Amendments to Aliens Act regarding permanent residence permits

This page contains up-to-date information on the upcoming amendments to the Aliens Act regarding permanent residence permits and the long-term resident’s EU residence permit (P-EU permit). The amendments will enter into force on 8 January 2026.

The amendments concern, in particular, the period of residence required for a permanent residence permit and new requirements on work history and sufficient Finnish or Swedish language skills. In the Aliens Act, the new requirements are called integration requirements. A new requirement for obtaining a P-EU permit will be sufficient Finnish or Swedish language skills. 

We will update our website and application forms when the amendments enter into force. The most recent updates about the amendments can be found on the website of the Ministry of the Interior (intermin.fi). 

The following links will take you to the different sections of the page:

• In future, a permit entitling to permanent residence can be obtained through different application paths
• In addition to the new integration requirements, you must still meet the other requirements for obtaining a permit
• The work history requirement must be met when you apply for a permanent residence permit
• You can prove your language skills, for example, by taking the National Certificate of Language Proficiency test
• An unconditional prison sentence will in future interrupt the period of residence
• In future, a child under 18 years of age may be granted a permanent residence permit without the required period of residence
• If you submit your application before the amendments enter into force, they will not affect the processing of your application