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Frequently asked questions: Family

Amendments to family reunification provisions on 16 June 2025

See the page Amendments to Aliens Act in June 2025 for more information on what is changing.

I heard that the family reunification legislation is changing. What kind of changes will there be?

The family reunification provisions of the Aliens Act will change on 16 June 2025. Information on the changes can be found on the page Amendments to Aliens Act in June 2025.

I have applied for a first residence permit on the basis of family ties before 16 June 2025. I’m still waiting for a decision. Do the amendments affect my application?

No, the amendments do not affect the application in this case. The amendments only concern applications that are submitted on or after 16 June 2025. If you have submitted your application before 16 June 2025, your application will be processed in accordance with the current version of the Aliens Act. 

I am waiting for a decision on my application for an extended permit that I submitted on 16 June 2025. How does the amended act affect the processing of my application?

Your application will be processed in accordance with the amended act if:

  • your current residence permit has been granted on grounds other than family ties, or
  • you are applying for an extended permit on the basis of different family ties than before, for example, on the basis of a new relationship.

Your application for an extended permit will be processed in accordance with the provisions that were in force earlier if your current residence permit was granted on the basis of family ties and the same family ties still exist.

I'm 21 years old. I have a residence permit for studies in Finland. I would like my spouse to live with me in Finland. She is 20. Can she apply for a residence permit on the basis of family ties? 

Your spouse must be at least 21 years of age when the validity period of your spouse’s residence permit starts. The maximum processing time provided by law for applications submitted by students’ family members is 90 days. A student’s family member may submit a residence permit application on the basis of family ties at the earliest 90 days before turning 21. If the application is submitted earlier than 90 days before turning 21, the requirements for issuing a residence permit are not met.

If you have a child together, your spouse can get a residence permit already before turning 21. In that case, your spouse can apply for a residence permit as your child’s parent.

My spouse is a Finnish citizen. We are both under 21. Do we need to turn 21 before I can apply for a residence permit on the basis of family ties?

Your spouse is not required to have turned 21, as the minimum age requirement is not applied to Finnish citizens.

You are required to have turned 21 when the validity period of your residence permit starts. At the earliest, you can submit your application 9 months before you turn 21. In that case, the validity period of your residence permit will not start before you have turned 21.

If you and your spouse have joint custody of a child, you can be granted a residence permit as the child’s parent or guardian even before turning 21.

I was granted asylum in Finland around a year ago. I recently got married outside Finland. Can my spouse apply for a residence permit? 

It is required that you have lived in Finland for at least 2 years before your spouse can apply for a residence permit on the basis of family ties. See the page Period of residence requirement for more information.

Note that you and your spouse must be at least 21 years of age when the validity period of your spouse’s residence permit starts. Your spouse can submit the application 9 months before turning 21 at the earliest.

Read the information about what else is required on the page Spouse in Finland as a refugee thoroughly before applying.

I have been granted asylum in Finland and I have a child in my home country. My child is under 18 years old. As I did not apply for a residence permit for my child within 3 months of receiving my asylum decision, we are required to meet the income requirement. I heard that exceptions can be made to this time limit in some cases. What are the reasons for making an exception? 

Derogations may be made from the three-month time limit only if there are exceptionally serious grounds for such a derogation. They can relate to your personal situation or authorities.

  • Failure to observe the three-month time limit is acceptable if, for example, no appointments have been available for proving your child’s identity at a Finnish mission. In that case, it is required that you have contacted the authorities in order to book an appointment within 3 months of receiving the asylum decision and used the first available appointment for submitting the application.

If the residence permit application has not been submitted within the three-month time limit, you can request a derogation from the income requirement in your child’s application. In that case, the application must include reasons for your request. Derogations may be made from the income requirement if there are exceptionally serious grounds for such a derogation or if it is in the best interest of the child.

I hold a residence permit on the basis of studies. I got married and would like to apply for an extended permit on the basis of family ties. Do I need to be 21 before I can apply for an extended permit on the basis of family ties? 

The minimum age requirement concerns applications for an extended permit in which the applicant applies for a residence permit on the basis of family ties for the first time or applies on the basis of a different family relationship than what the earlier family-based permit was based on. Because you are now applying for an extended permit on the basis of family ties for the first time, both you and your spouse must meet the minimum age requirement.

