Beginning today, 1 June 2026, the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) will no longer accept Russian-issued non-biometric passports as valid travel documents for any new residence-permit applications.
![Finland Stops Accepting Russian Non-Biometric Passports in Residence-Permit Applications]()
For applicants who need help deciphering the new rules, VisaHQ’s Finland page (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) provides clear checklists of acceptable passports and can coordinate end-to-end filing support—from securing biometric travel documents to booking Migri appointments—streamlining the process for both individuals and corporate mobility teams.
The policy change is the administrative follow-up to a government resolution adopted earlier this year that bars the use of such passports at Finnish border‐checkpoints and throughout the Schengen Area. The move closes a significant loophole that had allowed some Russian nationals to submit older, machine-readable (but non-chip) passports when applying for work or family-based permits inside Finland or at Finnish missions abroad. Migri’s 1 June bulletin instructs both applicants and employers to ensure that every principal applicant and accompanying family member holds a biometric (chip-enabled) passport or another travel document expressly recognised by Finland. Applications filed with a non-compliant passport will be considered incomplete and will be rejected unless a replacement document is provided within Migri’s short rectification deadline. In practical terms, the tightening has immediate consequences for cross-border commuters and assignees arriving from St Petersburg and the wider Leningrad Oblast, many of whom still hold the older document format. Finnish companies that routinely sponsor Russian talent—particularly in information technology, shipbuilding and the energy sector—must now verify passport compliance before issuing employment contracts or booking visa appointments. Failure to do so is expected to trigger costly project delays as affected workers must first obtain a biometric passport inside Russia, a process that can take several weeks. The policy is also a message on border security. Helsinki says the ban is part of a broader package of measures designed to limit Russia’s ability to exert pressure on EU countries through irregular migration. Land crossing points along the 1 300-kilometre eastern land border remain closed to non-essential traffic, and Finland has requested €17 million in additional EU funding for drone-based surveillance of the frontier. For mobility managers, the key takeaway is to review all pending and upcoming sponsorship cases involving Russian nationals and to alert employees whose family members still carry non-biometric passports. Companies should also adjust onboarding timelines and maintain close communication with Migri as further guidance—particularly on transitional arrangements for people who applied before 1 June—becomes available.
For applicants who need help deciphering the new rules, VisaHQ’s Finland page (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) provides clear checklists of acceptable passports and can coordinate end-to-end filing support—from securing biometric travel documents to booking Migri appointments—streamlining the process for both individuals and corporate mobility teams.
The policy change is the administrative follow-up to a government resolution adopted earlier this year that bars the use of such passports at Finnish border‐checkpoints and throughout the Schengen Area. The move closes a significant loophole that had allowed some Russian nationals to submit older, machine-readable (but non-chip) passports when applying for work or family-based permits inside Finland or at Finnish missions abroad. Migri’s 1 June bulletin instructs both applicants and employers to ensure that every principal applicant and accompanying family member holds a biometric (chip-enabled) passport or another travel document expressly recognised by Finland. Applications filed with a non-compliant passport will be considered incomplete and will be rejected unless a replacement document is provided within Migri’s short rectification deadline. In practical terms, the tightening has immediate consequences for cross-border commuters and assignees arriving from St Petersburg and the wider Leningrad Oblast, many of whom still hold the older document format. Finnish companies that routinely sponsor Russian talent—particularly in information technology, shipbuilding and the energy sector—must now verify passport compliance before issuing employment contracts or booking visa appointments. Failure to do so is expected to trigger costly project delays as affected workers must first obtain a biometric passport inside Russia, a process that can take several weeks. The policy is also a message on border security. Helsinki says the ban is part of a broader package of measures designed to limit Russia’s ability to exert pressure on EU countries through irregular migration. Land crossing points along the 1 300-kilometre eastern land border remain closed to non-essential traffic, and Finland has requested €17 million in additional EU funding for drone-based surveillance of the frontier. For mobility managers, the key takeaway is to review all pending and upcoming sponsorship cases involving Russian nationals and to alert employees whose family members still carry non-biometric passports. Companies should also adjust onboarding timelines and maintain close communication with Migri as further guidance—particularly on transitional arrangements for people who applied before 1 June—becomes available.
