Finland
Planned changes to temporary protection legislation will enter into force in March 2025
As announced in December 2024, the Ministry of the Interior has been drafting several changes to legislation on residence permits for temporary protection, which have now been adopted.
Residence permits will be valid for the entire duration of temporary protection
In the future, residence permits and residence permit cards for persons who have been granted temporary protection will continue to be valid for as long as the government decision on granting temporary protection is in force. Previous legislation set the maximum duration of temporary protection at three years.
In the future, a residence permit for temporary protection would always be temporary. Those who intend to settle in Finland permanently can apply for a residence permit.
Temporary protection of certain third-country nationals will end on 31 March 2025
Third-country nationals who fled Ukraine and who did not have a permanent residence permit in Ukraine or who were not granted international protection in that country will no longer have temporary protection. This concerns around 200 people. The Finnish Immigration Service has sent a letter about this to the customers whose temporary protection will end.
Temporary protection will still apply to Ukrainian nationals and their family members, and also to third-country nationals who have obtained a permanent residence permit in Ukraine or been granted international protection in that country.
Iceland
Longer processing time for expedited processing of residence permit applications based on work
The Directorate of Immigration has noted that the service fee for expedited processing of residence permit applications based on work only covers the part of the application process that relates to processing of a residence permit with the Directorate of Immigration. It does not cover the issuance of a work permit by the Directorate of Labour. However, a work permit is a condition for the issuance of a residence permit on the basis of work.
The processing time for work permit applications in the expedited procedure at the Directorate of Labour is now seven weeks. Information on the processing time is published on the website of the Directorate of Labour.
As a result, the Directorate of Immigration cannot process applications in an expedited procedure in less than 8 to 10 weeks.
It takes a considerably longer time to process applications for residence permits based on work, for which no service fee for expedited processing is paid. The applications currently being processed in the general procedure were received last October.
United Kingdom
Europeans can now apply for Electronic Travel Authorisation
Effective 5 March 2025, eligible Europeans can apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) and will need one to travel to the UK from Wednesday 2 April 2025.
This expansion follows the rollout of ETAs to all eligible non-European nationals in 2024, including visitors from the USA, Canada and Australia, who now need an ETA to travel to the UK.
Applications for an ETA are submitted through the UK ETA app and most applicants currently receive a decision automatically in minutes. Prospective visitors can also apply on GOV.UK if they do not have access to a smartphone.
Applicants provide their biographic and biometric details and answer questions on suitability and criminality. Once an applicant has successfully applied, their ETA is digitally linked to their passport.
While most applications are approved quickly, it is still recommended to allow up to three working days to account for the small number of cases that require additional review.
An ETA currently costs £10 and allows multiple visits to the UK of up to six months over a two-year period, or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner. An ETA is not a visa, it is a digital permission to travel.
Extension of grace period for accepting expired BRPs and BRCs
As part of the transition to eVisas, the government has extended until 1 June 2025 the ‘grace period’ during which expired biometric residence permits (BRPs) or EUSS biometric residence cards (BRCs) can be accepted. The previous end date was 31 March 2025.
This allows people who have a BRP or BRC which expired on or after 31 December 2024, and who continue to hold underlying immigration status, to continue to use their expired document for international travel until the new end date.
From 2 June 2025, expired BRPs and EUSS BRCs will no longer be acceptable evidence of immigration status when travelling to the UK.
Those yet to create an account to access their eVisa are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.
People with indefinite leave to remain (ILR, also known as settlement) who use an ink stamp or vignette in a passport to prove their rights can continue to use their documents as they do today, including for travel, but are encouraged to make the switch to an eVisa to take advantage of the benefits it brings.
