Finland Amedments to Family Reunification Provisions Forthcoming

The Finnish parliament has approved a set of amendments to the Aliens Act that will enter into force on June 16, 2025. The amendments tighten the requirements that must be met in family reunification cases.

Key Changes

New age requirement for spouses and partners

• When the spouse of a sponsor applies for a residence permit, both the spouse and the sponsor must be at least 21 years of age when the residence permit becomes valid. The spouse may be a wife or husband, a cohabiting partner or a partner in a same-sex registered partnership.
  • The new age requirement does not apply to sponsors who are Finnish citizens.
• The residence permit application may be submitted a maximum of nine months before turning 21.
  • For an established family member (an ‘old’ family member), there is an exception to this rule. In such cases, the residence permit application may be submitted within three months of the sponsor being served with a decision on his or her refugee status if:
    • the family was formed before the sponsor’s arrival in Finland, or
    • the family was formed before the sponsor was admitted into Finland’s refugee quota, or
    • the family was formed before the sponsor was granted refugee status on the basis family ties.
• If the spouses have children in their joint custody, a residence permit application as the child’s parent or guardian can be submitted even though the parent is under 21 years of age.

New period of residence requirement

• A sponsor who has been granted international protection must live in Finland with a residence permit for at least two years before his or her family member or other relative can apply for a residence permit on the basis of the family relationship.
  • This requirement applies to all family members of a person who has been granted subsidiary protection, the new family members of refugees, and the other relatives of a person who has been granted international protection.
  • The new requirement does not apply to established family members of refugees or the family members or other relatives of beneficiaries of temporary protection.
• An exemption from the period of residence requirement is possible if there are exceptionally serious grounds for such an exemption or if it is in the best interest of the child.

Changes to the definition of when a sponsor who has been granted international protection is considered a minor

• Granting a residence permit to a family member of an unaccompanied minor sponsor who has been granted asylum requires:
  • that the sponsor was under 18 years of age on the day when he or she submitted the application for international protection, and
  • that the sponsor was granted asylum on the basis of that application, and
  • that the residence permit application on the basis of family ties is submitted within three months of the day when the sponsor was served with the decision that he or she has been granted asylum.
• A sponsor who has been granted subsidiary protection or temporary protection or who has arrived in Finland as a quota refugee must be under 18 years of age when his or her family member applies for a residence permit.
• A parent or guardian who has custody of a child and has been granted asylum can apply for a residence permit for the child on the basis of family ties if:
  • the child was under 18 years of age on the day when the sponsor, who has been granted asylum, submitted the application for international protection in Finland, and
  • the sponsor was granted asylum on the basis of that application, and
  • the residence permit application on the basis of family ties is submitted within three months of the day when the sponsor was served with the decision that he or she has been granted asylum.

Changes to the income requirement

• The family members of a minor sponsor who has been granted subsidiary protection or temporary protection must meet the income requirement. They must have sufficient financial resources.
• The income requirement does not need to be met if the sponsor is an unaccompanied minor and has been granted refugee status in Finland. The sponsor’s refugee status may have been granted in the form of asylum or as a quota refugee.
• Other relatives of a minor sponsor who has been granted international or temporary protection must meet the income requirement. They must have sufficient financial resources.
• In individual cases, a derogation may be made from the income requirement if there are exceptionally serious grounds or if the derogation is in the best interest of the child.

Applications submitted before 16 June 2025 will be decided in accordance with the old version of the Aliens Act

• Applications for a first or an extended permit on the basis of family ties submitted before June 16, 2025, are not affected by these changes.
• Applications for a first residence permit on the basis of family ties submitted on or after June 16, 2025, will be decided in accordance with the new Act.
• Applications for an extended permit on the basis of family ties submitted on or after June 16, 2025, will be decided in accordance with the new Act in the following cases:
  • the previous permit was issued on grounds other than family ties;
  • the application is on the basis of a different family relationship than the previous family permit.

The Finnish Immigration Service is currently updating the application forms of family-based permits in the online service Enter Finland. Draft applications which have not been finished and submitted will not automatically be updated to the new application form. These applicants are advised to finish their draft application and submit the application before June 16, 2025.