Finland lies in the northern part of Europe, riddled with lakes and forests, Finland is one of the best places on the planet to live and work. There are two official languages in Finland, Swedish and Finnish, while several other local languages are spoken and understood.
To visit Finland, a Schengen tourist visa is required which allows a Lebanese citizen to stay in the country for 3 months. Any period longer than that will require a residence permit. Finnish immigration issues permit for education, work, and family reunion.
First residence permit – A-permit
To initiate the permanent relocation process, a Lebanese applicant must obtain the “First residence permit” before arriving in Finland. Lebanese citizens should apply at the Finnish Embassy in Ankara, Turkey as it is mandated as the Finnish Embassy in Beirut and thus eligible to provide consular services to Lebanese citizens.
The process to apply and obtain a residence permit is listed below:
- Apply for a residence permit at the Finland Residence Application Center in Ankara
- Applicant must apply for him/herself and not on behalf of anyone else
- Form appropriate to the applicant’s purpose be duly filled
- Attach all the documents demanded in the form
- Personal visit to the application center to verify credentials
Once the application is submitted, the case is transferred to the Finnish immigration services. Subsequently, the applicant may be called for a personal interview for further authentication. Since the processing time varies from the application, it will take a long time. It is advised that the applicants stay patient and check their progress online.
Permanent residence permit
The second step in the relocation process is to qualify for the permanent residence permit and apply for the same. Eligibility is established once the applicant has lived in the country for at least 48 months continuously. Permanent EU residence can also be applied for if the applicant has lived in Finland for 5 continuous years.
General conditions
The general conditions required to be satisfied are laid down below:
- Valid passport
- Proven not to be a danger to public order and security
- The applicant is not prescribed as prohibited during a stay on the previous permit
- Harmless to public health
- Not a threat to Finland’s international relations
General documents required
Required documents must be in order before applying for any kind of permit. For permanent residence, the below general items must be attached:
- Valid passport to be submitted in person at the time of application
- 2 recent passport-sized photographs in compliance with the rules issued by the police
- Copy of all pages of the passport
- Income statement of last 6 months reflecting a stable adequate income
- Employment contract
- Company registration (in case self-employed)
- Institutional admittance proof (in the case of a student)
Visa D
The immigration process if the applicants adopt the Visa D route is expedited automatically. Any Lebanese citizen who falls under the category described below is deemed eligible and can apply for a Visa D.
- Highly skilled person/specialist in the field (scientists, researchers, engineers, etc.)
- The applicant has an EU Blue card previously
- Entrepreneurs with startups
- Information Communication Technology specialist
- A blood relative who is a Finnish citizen
Expired & lost residence permits
In the event of loss of a permit, while being out of Finland, a new one can be applied for at the nearest Finnish diplomatic or consular mission. Note that without the permit, the bearer will not be allowed entry back to Finland, nor a visa will be provided for this purpose.
Similarly, if the permit expires while the bearer is not in Finland, the affected person shall apply for the permit at the nearest consulate or diplomatic mission. Entry without a residence permit is not possible in either case unless there is a humanitarian ground authentic enough to move away from the Finnish Visa Code.
Citizenship
The immigration law of Finland stipulates that a person who has lived “long enough” in the country is deemed eligible. The duration of stay accounted for is while the applicant is living on a residence permit, while the length of stay varies from case to case.
Generally, the term “long enough” means either of the below two:
- The applicant has lived in Finland for 5 years continuously (without interruption)
- Has lived in Finland for seven years after turning 15 (last couple of years uninterruptedly)
