Legislative amendments concerning residence permits for family members enter into force on 16 June 2025
The amendments tighten the requirements that must be met in family reunification cases.
We will update the instructions, application forms and clarification of family ties forms that have changed as a result of the legislative amendment on our website as soon as possible. If some page contains outdated information, a notice at the top of the page indicates that it will be updated.
The following matters will change:
- Spouses must be 21 years old before the residence permit becomes valid. This requirement does not apply to a sponsor who is a Finnish citizen.
- If the spouses have children together, the child's parent can apply for a residence permit as the child’s guardian even if they are under the age of 21.
- A family member of a minor who has been granted subsidiary protection or temporary protection is, with certain exceptions, required to have sufficient financial resources. With certain exceptions, other family relations of a minor who has been granted international or temporary protection and the parent or guardian of a minor refugee are also required to have sufficient financial resources.
- With certain exceptions, a sponsor who has been granted international protection must reside in Finland with a residence permit for at least two (2) years before their family member or other family relation may apply for a residence permit based on family ties.
- The definition of a child’s minority will be specified to correspond to the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union.
Amendments to the Aliens Act concern applications submitted on or after 16 June 2025
If you have submitted your first application or application for an extended permit based on family ties before 16 June 2025, the amendments to the Aliens Act will not affect your application. If you submit your first application based on family ties on or after 16 June, we will make a decision on it in accordance with the new Act.
If you submit your application for an extended permit based on family ties on or after 16 June, we will make a decision on it in accordance with the new Act if
- the basis of your previous permit was something other than family ties
- you are applying for an extended permit based on family ties other than those for which your previous permit based on family ties was granted.
Backlog in processing of applications – check the conditions for a residence permit before applying
There is a backlog in the processing of applications on the basis of family ties. Currently, more than 15,000 applications are awaiting a decision. The backlog is due to the submission of an exceptional number of applications in recent years. In 2024, the number of applications submitted increased by nearly 24% compared to 2023.
The processing times for applications based on family ties have also been extended because we have received a large number of applications that do not meet the requirements for obtaining a residence permit at the time of application. Make sure that you meet all the requirements before applying for a residence permit based on family ties. If your application does not meet the requirements, you may receive a negative decision.
