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Residence permit application for an entrepreneur

Apply with this application for a residence permit if you intend to come to Finland to become an entrepreneur. Before a permit can be issued, entrepreneurs usually need to enter their business in the Trade Register maintained by the Finnish Patent and Registration Office.

You are an entrepreneur if you are

  • a private entrepreneur who has a so called individually-owned business (toiminimi)
  • a partner in a general partnership
  • a general partner in a limited partnership (not a silent partner)
  • a member of a cooperative who has an unlimited liability for refinancing. The unlimited obligation to contribute has to be registered in the trade register.
  • a shareholder in a managerial position in a limited-liability company (Managing Director or member of the Board of Directors) or a person working in another type of company in a managerial position if you personally own at least 30 per cent of the company’s share capital or personally have at least 30 per cent of the number of votes produced by the company’s shares, or if you are a person in a managerial position in another type of company with similar authority in the company concerned.
  • You can apply for a residence permit for an entrepreneur only if you have your own Business ID. If you are a freelancer or working through an invoicing service company (in Finnish: kevytyrittäjä), it is not possible to apply for this permit. 
  • Expected processing time for electronic application

    First permit 2 months / extended permit 2 months

  • Expected processing time for paper application

    First permit 2 months / extended permit 2 months

  • Electronic application fee

    First permit 490 € / extended permit 170 €

  • Paper application fee

    First permit 690 € / extended permit 430 €

You cannot get a residence permit only because you own a company. You must also work in the company in Finland. The application will be processed in two stages. First, a Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre) will make a partial decision. After this, the Finnish Immigration Service will process the application. If you do not meet the general requirements for obtaining a residence permit, the ELY Centre will not issue a partial decision.

You are required to have a Business ID 

If you are a private trader, meaning that you have an individually-owned business (toiminimi), getting a Business ID requires that your domicile is registered in an EEA country.

As a private trader, you can apply for a residence permit for an entrepreneur without a Business ID only if you apply for a first residence permit before arriving in Finland. This is because you cannot establish an individually-owned business (toiminimi) abroad. Your residence permit application must include all basic details about your business and the documents needed for registering your business.

For more information on how to set up a company, see the following websites: 

This is what you should do

Prepare:

Fill in the application:

Right to work

  • If you have been granted a residence permit for an entrepreneur, there are no limits on your right to work in Finland.
  • However, you must earn your living primarily from your business, as a residence permit for an entrepreneur is issued for engaging in business activities. 
  • If you apply for an extended permit, check if you have the right to work while your application is being processed.

Residence permit application for an entrepreneur, OLE_YRI

Fill in an electronic application

Extended permit for an entrepreneur, OLE_YRI

Fill in an electronic application
1. The applicant wants to start a business in Finland.

2. The applicant submits an application online in Enter Finland or fills in a paper form.

Enterfinland.fi »

3. The applicant visits a Finnish mission abroad or a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service in Finland to prove his or her identity.

4. The application is processed in two stages:

The Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of Uusimaa makes a partial decision. After this, the Finnish Immigration Service processes the application and issues a decision.

5a. Negative decision:

The applicant is served with the decision.

5b. Positive decision:

The applicant is served with the decision either online in Enter Finland, by post or through the Finnish mission. The applicant may start the business.

6. The applicant can later apply for an extended permit.

Prepare for your life in Finland