Period of residence requirement if the sponsor has been granted refugee status, subsidiary protection status or temporary protection (applications submitted on or after 16 June 2025)
If the sponsor has been granted refugee status, subsidiary protection status or a residence permit on the basis of temporary protection, he or she is, in some cases, required to have lived in Finland with a residence permit for at least 2 years before his or her family member or other relative can apply for a residence permit in Finland.
‘Sponsor’ means the family member living in Finland of the person who is applying for a residence permit.
The application of the income requirement depends on:
- whether the sponsor has refugee status, subsidiary protection status or a residence permit on the basis of temporary protection
- whether the family was formed before the sponsor arrived in Finland or after, and
- whether applicant is the sponsor’s family member or other relative.
- If the applicant is the sponsor’s other relative, it is required that the sponsor has lived in Finland with a residence permit for at least 2 years before family reunification is possible.
When calculating the period of residence, only the time the sponsor has lived in Finland with a residence permit can be taken into account.
In individual cases, a derogation may be made from the period of residence requirement if there are exceptionally serious grounds for such a derogation or if it is in the best interest of the child.
