Check the validity of your passport or identification card for your travel in the summer
If you are planning a trip abroad for next summer, now is a good time to check the validity and condition of your passport or identity card. Please remember that your travel document must be intact and valid for the entire duration of the trip. In some non-EU countries, the travel document also has to be valid for a few months after the end of the planned trip. Please find out about the travel document requirements of your country of destination in advance.
“If necessary, the renewal of a passport or identity card can be done easily, as there are plenty of appointments available in most parts of Finland. If the renewal of your travel document has been left to the last minute, it is also possible to visit many police stations without an advance appointment,” says Senior Adviser Juhani Ruutu.
It is always best to start the renewal of a passport or identity card by using the online service. When submitting an online application, the system will tell you whether you need an identification appointment at a police station. At the same time, it is easy to book an appointment at the police station of your choice. If you make an application for a passport or identity card online, it is also slightly cheaper than a travel document for which an application is made at a police station.
A ten-year passport is not yet available
Some clients are waiting for the maximum validity period of the Finnish passport to extend to ten years. However, you should not wait to renew your passport, because it will take time to make the required changes to legislation and information systems. At the moment, the exact date of the introduction of the ten-year passport and identity card is not yet known.
How to renew your passport or identification card
- Have a passport photograph taken of you. The photograph attached to the passport or identity card application must be no more than six months old.
- Start making an application for a new travel document at poliisi.fi
- The system will direct you to book an appointment at a police station, if this is necessary. Make sure to cancel your appointment if you cannot make it.
- Retrieve your completed document when you receive the pick-up notification.
