1. Read the decision carefully — especially the valitusosoitus
Every written Migri decision must include appeal instructions called the valitusosoitus. This section tells you:
- which Administrative Court (hallinto-oikeus) handles your appeal,
- the exact deadline that applies to your decision, and
- what the appeal must contain and where to send it.
The valitusosoitus is the single most important page of the letter. If anything in this guide differs from your valitusosoitus, follow the valitusosoitus.
Also read the reasoning (perustelut) section. Migri must explain why it refused. The stated grounds — missing income, doubts about the relationship, incomplete documents — determine what your appeal or new application needs to fix.
2. Know your deadline — usually 30 days, and the clock may already be running
For most Migri decisions (residence permits, family reunification, citizenship, international protection), the appeal period is 30 days from the date you were notified of the decision UlkL §190.
Notification has a specific legal meaning:
- By post (regular mail): you are deemed to have received the decision on the 7th day after it was mailed — even if you actually read it later Hallintolaki §59.
- Electronically (e.g. via Enter Finland): the deemed-receipt rules for electronic service apply; the date is shown in the service.
- In person / with proof of receipt: the date you signed for it.
3. The appeal: valitus to the Administrative Court
An appeal (valitus) is a written submission to the Administrative Court named in your valitusosoitus. It does not require a special form. In substance it states:
- Which decision you are appealing (decision number and date);
- What you ask the court to do — usually to overturn (kumota) the decision and return the matter to Migri;
- Why the decision is wrong — factual errors, evidence Migri ignored or misread, procedural failures (for example, you were not properly heard before the decision), or incorrect application of the law;
- Your evidence — attach documents that support each argument;
- Your name, contact details and signature (or your representative's).
The court examines both the lawfulness of the decision and how Migri assessed the facts. If the court agrees with you, the typical outcome is that the decision is overturned and Migri must process the matter again, correctly.
If the Administrative Court also refuses
A further appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court (KHO) is possible only with leave to appeal (valituslupa), applied for within the time stated in the court's decision (generally 30 days). KHO grants leave in a minority of cases — typically where the case raises a question of legal precedent.
4. Request your case file — it is your right
You (or your representative) can request the documents Migri used in your case under the Act on the Openness of Government Activities JulkL §11. The file can reveal exactly what tipped the decision — an interview summary, a document Migri considered unclear, a register note you have never seen.
Request it as early as possible: the appeal is far stronger when it responds to what is actually in the file rather than guessing.
5. Get help — much of it is free
- Public legal aid (oikeusapu): if your income is low, the state covers part or all of the cost of a lawyer — including for appeals. Apply at oikeus.fi.
- NGO support: organisations such as the Finnish Refugee Advice Centre (Pakolaisneuvonta) advise asylum seekers and other migrants in legal processes.
- Private attorney (asianajaja): for complex cases — particularly international protection and deportation — professional representation materially improves the quality of the appeal.
6. If the 30 days already passed — your realistic options
A late valitus will not be examined. But "deadline passed" does not mean "no options":
- New application. Often the strongest path. If your circumstances have changed — new job or income, marriage, a child, completed studies, new evidence that did not exist before — you can file a fresh application that addresses the reasons for the refusal head-on.
- Complaint to a legality supervisor. If the process itself was seriously flawed (you were never heard, no interpreter was provided), you can complain to the Parliamentary Ombudsman (eduskunnan oikeusasiamies) or the Chancellor of Justice (oikeuskansleri). There is no strict deadline, but note: a complaint creates an official record and may lead to criticism of the authority — it does not overturn the decision itself.
- Extraordinary remedies. In rare situations (for example decisive new evidence or a grave procedural error), annulment (purku) can be sought from the KHO. The threshold is high; get legal advice before attempting this.
7. Common mistakes to avoid
- Waiting "to see what happens". The 30 days run regardless of weekends, holidays, or how busy life is.
- Appealing with emotion instead of grounds. "The decision is unfair" does not move a court; "Migri did not assess the income evidence on page 3, contrary to its own guideline" does.
- Sending the appeal to Migri. The valitus goes to the Administrative Court named in the valitusosoitus — not back to Migri.
- Ignoring the file. Appeals written without seeing the case file often argue against the wrong thing.
- Assuming a new application is hopeless. A refusal is a decision about that application at that time — changed facts genuinely change outcomes.