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Residence permit application for persons applying for an EU Blue Card

Apply for a residence permit with this application if you want to apply for the EU Blue Card. You may apply for an EU Blue Card if:

  • you are coming to Finland for highly qualified employment (as a highly skilled worker);
  • your salary is at least EUR 3,638 in 2024; and
  • you have the required higher professional qualifications, attested by evidence of higher education qualifications or higher professional skills. You have higher education qualifications if you have completed a higher education degree that takes at least 3 years to complete. Usually, you have higher professional skills if you have at least 5 years of professional experience, acquired through actual pursuit of your profession, at a level comparable to higher education qualifications.

You must have confirmed employment before you apply for the permit. The work must last at least six months.

An EU Blue Card can be issued for a maximum of 2 years. If your work lasts for less than 2 years, the EU Blue Card will be issued for the duration of the employment relationship and for 3 additional months thereafter.

  • Expected processing times:

    Processing times

  • Electronic application fee

    First permit 380 € / extended permit 170 €

  • Paper application fee

    First permit 480 € / extended permit 430 €

You can apply for this residence permit via the fast-track service and get the permit in two weeks. Read more on the page Fast track

You can apply for a D visa at the same time as you apply for a residence permit. The D visa allows you to travel to Finland immediately after you have been issued with a residence permit and a D visa sticker has been attached to your passport. Read more on the page D visa

This is what you should do

Prepare:

Fill in the application:

Right to work

  • You have a right to work in employment that requires high-level competence. Your permit is not bound to a certain employer. The right to work begins once a residence permit has been issued. 
  • Specialists may work without a residence permit if the work lasts for a maximum of 90 days. For more information, see the page Working without a residence permit.
  • If you apply for an extended permit, check if you have the right to work while your application is being processed. Read more on the page Working while your extended permit application is being processed
  • An EU Blue Card issued by Finland gives you the right to work only in Finland.

Residence in a second EU Member State as a holder of an EU Blue Card

If you have been granted an EU Blue Card by Finland, you can move to a second EU Member State. If this second Member State does not grant you an EU Blue Card, you can return to Finland. You may stay in Finland for three months even if your Finnish EU Blue Card has expired. If Finland has granted your family member a residence permit, he or she may move with you to a second EU Member State and return to Finland with you.

Apply for a residence permit for a specialist, OLE_TY2

Apply online in Enter Finland

Apply for an extended permit for a specialist, OLE_TY2

Apply online in Enter Finland

Prepare for your life in Finland