Check with the office. The official pages for this service leave out some details, or are older than a year. Use this page as a starting point and confirm fees and documents before you apply.
People who want to live, work or study in Finland for longer than three months apply for a residence permit before travelling, using the Finnish Immigration Service online service, and then prove their identity in person in Australia.
Where to apply in Australia
Embassy in Canberra or the VFS Global application centre for Australia (services.vfsglobal.com/aus/en/frp/; the centre may be outside Australia).
Contact details for every office are on the page of the embassy and consulates of Finland.
How to apply
Apply online in Enter Finland (paper also possible) | after submitting, book an identity/biometrics appointment (signature, photo, fingerprints) | attend at the embassy or VFS centre with a valid passport | pay the fee at the mission or VFS, or online
Applications are handled through VFS Global (https://services.vfsglobal.com/aus/en/frp/).
Documents you need
- Valid passport
- The attachments required for the chosen permit type
- Proof of job, study place or family tie in Finland
Fees and processing time
- Official fee: Residence permit EUR 800 (approx. AUD 1,296-1,301), e-service EUR 750; work first permit EUR 950, e-service EUR 750; studies EUR 750, e-service EUR 600; minor EUR 430, e-service EUR 400
- Service provider: VFS service fee may apply (amount not published)
Good to know
Two embassy fee pages give different AUD conversions for the same EUR fees (e.g. passport EUR 235 shown as AUD 384 and AUD 381) and neither shows an effective date; fees are paid in AUD at the Ministry's exchange rate, by Eftpos/Visa/MasterCard only. Decision is made by the Finnish Immigration Service; processing time is not given. The Working Holiday permit for Australian citizens (12 months, agreement in force since 2002) is handled via the migri.fi application; the embassy page gives no steps or fees.
Official sources
- finlandabroad.fi/web/aus/residence-permits-to-finland
- finlandabroad.fi/web/aus/service-fees
- finlandabroad.fi/web/aus/visa-fee
Check before you apply
This page summarises information published by Finland's official channels, last checked on 24 octubre 2026. Fees and requirements can change at short notice, so confirm with the office that will handle your case.
Spotted a change? Let us know.