Book a time for free immigration counselling
Free Movement offers free-of-charge residence permit counselling every Wednesday from 5 PM to 8 PM in Helsinki at Pengerkatu 6 or online.
- Send an email to vapaaliikkuvuus(at)gmail.com, explaining your situation briefly. Tell us if you need a translator.
- You will receive a time slot for counselling as a response email.
- Come on time and bring with you all the relevant documents like a decision from the Migration Service, a residence permit card or a passport.
- Please, let us know beforehand if you have to cancel!
We can help with
- Filling out residence permit applications
- Questions about asylum, citizenship, deportation and residence permit processes
- Finding the right service
About our work
Free Movement is a network and an association organizing for universal freedom of movement.
We believe in standing together. That is why our service is free, volunteer-run, and independent.
We are not lawyers and do not give legal advice. Counseling is provided by volunteer experts.
All discussions are confidential. We do not share what you tell us with anyone – unless you ask us to.
How do find us
We are open every Wednesday from 5 PM to 8 PM in Helsinki at Pengerkatu 6. You are also welcome without an appointment. Please note that we may not be able to see everyone.
The place is called Coffee Without Borders/Lymy. Look for the big window filled with posters – the door is right there at street level.
Coffee Without Borders
At the same time with immigration counselling, we have a social event Coffee Without Borders. You can get free coffee, tea and snacks, and discuss with our visitors and volunteers.
Coffee Without Borders volunteers often have time to help with questions related to job seeking, study places and language courses.
Welcome!
How to apply for financial support from the Free Movement Association
The Free Movement Association assists migrants living in precarious situations, asylum seekers, and undocumented migrants. The financial aid is intended primarily for those who reside in Finland but do not have a permanent right of residence (for example, do not have citizenship, permanent residence permit or access to the Finnish social security system).
Financial support is mainly provided for the regularisation of residence in Finland, like residence permit or other administrative fees and legal aid. You can also apply for compensation of expenses or part of expenses related to family reunification. Migrants in a precarious position may also apply for assistance for essential travel- and food expenses or medical expenses, in case they are not entitled to financial support from other sources. Also, migrants who have been deported from Finland have the right to apply for assistance.
We provide financial assistance to support migrants’ freedom of movement and the realisation of fundamental rights, regardless of status or background. Financial aid can also be applied for political activities aimed at promoting these values.
All financial assistance that we provide comes from the donations made to the association. Sometimes we receive more donations and sometimes less. For this reason, we have to evaluate each request individually and the assistance usually covers only part of the amount requested. An individual may apply for assistance more than once.
You can ask for financial assistance, by briefly explaining the need for the aid, with a written application, or call us. Requests for assistance can be submitted to vapaaliikkuvuus(at)gmail.com. The Board of the Association aims to process requests for assistance as soon as possible. We can make the bank transfer only after we have received the documentation (e..g., receipts, invoices, etc.) of expenses.
