Consulate of Finland Manchester – Information sheet

Consul:  Chris Rostron

Consulate of Finland 5, Bramway, High Lane, Stockport, Cheshire SK6 8EN

Tel & Fax 01663 764799

Work 0870 325 2894 M-F 9am-6pm

(Fujitsu Services, Central Park, Northampton Road, Manchester, M40 5BP or

Fujitsu Services, Technology Park, Daten Avenue, Risley, Warrington, WA3 6GD

By appointment only)

Embassy Details

• EMBASSY of FINLAND, 38, Chesham Place, London, SW1X 8HW
• Tel 0207 838 6200  ( Monday – Friday 2pm-4pm phone calls, 9am-12am and 2pm -4pm in person)
• Fax 0207 838 9703
• http://www.finemb.org.uk    
• mailto:sanomat.lon@formin.fi  
• Nationality
• http://www.uvi.fi/

Passports

The only passport issuing office in the UK is the Embassy of Finland in London. Honorary Consuls cannot accept passport applications.

In  Finland at any Police Station.

When applying for the passport in UK all passport applications including children are to apply in person at the Embassy in London. The parents of the child (with identification i.e. passport) also need to be present or have given written consent which must be witnessed. Children must have their own passport they cannot be on their parent’s passport. Birth Registration (see requirements later) can be done at same time as passport application.

The application form will be printed directly from the Finnish Population Register System. It is therefore important that the applicants living outside London contact the Magistrate in Finland (contact information from www.maistraatti.fi ) or the Embassy BEFORE travelling to London so that personal data can be checked and corrected. This will avoid unnecessary journeys to London.

The passport photograph requirements are very strict. Before obtaining the passport photos please consult the following website for more information www.poliisi.fi or the Embassy’s website.

www.finemb.org.uk

then select Palvelut

then passi

Briefly,

One passport photograph. (For an emergency passport two photographs).
The photographs should not be older than six months, and the photo size should be 47 x 36 mm, with the face size from the chin to the top of the head 32 -36 mm. Full face visible, eyes visible, no shadows, a light even background and neutral expression.

The passport is valid for five years. Issued passports are ready for collection in approximately two weeks. The passports can be posted inside the UK. In case of urgency special delivery is available at an extra Fee. A temporary passport will primarily be issued for home journeys only.

VISA applications

Contact Embassy of Finland

Nationality

Get form from Embassy or from website

http://www.uvi.fi/

Registration Birth, Marriage, Deaths

All British documents have to be legalised at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office before Finnish Registration can be made.

The legalisation is called an Apostille certificate which is based on the International Convention for accepting legalised documents between contracting states.

How to obtain an Apostille.

The Apostille certificate is obtained from

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Legalisation Office

The Old Admiralty Building

The Mall

London

SW1A 2LG

Tel 020 7008 1111

The current fee is £19

Please see their website for up to date information (Appendix A)

http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1007029391440

Finnish Registration

The original British register document with the Apostille certificate is to be enclosed to the Finnish register Form which is now available on the Embassy of Finland website.

www.finemb.org.uk 

Help on how to access the forms

Select Suomi as the language

Then Palvelut

Then muut asiat.

Born abroad form link

Ulkomailla syntynyt Suomen kansalainen

http://www.finemb.org.uk/doc/fi/palvelut/ilm%20ulkomailla%20synt%20suomen%20kansal.pdf

Married abroad form link

Ulkomailla vihitty Suomen kansalainen

http://www.finemb.org.uk/doc/fi/palvelut/ilm%20ulkomailla%20vihitysta%20suomen%20kansal.pdf

Died abroad form link

Ulkomailla kuollut Suomen kansalainen 

http://www.finemb.org.uk/doc/fi/palvelut/ilm%20ulkomailla%20kuolleesta%20suomen%20kansal.pdf

The following recommendations concerning the forms are as follows

• It is recommended that the Finnish registration form is filled in at the website (Pre-printed forms are no longer available).
• The Finnish registration form should be filled in as completely as possible and it is important that telephone and/or email addresses are supplied.
• Only ONE language can be named as the mother tongue.
• The original British Registration document with Apostille certificate (or certified copies) must be included with the Finnish Registration form
• Certified photocopies of the passports of the people requesting the registration are to be included with the registration form
• The Register form with all the above enclosures is then sent to the Embassy for signing.
• NO SIGNATURES and NO FEES are involved.
• Only the Officer at the Consular section of the Embassy will sign the Finnish Registration Form

New requirement for Finns to keep their address information up to date

A new law in Finland stipulates that when moving or being absent from their permanent address for more than three months every Finnish Citizen is to register their new address with the register authority. The Finnish magistrates use the registered address to send important information (e.g. dual nationals a warning of the danger to loose Finnish Citizenship).

This information must be up to date BEFORE applying for Passports

The register form is recommended to be filled in at the Embassy website

Select Suomi as the language

Then Palvelut

Then muut asiat.

Then link

osoitteen muutosilmoituslomake

http://lomake.fi/b/ec/index.cgi/fill_forms/start?s=9Nc3Ccgua41pHmC&return_url=&goto_fill_if_possible=YES&lomake_id=6591&_lang=fi&__lang=fi&recipient_id=50

Dual Citizenship 18-22 year olds

When a child/young adult has multiple nationalities then it is important that action is taken before their 22^nd Birthday. At 22, a Finnish dual citizen who lives permanently outside Finland may automatically lose the Finnish Citizenship.

The person possessing multiple nationalities should between ages 18-21 inform the magistrate directly or via the Embassy of Finland that they want to retain their Finnish citizenship. This should be done in writing to the magistrate directly or via the Embassy. More information can be found at www.uvi.fi

Select English

Select citizenship (across the top)

Then retaining Finnish citizenship 

Appendix A

Foreign and Commonwealth website extract

Applications by Post

Postal applications take approximately 10 working days to process. Delays may occur where there is a query with a signature or document and during particularly busy times of year (April-Sept).

We recommend that documents are sent to us by recorded or special delivery. Your document will automatically be returned by first class post unless you pay an additional fee of £5.00 for special delivery or include your own pre-paid special/recorded delivery envelope.

Payment

we accept payment of the fee of £19 by the following methods:

1. Debit/Credit card: Please print and complete the 'Payment form' below and send it with your document(s) to the address given on the form.
2. Postal Order: Please make Postal Orders payable to the 'Foreign & Commonwealth Office'.
3. Company Cheque: Please make Company cheques payable to the 'Foreign and Commonwealth Office'. Please note we cannot accept personal cheques.

Overseas customers can pay using a credit card, International Money Order/Bankers Draft or Postal Orders.

Payment Form (20K)

Posting your document(s):

Before you send your document(s) please check the following:

Are your documents from the UK and are they signed, stamped or sealed by a UK Public Official? (If in doubt please see the Section 'Documents we can legalise').

Have you enclosed postal orders, a company cheque or the debit/credit card payment form to cover the fees of £19.00 per document?

Have you enclosed a self-addressed envelope and included an additional £5.00 if you wish to have your document returned by Special Delivery or International Recorded Delivery?

Please send your documents with a short covering letter, self-addressed envelope and appropriate fees to:

The Legalisation Office
Old Admiralty Building
The Mall
London SW1A 2LG