Information for Ukrainian refugees in Finland

Protection until 4 March 2028; Migri extends permits (now to 4 March 2027) without an application

Information checked in October–November 2026.

Important to know

Protection is extended to 4 Mar 2028, but permits run to 4 Mar 2027 until Migri extends them (no application needed; wait for its instructions). Migri sends a letter, not a new card, and expired cards have caused problems at borders (e.g. Poland): order a new card via Enter Finland before travelling. Since 1 Sep 2026 reception services end at most 3 months after you can get a municipality of residence (usually a year after arrival). Since 12 Jun 2026 any other Finnish permit cancels protection. Since 5 Aug 2026 new applicants must prove legal exit. Migri (in Ukrainian)

Useful links

Official information

Getting there

Status and documents

How long protection lasts: Temporary (type B) residence permit on the basis of temporary protection. Current permits are valid until 4 Mar 2027; protection is extended to 4 Mar 2028 and Migri will extend the permits itself, with instructions to follow (Migri's page still said 4 Mar 2027 in Oct 2026). Migri sends a letter instead of a new card; a new card can be ordered via Enter Finland. Temporary protection does not lead to permanent residence.
Documents: Passport or Ukrainian internal passport (ID card), children's birth certificates; family members: proof of the relationship (e.g. marriage certificate). New applicants since 5 Aug 2026: proof of legal exit, i.e. the exit stamp in the passport or an official document (e.g. from Reserve+) on completed military obligations or exemption. "DPR/LPR" passports are not accepted.
Where and how to apply: Only in Finland: at the police or with the Border Guard; the application is free. They take a photo, fingerprints and signature; Migri decides. After applying you can live in a reception centre or in private accommodation (still registered with a centre).
Processing time: Approx. 1 week if no further information is needed; the decision arrives by post about 2 weeks after applying, the residence permit card (with a Finnish personal identity code) 2–3 weeks after the decision.
When protection ends: Ends with EU temporary protection (now 4 Mar 2028) unless it is extended again. Since 12 Jun 2026 the permit lapses automatically, with no appeal, as soon as you get any other Finnish residence permit or EU registration. Protection is valid in only one EU country at a time. It can be revoked if the grounds no longer apply (e.g. a man loses his exemption from military service).

Travel, pets and language

How to get there: No common border, and Finland's land border with Russia is closed. Bus Kyiv–Helsinki from approx. 37.5 h with changes and the Tallinn ferry (FlixBus); car via Poland and the Baltic states to Tallinn, then a ferry of approx. 2 h (Tallink, Viking Line, Eckerö Line); flights to Helsinki from Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk, Riga and Vilnius (Finnair, airBaltic, Ryanair from Modlin; winter 2026/27).
Pets: Dogs, cats, ferrets (max. 5): microchip, rabies vaccination, rabies antibody blood test (at least 30 days after the vaccination and at least 3 months before entry), EU health certificate and owner's declaration; dogs also need Echinococcus tapeworm treatment 1–5 days before arrival. If Finland is your first EU country, show the pet at customs (red channel) (Ruokavirasto, 2026).
Languages: Finnish and Swedish (official; Swedish mainly on the west and south coasts and in Åland); English is widely spoken. Free Finnish or Swedish courses come with an integration plan (municipal services, within 3 years of the first permit); the Finnish society course is compulsory for adults in reception centres.

Work, healthcare and education

Right to work: Yes, without restrictions from the day you apply for temporary protection. With the permit you can register as a jobseeker with municipal employment services (they replaced the TE Offices on 1 Jan 2025).
Jobs in demand: Shortages (Työvoimabarometri, Sept 2026): doctors, nurses, dentists, early childhood educators, special-needs and primary teachers; also home care workers and electrical, mechanical and civil engineers. Unemployment is high (11.0%, the highest in the EU, Sept 2026); without Finnish, most jobs are in cleaning, delivery and seasonal farm work.
Healthcare: Yes: until you get a municipality of residence, the reception centre arranges care at the same level as for residents; after that, the wellbeing services county (public health centres with client fees). Kela card and medicine reimbursements after about a year in Finland or with a job.
Kindergarten: With a municipality of residence, a right to a place; the fee depends on income, max. €335/month for the first child (from 1 Aug 2026), fees under €32 are not charged; pre-primary education at 6 is free (4 h/day). Before that, the municipality arranges a place if parents work or study full-time; otherwise it may refuse.
School: Yes, school is free, including lunch and textbooks. With a municipality of residence it is compulsory from pre-primary at 6 until 18; before that children have the right to attend and the reception centre helps to enrol them. Preparatory classes for newcomers.

Benefits

Housing support: In the reception system: a free place in a reception centre (a fee is possible with regular income); private accommodation is at your own cost. With a municipality of residence you rent yourself; Kela housing allowance covers up to 70% of acceptable housing costs (within municipal limits), and social assistance can pay the deposit.
One-time payment: None (no fixed one-off payment; in the reception system, a supplementary reception allowance for special needs; after moving to a municipality, Kela social assistance can cover the rent deposit and moving costs).
Monthly allowance for adults: Reception allowance (2026): €300/month for a single adult (€88 if the centre provides meals), €254 for other adults, €336 for a single parent; all income is counted. With a municipality of residence: Kela basic social assistance €578.43/month for a single person (from 1 Mar 2026), housing costs on top. Unemployment benefit (yleistuki, approx. €800/month) only with about 12 months of work in 28; a bill would lift this for protection holders from 1 Apr 2027.
Monthly allowance for children: Reception allowance: €210/month per child aged 10–17, €191 under 10 (2026). Kela child benefit after about a year in Finland (no municipality of residence needed): €94.88/month for the first child, €104.84 for the second, up to €192.69 for the fifth and each further child, +€26 for each child under 3, +€73.30 per child for single parents; until age 17.

Cost of living

Average rent: Median rent of a non-subsidised flat, Q3 2026 (Statistics Finland): 1-bedroom (2-room) — Helsinki €950/month, Espoo €895, Vantaa €839, Tampere €780, Turku €720, Oulu €665, Lahti €620; studio — Helsinki €730, Tampere €605, Turku €568.
Groceries per person per month: Approx. $620/month per person for food in Helsinki (livingcost.org, 2026, partly crowdsourced). Kela basic social assistance for a single person (food, clothes etc.) is €578.43/month (2026).
Kindergarten fees: Private day care approx. $490/month (livingcost.org, 2026, crowdsourced). With a municipality of residence, Kela's private day care allowance or a municipal service voucher brings the cost close to the municipal fee (max. €335/month).
Private school fees: Public schools and most private schools (state-funded) are free. International schools approx. $13,200/year (livingcost.org, 2026, crowdsourced).
Health insurance cost: Usually not needed: protection holders get public care via the reception centre, later the wellbeing services county (client fees with an annual cap). Private insurance is optional; a private doctor's visit costs approx. $126 (livingcost.org, 2026, crowdsourced).

Documents, consulates, legal helpThe same in every country: e-Consul, Diia, free legal aid, a psychologist.

All information is for reference only. Rules and benefits change often, so some of it may be out of date. Always check with official sources before making a decision.

If you spot an inaccuracy, please write to us at howtohelpuacom@gmail.com.