Permanent Residence Permit (Finland)

A permanent residence permit lets you stay in Finland without renewing a time-limited permit. It is issued by the Finnish Immigration Service, called Migri. You must be at least 18 years old, and you must apply before your current continuous residence permit expires.

Criminal offences, including minor offences and suspected offences, may prevent you from getting a permanent residence permit.

The rules changed on 8 January 2026. If you submitted your application on or after that date, you can apply on one of several application paths. Before that date, the rule was at least four years of continuous residence on a continuous (A) residence permit and sufficient income for living in Finland, with exceptions.

Check the date of your application, because it decides which rules apply.

Under this path you need at least six consecutive years on an A or Brexit permit, at least two years of work history in Finland and Finnish or Swedish at level B1, which Migri calls satisfactory. The language requirement does not apply if you are 65 or over.

Under this path you need at least four consecutive years on an A or Brexit permit and an annual income of at least EUR 40,000, based on your most recent tax decision. This is the shortest route for someone with a high income and without language skills.

This path is for people who completed a master's degree from a university or a university of applied sciences, a bachelor's degree from a university, or a licentiate or doctoral degree in Finland. You need Finnish or Swedish at level A2, which Migri calls developing. You can also show this with 15 credits of Finnish or Swedish studies at a higher education institution. You must have spent only a short time outside Finland after completing the degree.

The Migri page does not state a specific number of residence years for this path, so check the current instructions.

Here you need at least four consecutive years on an A or Brexit permit, a master's, licentiate or doctoral degree completed abroad and recognised in Finland, and at least two years of work history in Finland.

This path needs at least four consecutive years on an A or Brexit permit, Finnish or Swedish at level C1, which Migri calls particularly good, and at least three years of work history in Finland.

A processing fee applies, but the Migri page does not state the amount or the processing time. Apply online through Enter Finland or on paper. Paper applications require you to book a service point appointment. For online payment, you can pay by credit card or with Finnish online banking credentials.

The paths trade time against other strengths. Six years of residence with two years of work and B1 language is the broadest route, since it does not ask for a particular income or degree. The income path is shorter at four years, but it needs EUR 40,000 a year on your latest tax decision. The Finnish degree path rewards people who studied in Finland, and it asks only for A2 language, with the number of years not stated on the Migri page. The language path is for people who already speak Finnish or Swedish at C1 and have three years of work history.

Look at your own record. Count your years on an A permit, your years of work, your latest tax decision and your language level, then see which path you already meet or are closest to meeting. If two paths are close, the one with the smaller gap is usually the one to aim at.

Each path rests on documents. Keep your permit history, your employment contracts and payslips, your latest tax decision, any language certificate and, if you rely on a degree, the diploma. A degree from abroad must be recognised in Finland. If you use the studies route to show A2 language, keep proof of the 15 credits of Finnish or Swedish studies from the higher education institution.

The Migri page says A or Brexit permit years count for the residence conditions. Check whether the years on your own permits count before you rely on them, and apply before your current permit expires.

Work out which path suits you, then plan backwards. A language certificate can take months to arrange. Keep your tax decisions, employment records and permit history in order. Students who plan to stay should note that the degree path rewards study in Finland, and see our guide on the job-search permit after graduation.