The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) has confirmed that its Rovaniemi service point is back in operation from Monday, 5 January, following a week-long closure that began on 29 December. The northern Finland office, which processes residence-permit biometrics, refugee travel documents and EU registration for Lapland’s seasonal workers, had been shut due to staff holidays and building-maintenance work.
Significance: The reopening is critical for tourism and mining employers who rely on swift permit extensions for roughly 3 000 third-country nationals working in ski resorts, hotels and battery-minerals projects across Lapland. During the closure, applicants had to travel up to 600 km south to Oulu or file online and wait for appointments in February.
For foreign workers and the Lapland employers who sponsor them, a facilitator such as VisaHQ can help bridge the gap between Migri’s limited counters and timely submissions. Through its Finland portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/), VisaHQ offers document pre-screening, appointment-scheduling guidance and courier forwarding, helping reduce the risk of costly rejections or unnecessary trips.
![Rovaniemi Migri Service Point Reopens After Holiday Shutdown]()
Operational changes: Migri says the Rovaniemi office will pilot extended Thursday hours (08:00-18:00) until the end of the winter tourist season to clear the backlog. Walk-in ticketing remains suspended; all customers must book slots through Enter Finland. The agency has also installed new self-service kiosks funded by an EU recovery grant to speed up document scanning.
Context: Rovaniemi’s downtime coincided with Migri’s nationwide fee hike that took effect on 1 January, raising electronic permanent-residence applications from €240 to €380 and first work-based permits from €530 to €750. Employers warn that higher fees combined with limited northern appointment capacity could deter much-needed foreign talent.
Next steps: Migri will review the pilot hours in March; if successful, extended opening times may become permanent in other sparsely populated regions such as Kainuu and North Karelia.
Significance: The reopening is critical for tourism and mining employers who rely on swift permit extensions for roughly 3 000 third-country nationals working in ski resorts, hotels and battery-minerals projects across Lapland. During the closure, applicants had to travel up to 600 km south to Oulu or file online and wait for appointments in February.
For foreign workers and the Lapland employers who sponsor them, a facilitator such as VisaHQ can help bridge the gap between Migri’s limited counters and timely submissions. Through its Finland portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/), VisaHQ offers document pre-screening, appointment-scheduling guidance and courier forwarding, helping reduce the risk of costly rejections or unnecessary trips.
Operational changes: Migri says the Rovaniemi office will pilot extended Thursday hours (08:00-18:00) until the end of the winter tourist season to clear the backlog. Walk-in ticketing remains suspended; all customers must book slots through Enter Finland. The agency has also installed new self-service kiosks funded by an EU recovery grant to speed up document scanning.
Context: Rovaniemi’s downtime coincided with Migri’s nationwide fee hike that took effect on 1 January, raising electronic permanent-residence applications from €240 to €380 and first work-based permits from €530 to €750. Employers warn that higher fees combined with limited northern appointment capacity could deter much-needed foreign talent.
Next steps: Migri will review the pilot hours in March; if successful, extended opening times may become permanent in other sparsely populated regions such as Kainuu and North Karelia.
