Get ready for spring and summer travels well beforehand by applying for a new passport and identity card. Without any appointment, your identity will usually be verified in the Helsinki Police Department’s licence services in less than an hour. If you book an appointment, the process will be quicker.
You should always apply for a new travel document online at poliisi.fi. To have a new passport or identity card, you do not always need to visit a police station. The police’s online services will tell you if you need to visit a police station to verify your identity.
You can have your identity verified by booking an appointment or visiting licence services without any appointment. The Helsinki Police Department’s licence services are at the central police station in Pasila.
Demand for travel documents is always highest before holiday seasons. You can get ready for your spring and summer travels by booking an appointment for a new passport or identity card at the police station. Many new appointments have been made available in the Pasila licence services for the spring.
“We recommend that you book an appointment, because without it, you may have to wait for more than half an hour. During busiest days and hours, the waiting time may be longer,” says Chief Inspector Satu Mäkinen from the Helsinki Police Department’s licence services.
Typically, the Pasila licence services have the highest number of customers on Mondays and Fridays. The busiest hours are around opening and closing times at 8 am and 4 pm, as well as around lunch hours from 11 am to 1 pm.
Keep your previous travel document to pick up your new one
In the online services, you can choose the location from which to pick up your new passport or identity card. When picking up your new travel document, you need the delivery ID included in the pick-up notification, as well as a passport or identity card granted by a Finnish authority. You can use a passport or identity card expired less than a year ago to prove your identity.
You can also authorise another person to pick up your passport. In this case, the person who picks up your passport requires a power of attorney, the delivery ID and a valid Finnish passport or identity card. You can print a template of a power of attorney on the police’s website: Passport delivery.
Do this when you need a new passport or identity card
Before applying for a passport or identity card, identify what travel document you will need at your destination. You can travel to the EU member states and a few other European countries with a passport or an identity card.
Have your passport photo taken. The photo attached to your passport application cannot be older than six months.
Apply for a passport or identity card in the police’s online services. If you cannot apply for a travel document online, you can also complete an application at a police station. Online applications are quicker and carry a lower charge.
If required, verify your identity at a police station by booking an appointment or using the queue number system.
Remember to cancel your appointment if you cannot make it.
Passports, identity cards and permits
Helsinki Police Department, units and services