The validity period of the residence permit on the basis of family ties cannot begin before you and your spouse have turned 21. You must have turned 21 at the latest on the day when your residence permit for studies expires. If you have not turned 21 on that day at the latest, the extended permit on the basis of family ties cannot become valid immediately following the expiry of your previous permit. This means that there will be a gap between your residence permits. Having a gap between permits may later affect the acquisition of a permanent residence permit or Finnish citizenship.

If you do not turn 21 before your residence permit for studies expires and you wish to avoid having a gap between your permits, you should apply for an extended permit on some other grounds. Make sure you meet the requirements for the permit you are applying for before you submit your application. 

I’m planning to apply for a permanent residence permit on the basis of family ties. Does the minimum age requirement of 21 years apply to me?

The minimum age requirement concerns applications for a permanent residence permit in which the applicant applies for a residence permit on the basis of family ties for the first time or applies on the basis of a different family relationship than what the earlier family-based permit was based on.

We will assess whether you meet the requirements for a continuous residence permit (an A permit) when we make a decision on your application. You must have turned 21 at the latest on the day when we decide your application. This way, you will avoid having a gap between your residence permits. Before you apply, make sure that you also meet all the other requirements for a permanent residence permit.

Residence permit for a spouse

I have a residence permit granted by the state of Finland. My spouse also wishes to move to Finland. She is not an EU citizen or equivalent. How should we proceed?

Your spouse may apply for a Finnish residence permit on the basis of family ties.

May I complete a residence permit application in Finland on behalf of my spouse?

You cannot make an application on your spouse’s behalf. Only a legal counsel or representative may submit an application on your spouse’s behalf. Even if your spouse’s counsel or representative fills in the application, your spouse must visit a Finnish mission abroad in person to prove his or her identity.

It is possible to submit an application in Finland only if the applicant is a spouse or partner of a Finnish citizen. You can, however, help your spouse fill in the application. You are also required to fill in a supplement form intended for spouses. The application will be processed faster if it has been filled in correctly.

Do the same instructions and practices apply to people in a registered relationship as to married couples?

Yes. Two people of the same sex who have registered their relationship are also considered as spouses.

May my cohabiting partner, who is not an EU citizen or equivalent, be granted a Finnish residence permit on the basis of family ties?

A cohabiting partner may apply for a residence permit on the basis of family ties on certain conditions. If you are not sure what application form you should use, use the Application Finder to find out.

I am in an established intimate relationship with a foreigner who is not an EU citizen or equivalent. We plan to marry. May my partner be granted a Finnish residence permit for the purpose of marrying?

In accordance with the Finnish Aliens Act, a partner is not considered a family member and therefore a residence permit is generally not granted on this basis.

However, in special cases a partner may be granted a residence permit. This requires a special reason. In some cases a residence permit may be granted on the basis of, for example, cohabitation, if the foreigner is coming to Finland to marry.

I’m in an established relationship with a foreign national who is not an EU citizen or a similar person. Can she/he enter Finland with a visa and apply for a residence permit after we get married?

Your partner may visit Finland with a visa if the conditions for granting a visa are met, or without a visa if she/he is exempt from the visa requirement. A Finnish mission (um.fi) abroad decides whether a visa is granted.

If your partner intends to move to Finland, she must apply for her first residence permit outside Finland. She must also wait for the decision outside Finland.

Your spouse may submit an application for a first residence permit in Finland if one of the following applies:

  • You are a Finnish citizen.
  • You have a residence permit for studies.
  • You have a residence permit for a researcher.

‘Spouse’ refers to your wife or husband, your registered same-sex partner or your cohabiting partner who you have lived with for at least 2 years in a marriage-like relationship or with whom you have joint custody of a child.

My spouse is about to apply for a residence permit on the basis of work. I’m going to apply for a residence permit on the basis of family ties. Can we submit our applications at the same time? Will we also get our decisions at the same time?

You can submit your applications at the same time. Your application will be decided after we have decided your spouse’s application. Therefore, it is possible that you will not receive your decisions at the same time. There are many reasons for this: 

  • We must give priority to applications submitted on the basis of work and studies, as there are stricter requirements for their processing times than for the processing times of family members’ applications.
  • It takes a longer time to process family members’ applications, as their processing includes more stages that require manual work.
  • We often have to ask for additional information in order to make a decision on an application submitted on the basis of family ties.
  • Due to the large number of applications, there are currently backlogs in the processing of applications submitted by family members.

