Permanent residence permit application for a child
Use this application to apply for a permanent residence permit for a child if:
the child is under 18 years of age and
you are the child’s parent or guardian or other legal representative.
You can only apply for a permanent residence permit in Finland.
The requirements for permanent residence permits have changed on 8 January 2026 when amendments to the Aliens Act entered into force. If you have applied for a permanent residence permit for a child before 8 January 2026, the amendments will not affect the child’s application.
Requirements for a permanent residence permit if the application has been submitted before 8 January 2026
The child is under the age of 18
The child must be under 18 years of age on the day when a permanent residence permit is applied for him or her. If the child has reached the age of 18 after the application was submitted, it will not affect the processing of the application.
The child has lived in Finland for a continuous period of 4 years
You can only apply for a permanent residence permit in Finland. It is required that the child has lived in Finland for at least 4 years under a continuous residence permit (A permit). See the page Period of residence requirement for more information on how the required period of residence is calculated.
The child has sufficient financial resources
For example, the income from employment or business activities of a parent or guardian living in Finland can be used to secure sufficient financial resources. Financial resources cannot be based on social assistance, labour market subsidy or basic unemployment allowance.
In some situations, the requirement for sufficient financial resources does not need to be met. See the page Income requirement to check whether the child must meet the income requirement.
The child’s parents or guardians have given consent to applying for a residence permit
If two persons have custody of the child, both persons must consent to applying for a residence permit for the child.
A separate consent is not required from the parent or guardian who applies for a permanent residence permit for the child. However, a consent is required from the other parent or guardian of the child.
The child is not guilty of or suspected of such offences that may prevent getting a permanent residence permit
If the child has committed offences or is suspected of having committed offences, it may not be possible for the child to get a permanent residence permit. For more information, see the page Impact of crimes on getting a permanent residence permit.
Check the required attachments in more detail from the application form for a permanent residence permit for a child and only submit the ones that apply to the child’s situation.
The attachments must be legalised, unless they have been issued by authorities of a Nordic country or by authorities of an EU Member State. See the page Interpretation, translation and legalisation for instructions on how to have your documents legalised.
A copy of a valid passport issued by the child’s country of nationality and a passport photo
The child will usually be required to have a valid national passport when a residence permit is applied for the child.
If the child does not have a passport, obtain a national passport for the child. If necessary, obtain an alien’s passport for the child so that the child can travel and obtain a national passport.
If the child has received international protection, the child is not required to have a national passport. For more information on the passport requirement, see the page Passport and other travel documents.
The child must have a passport photo complying with the photo guidelines issued by the police, or a photograph retrieval code from a photo shop. Read more on the website of the Finnish police (poliisi.fi).
The passport photo must be no more than 6 months old.
Document on sufficient financial resources
If the child must meet the requirement for sufficient financial resources, submit proof of the financial resources. See the application form for information on what documents you must provide on financial resources. What documents you must provide depends on how sufficient financial resources are secured for the child in Finland.
If the other parent or guardian who has custody of the child lives outside Finland, the consent must be confirmed by a notary public or a similar authority.
If the child does not have another parent or guardian who has custody of the child, attach a free-form explanation for this.
You do not need to attach the form if the child applies for a residence permit at the same time as his or her parent or guardian who has custody of the child or if the child was born in Finland and lives with his or her parents or guardians in Finland.
Requirements for permanent residence permit if the application has been submitted on or after 8 January 2026
A child living in Finland may be issued a permanent residence permit without having to meet the period of residence requirement if:
the child’s parent or guardian who has custody of the child resides in Finland and
the parent or guardian already has a permanent residence permit, P-EU permit or Finnish citizenship or
the parent or guardian applies for a permanent residence permit at the same time as his or her child and the parent or guardian is granted a permanent residence permit or a P-EU permit.
The parent or guardian must be the child’s formal and actual guardian. This means a parent or guardian who has legal custody of the child and cares for the child in practice.
If the parent or guardian has Finnish citizenship, find out whether the child can obtain Finnish citizenship instead of a permanent residence permit. For more information, see the page Finnish citizenship for a child.
If the child does not have a parent or guardian in Finland, or the child’s parent or guardian has a residence card of a family member of an EU citizen, the child may be granted a permanent residence permit when he or she has lived in Finland for at least 4 years under a continuous residence permit (A permit) or a Brexit permit.
