Residence Permit for an Employed Person (Finland)

The residence permit for an employed person is the permit most foreign workers use to work in Finland for a Finnish employer or another employer that operates in Finland. It is issued by the Finnish Immigration Service, called Migri. The permit is tied to confirmed employment, so you need a job before you apply. People who work as light entrepreneurs through an invoicing service company are not eligible for this permit.

There are separate permits for specialists, for seasonal workers, for researchers and for entrepreneurs. If your job and salary fit the specialist rules, read our guide on the specialist permit and the EU Blue Card, because the conditions and the speed can be different.

For 2026, Migri says your total gross salary must be at least EUR 1,600 per month. Several part-time jobs can count together towards that amount. Zero-hours and on-demand contracts do not qualify.

Some rules decide what counts as salary. Supplements such as evening or night work supplements are excluded. Fringe benefits can make up at most 50% of your salary, counted at their taxable value.

Migri reviews the minimum every year. An earlier Migri page showed EUR 1,399 for 2024, and a news item announced a new limit of EUR 1,600 from 1 January 2025, so check the figure for the year in which you apply. In some sectors the pay must also match the collective agreement that applies to the job.

Your employer must document that you have the professional skills the job needs. Health care professionals also need a practice permit from the Finnish Supervisory Agency, called Valvira.

The labour market test may apply. Migri says the employer must establish whether there is available labour in Finland, or in the EU and EEA, within a reasonable time. Ask your employer early whether the test applies to your job, because it affects the timeline. You must also attach a supply contract that describes the work, and you must meet the general requirements for a residence permit.

Migri describes the process in these steps:

• Apply for your first permit from abroad. Applications for an extension can only be made in Finland.
• Apply online in Enter Finland, which has a lower fee than a paper application. Paper applications are also possible.
• Your employer adds the terms of employment, through Enter Finland for Employers or on a paper form. Prompt submission speeds up the process.
• Prove your identity at a Finnish mission abroad, or at a Finnish Immigration Service service point if you applied in Finland. Processing can start before you prove your identity.
• Online applicants can pay by card or Finnish online banking when they submit. Paper applicants pay at a Finnish mission abroad.

Attachments include a valid passport, a passport photo no more than six months old, colour copies of the passport pages and, for a first permit, proof of legal stay. The Migri page does not state the fee amount, so check the processing fees page for the current figure.

Migri publishes average processing times. In May 2026 they were:

• First permit: 23 days for positive decisions and 79 days for negative decisions
• Extended permit: 38 days for positive decisions and 145 days for negative decisions

Individual times may be different from these averages. The page also reported that, since the start of 2026, 2,809 first-permit applications had been submitted and 2,654 decided, 1,828 of them positive. Use the averages for planning, but do not make non-refundable plans until you have the decision.

Your right to work is limited to the field of your job, although you may hold several jobs within that field. If you hold a valid permit and move into a sector on the national labour shortage list, which is published on the labour market forecast site, you do not need a new permit.

For a change that goes beyond this, speak to Migri before you accept a new job. Do not start work outside your permit conditions.

When you extend, the authorities check retrospectively that your salary met the requirements. You must have been paid an average of at least EUR 1,600 per month. The salary data is collected from the Incomes Register. Keep your payslips and contract in order, and submit the extension application before your permit expires.

Do not apply before the employment is confirmed. Do not count salary supplements towards the minimum. Do not accept a zero-hours contract if you want this permit. Do not apply for an extension from abroad, because it can only be made in Finland. And do not rely on a salary figure from an earlier year.