When an application has been submitted on the basis of family ties, the processing time provided by law is nine months. You can speed up the processing of your application by making sure that you have filled in your application completely and added the necessary attachments and can present legalised documents concerning your family ties.

I have heard that you cannot be granted a residence permit if you are suspected of entering a sham marriage. What does this mean?

A sham marriage is a marriage that has been entered into solely for the purpose of obtaining a residence permit for the spouse, without an intention of leading a family life together. In such cases, we may consider that the marriage has been entered into with an intention of evading the provisions on entry into or residence in the country and will issue a negative decision on the application. The residence permit on the basis of family ties is intended for leading a family life together.

Residence permit for other relative

May my parents be granted a Finnish residence permit?

Relatives other than members of the nuclear family may in some cases be granted a residence permit on the basis of family ties. The permit may be granted only to other relatives of Finnish citizens or persons who have received international protection or temporary protection. Read the information about permit requirements thoroughly before applying.

If the close family life of the applicant and of the relative living in Finland has previously been discontinued for normal family reasons – for example, when an adult child has begun family life with his or her spouse – the residence permit may not be granted on the grounds of resuming close family life.

Residence permits are primarily intended to be granted on the above grounds if an elderly parent moves to Finland at the same time as his or her adult child. If the application for a residence permit is submitted after the adult child has moved to Finland, the discontinuation of family life must have taken place for compelling reasons, such as for living in exile as a refugee. Even in such cases the efforts to resume the close family life must begin immediately after the adult child has arrived in Finland and established contact with the relative.

A permit may also be granted if the close relative is fully dependent on the person residing in Finland. Dependence on a person (sponsor) residing in Finland refers to both physical and mental dependence; financial dependence alone does not constitute full dependence.

Those falling within this group may include the elderly parents of adults residing in Finland as well as children who have turned 18 and unmarried siblings. Residence permits are not generally granted on the basis of poor health and need for treatment if the applicant has the opportunity to receive treatment for his or her condition in the home country.

If the applicant’s poor health is stated as a reason for the application, relevant medical certificates must be attached to the application.

Residence permit for a child

Must a child born in Finland, also a baby, hold a passport issued by his or her country of nationality before one can apply for a first residence permit for the child?

Usually yes. However, we will not reject an application for a first residence permit for the child because the child does not have a passport if the child was born in Finland and it is not possible to obtain a passport issued by the child’s country of nationality in Finland. The child can be issued with an alien’s passport so that he or she can obtain a passport issued by his or her country of nationality. The child must have a passport issued by his or her country of nationality at the latest when an application for an extended permit for the child is submitted. Children can also be included in their parents’ passports. 

How soon after the birth of a child in Finland does the residence permit application have to be submitted?

The application must be submitted within three months of the child’s birth.

Does the child, even a baby, have to be present in person when the application is submitted?

Usually, the child must be present when the application is submitted at a mission or at a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service. However, the child does not have to be personally present, if there is a weighty medical reason why the child cannot be present.

Can anyone else besides the child’s parent or guardian or other legal representative fill in and submit the residence permit application if given power of attorney?

Yes, provided that the child’s parent or guardian or other legal representative of the child has given a power of attorney to the person. In such a case, a power of attorney with signature must be attached to the application.

Please note that the child must be present when the application is submitted at a Finnish mission abroad or at a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service in Finland. This requirement applies to all children under the age of 18, including babies.

Rights

I have a residence permit for Finland on the basis of family ties. May I work and study in Finland?

If you have a residence permit granted on the basis of family ties, you have the right to gainful employment and study without restrictions in Finland.

Family member of a recipient of international protection

When will the sponsor have been granted a residence permit on the basis of international protection?

A sponsor residing in Finland will have been issued with a residence permit on the basis of international protection when he or she has been

  • granted asylum in Finland either on the basis of an asylum application or as a quota refugee
  • granted a residence permit on the basis of subsidiary protection, or
  • granted a residence permit prior to 1 June 2009 on the basis of the need for protection.