A child is not required to meet the language skills or work history requirement.
If possible, apply for a residence permit for the child in the Enter Finland online service. With the help of the questions in the form, you can determine whether you can apply for a permanent residence permit or a P-EU permit for the child.
The child is under the age of 18
The child must be under 18 years of age on the day when a permanent residence permit is applied for him or her. If the child has reached the age of 18 after the application was submitted, it will not affect the processing of the application.
The child lives in Finland. In some situations, the period of residence requirement applies to the child.
A child is not required to meet the period of residence requirement in Finland if the child’s parent or guardian who has custody of the child resides in Finland and has a permanent residence permit, a P-EU permit or Finnish citizenship.
In this situation, you can apply for a permanent residence permit for a child immediately after birth if the child lives in Finland. Please note that the child will usually be required to have a valid national passport when a residence permit is applied for the child.
The child must have lived in Finland for at least 4 years under a continuous residence permit (A permit) or a Brexit permit, if he or she does not have a parent or guardian who has custody of the child in Finland or if the parent or guardian has a residence card of a family member of an EU citizen.
For example, the income from employment or business activities of a parent or guardian living in Finland can be used to secure sufficient financial resources. Financial resources cannot be based on social assistance, labour market subsidy or basic unemployment allowance.
In some situations, the requirement for sufficient financial resources does not need to be met. See the page Income requirement to check whether the child must meet the income requirement.
The child’s parents or guardians have given consent to applying for a residence permit
If two persons have custody of the child, both persons must consent to applying for a residence permit for the child.
A separate consent is not required from the parent or guardian who applies for a permanent residence permit for the child. However, a consent is required from the other parent or guardian of the child.
The child is not guilty of or suspected of such offences that may prevent getting a permanent residence permit
If the child has committed offences or is suspected of having committed offences, it may not be possible for the child to get a permanent residence permit. For more information, see the page Impact of crimes on getting a permanent residence permit.
Check the required attachments in more detail from the application form for a permanent residence permit for a child and only submit the ones that apply to the child’s situation.
The attachments must be legalised, unless they have been issued by authorities of a Nordic country or by authorities of an EU Member State. See the page Interpretation, translation and legalisation for instructions on how to have your documents legalised.
A copy of a valid passport issued by the child’s country of nationality and a passport photo
The child will usually be required to have a valid national passport when a residence permit is applied for the child.
If the child does not have a passport, obtain a national passport for the child. If necessary, obtain an alien’s passport for the child so that the child can travel and obtain a national passport.
If the child has received international protection, the child is not required to have a national passport. For more information on the passport requirement, see the page Passport and other travel documents.
The child must have a passport photo complying with the photo guidelines issued by the police, or a photograph retrieval code from a photo shop. Read more on the website of the Finnish police (poliisi.fi).
The passport photo must be no more than 6 months old.
Document on sufficient financial resources
If the child must meet the requirement for sufficient financial resources, submit proof of the financial resources. See the application form for information on what documents you must provide on financial resources. What documents you must provide depends on how sufficient financial resources are secured for the child in Finland.
If the other parent or guardian who has custody of the child lives outside Finland, the consent must be confirmed by a notary public or a similar authority.
If the child does not have another parent or guardian who has custody of the child, attach a free-form explanation for this.
You do not need to attach the form if the child applies for a residence permit at the same time as his or her parent or guardian who has custody of the child or if the child was born in Finland and lives with his or her parents or guardians in Finland.
Birth certificate
Attach a birth certificate only if the child was born outside Finland and has not previously had a residence permit in Finland.
The birth certificate must state the names of the child’s parents.
Complete the application
Fill in the application form in the online service Enter Finland. Online applications are more affordable than paper applications, and you may be able to avoid having to visit a service point.
If you cannot use Enter Finland, fill in a paper application. You will find a link to the application at the bottom of this page.
If you apply online, pay the processing fee with a credit card or with Finnish online banking credentials when you submit the application via Enter Finland.
If you apply with a paper form, pay the processing fee when you visit a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service to prove your identity.
If you submitted the application on Enter Finland, you will receive notifications of your application's progress and of any requests for additional information by email and text message.
If you applied on paper, you will receive notifications of your application's progress and of any requests for additional information by email.
Permanent residence permit application for a child, OLE_P_LAPSI
