Amendments to the Aliens Act, which will tighten the requirements of permanent residence permits, enter into force on January 8, 2026.
General changes
- In the future, issuing a permanent residence permit will require, with certain exceptions, six years of continuous residence in Finland.
- Applicants for a permanent residence permit will need to have sufficient knowledge of Finnish or Swedish and a two-year work history, although some exceptions will apply.
- It will still be possible to obtain a permanent residence permit after four years of uninterrupted residence if the applicant also meets one of the following conditions:
- Annual income of EUR 40,000 or
- A master’s degree or postgraduate degree recognized in Finland and at least two years of work history, or
- Particularly good knowledge of Finnish or Swedish and at least three years of work history.
- A permanent residence permit can be obtained without the required period of residence if the applicant has completed a master’s degree, a postgraduate degree or a bachelor’s degree in Finland. If the applicant has completed a bachelor’s degree at a university of applied sciences, the period of residence requirement must be met.
- A child under the age of 18 can receive a permanent residence permit without the required period of residence if their guardian has a permanent residence permit, a P-EU residence permit or Finnish citizenship.
- Granting an EU residence permit (P-EU) to a long-term resident who is a third-country citizen requires good knowledge of Finnish or Swedish.
- An unconditional sentence of imprisonment affects the calculation of the residence period for both permanent residence permits and P-EU residence permits.
In addition, applicants must also meet the other requirements for obtaining a residence permit.
The amendments apply to applications submitted on or after January 8, 2026
The amendments to the Aliens Act will not affect applications for a permanent residence permit or a P-EU residence permit submitted before the entry into force of the Act on January 8, 2026.
Those applying for a permanent residence permit can submit their application approximately three months before the required period of residence is completed. They also do not have to wait until their current permit expires.
The legislative amendments will not affect applications submitted before January 8, 2026 even if the appointment to prove identity at a service point is scheduled for after that date.
The Immigration Service will make a decision on applications submitted on or after January 8, 2026 in accordance with the amended legislation.
Permanent residence permit and P-EU residence permit application form renewal
The Immigration Service will renew application forms for permanent residence permits in the Enter Finland service on January 8, 2026 at 12 a.m. (Finnish time). The service will not be available during the update.
Applications in the system that have not been submitted before this renewal will disappear from the service during the renewal. Applicants who have an unfinished application in the system should complete their application and submit it by 11:59 p.m. on January 7, 2026 (Finnish time) to avoid having to restart the application.
Enter Finland’s form renewal applies to the following residence permits:
- Permanent residence permit and EU residence permit for a long-term resident who is a third-country citizen (P-EU permit)
- Permanent residence permit for a child and EU residence permit for a child of a long-term resident who is a third-country citizen (P-EU permit)
The paper application forms for permanent residence permits and P-EU residence permits will also be renewed.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue to monitor developments and share updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or case-specific questions.