Effective September 1, 2024, residence permit applicants must submit a valid passport issued by their country of nationality as part of their applications. Previously, residence permit applicants could use passports issued by countries (including Finland) other than their country of nationality to verify their status (i.e. travel documents issued by third countries where individuals are unable or unwilling to obtain a passport from their own country of nationality, such as the situation with Belarussians who have been able to obtain Polish or Lithuanian travel documents given barriers to obtaining a Belarussian passport).
With limited exceptions, applicants who do not provide a passport from their country of nationality will now not be eligible for a residence permit. This new requirement applies also to pending applications submitted before September 1, 2024. Affected applicants (and their employers) may now face increased challenges in obtaining a residence permit: some individuals may now not be able to obtain a residence permit; while others will need to satisfy further application requirements.
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