The requirements for obtaining a permanent residence permit become stricter as of 8 January 2026. New integration requirements for permanent residence permit applicants have been added to the Aliens Act.
The amendments made to the Aliens Act concern all applications for a permanent residence permit submitted on or after 8 January 2026. The requirements for a long-term resident’s EU residence permit have also been amended.
“The amended provisions add new requirements for a permanent residence permit in addition to the existing requirements. Obtaining a permanent residence permit will still require that the applicant also meets the conditions for the continuous residence permit that has been issued to them,” says Anna-Lena Lindberg, Process Owner of the Permanent Permits Process.
A continuous residence permit means a permit that is issued for the purpose of moving to Finland for a longer period.
Period of residence requirement extended to six years
As a rule, the period of residence requirement will now be six years, whereas the earlier requirement was four years. The period of residence of an applicant is usually counted starting from the day when the applicant arrived in Finland under a continuous residence permit. In some cases, a shorter period of residence is sufficient.
“Obtaining a permanent residence permit after four years of residence is possible if, for instance, the applicant’s annual income is EUR 40,000. Following the amendments, there is no period of residence requirement for customers who apply for a permanent residence permit on the basis of having completed a master’s degree at a university or a university of applied sciences, licentiate or doctoral degree, or a bachelor’s degree at a university in Finland,” says Lindberg.
New integration requirements: sufficient language skills and two-year work history
As a rule, customers who apply for a permanent residence permit will be required to prove that they have sufficient Finnish or Swedish language skills. Language skills have not been required for the permit before.
As a rule, customers must also have worked or pursued a trade for two years before submitting an application. The duration of the required work history depends on the grounds for the customer’s application for a permanent residence permit. Work history has not been required before.
“During the time period in question, the customer must not have received unemployment benefit or social assistance for longer than three months. During the same time period, a maximum of three months of absence from work is permitted,” Lindberg says.
The work history requirement can be met by working in gainful employment or pursuing a business, for example. The employment or the business activities must have been continuous and on a full-time basis.
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