If you are married, present a marriage certificate. If you are in a registered partnership, present a certificate of registered partnership. The certificate must be legalised, unless it has been issued in the Nordic countries or in an EU Member State.

• The residence permit application may be submitted at the earliest 9 months before turning 21. If you submit the application earlier, the decision may be negative. 
• The validity period of the residence permit cannot begin before you and your spouse have turned 21.
• If you and your spouse have joint custody of a child, you can obtain a residence permit as the child’s parent or guardian even if you or your spouse are not yet 21 years of age.
• If your spouse has a residence permit for studies in Finland, you can submit your application 3 months before you turn 21 or your spouse turns 21 at the earliest.

• You must meet the income requirement (requirement for sufficient financial resources). You can prove that you meet the income requirement by submitting evidence of your or your spouse’s salary or income from business activities, for example. Your income cannot be based on social assistance, labour market subsidy or basic unemployment allowance.
• Read more about the income requirement on the page Income requirement for family members of a person who has been granted a residence permit in Finland.