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Travel documents

The alien’s passport and the refugee’s travel document are travel documents issued in place of a national passport, which can be used as means of personal identification provided they contain no remarks indicating unverified identity. The holder of an alien’s passport and a refugee’s travel document may return to Finland from abroad if the passport includes a residence permit entitling him to return to the country and the travel document remains valid.

An alien’s passport may be granted to a foreigner who has received a residence permit based on subsidiary protection. An alien’s passport may also be granted to a foreigner receiving a temporary residence permit for the same reason if he does not possess a valid travel document.

In addition, an alien’s passport may be granted if the foreigner is unable to obtain a passport from the authorities in his or her home country, or is stateless, or there is some other special reason for being issued with one. Reasons may include the need to travel to one’s home country to obtain a national passport, or the inability to obtain one despite efforts.

A new alien's passport is granted by the Finnish Immigration Service. If the foreigner has a valid alien’s passport at the time he initiates an application for a new alien’s passport, the police may grant a new alien’s passport if the requirements for granting the passport are met, and the Finnish Immigration Service hasn’t withheld approval as set out under section 210 of the Aliens Act.

The alien’s passport may be issued up to a maximum of five years.

The foreigner must present written grounds for the application of an alien’s passport.

The application fee must be paid when submitting the application and, if possible, the earlier alien’s passport must be included as an appendix to the application, or returned to the police, when collecting the new alien’s passport.

A refugee’s travel document may be issued to a foreigner granted refugee status, which has not been subsequently withdrawn or cancelled.

A new refugee’s travel document is granted by the Finnish Immigration Service. If the foreigner has a valid refugee’s travel document at the time he initiates an application for a new refugee’s travel document, the police may grant a new refugee’s travel document if the requirements for granting the document are met, and the Finnish Immigration Service hasn’t withheld approval as set out under section 210 of the Aliens Act.

The refugee’s travel document may be issued up to a maximum of five years.

The application fee must be paid when submitting the application and, if possible, the earlier refugee’s travel document must be included as an appendix to the application, or returned to the police, when collecting the new refugee’s travel document.

Finland introduced biometric passports on 21.8.2006, after which date passports issued in Finland, including alien’s passports and refugee’s travel documents, will contain a microchip. Travel document information recorded on the chip: facial image, personal data, passport information, and from 29.6.2009 onwards, fingerprints of over 12-year olds. The chip also contains information that will make the forging of passports or documents and the abuse of chip information more difficult. 

After the introduction of biometric passports old-style alien’s passports and refugee’s travel documents will no longer be issued, but current documents may still be used until their expiry date.

Biometric alien’s passports or refugee’s travel documents are valid for a maximum of five years. The period of validity may not be extended. Instead, a new travel document is granted for max. five years after the expiration of the previous passport.

Customer bulletins

Receiving a decision on a travel document takes 6 months on average (5.8.2010)
Aliens’ passports and refugees’ travel documents to include fingerprints (14.7.2009)

Additional information

Flowchart: Applying for a travel dokument

Alien's passport and refugee's travel document

Police

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