migri.

The second issue is that it you were not cohabiting before moving to Finland, only several years ago.

Or do we have to resort to the Intimate Relationship RP?

What do you plan to do while living in Finland?
The Intimate Relationship RP does not grant the right to work in Finland.

You two have been together for at least 6 years, and you want to move to the other end of the world to be with her.
The sane action is that you marry.

[cfb]

You can try using your 2+ years together for the Cohabitation RP, even without a rental agreement. A letter from your mom might help, but also gather other proof like photos or joint expenses. If that doesn’t work, consider the Intimate Relationship RP.

[60fpslagging]

How would it work if they are in relationship with a finn and already had lived two years in Finland together but currently not living in finland? Does it still fulfill cohabitation rp requirement?

[Gallychou]

Does anyone know if the lease is in English, is there a need to legalize (get an apostille) the lease document? Thanks!
(Or is that only for birth certificate and such documents)

[betelgeuse]

Does anyone know if the lease is in English, is there a need to legalize (get an apostille) the lease document? Thanks!
(Or is that only for birth certificate and such documents)

https://migri.fi/en/interpretation-tran ... galisation

” Documents must be legalised if

- they concern your family ties (marriage and birth certificates, for example)
- they were issued by a country that is not part of the Nordic countries or the EU, and
- the application form states that the attachment in question must be legalised.”

[Gallychou]

@betelgeuse.

We understand this but most lease in America only exist in PDF format. You cannot apostille a PDF or a print out of one.

Has anyone gotten an apostille for a lease, if so, how did you handle it?

Usually apostille are put in birth certificate and such documents that are official only.

On Migri’s page, ‘must be legalised’ does not appear in the lease bullet, it only seems to appear next to birth certificate, death certificate, etc.

Thank you! Kiitos!

[NukkuMatti]

@betelgeuse.

We understand this but most lease in America only exist in PDF format. You cannot apostille a PDF or a print out of one.

Has anyone gotten an apostille for a lease, if so, how did you handle it?

Usually apostille are put in birth certificate and such documents that are official only.

On Migri’s page, ‘must be legalised’ does not appear in the lease bullet, it only seems to appear next to birth certificate, death certificate, etc.

Thank you! Kiitos!

Just wondering, but why can you not print out the PDF and get the stamp on that??

[Gallychou]

You cannot get an apostille on a printout; it is not an official document.

Since then, Migri kindly confirmed that a lease document does not need to be legalised. (By email)



Thanks! Kiitos!