Skip to Content
Residence permit

Income requirement for family members of a person who has been granted a residence permit in Finland

When you apply for a residence permit on the basis of family ties, you are usually required to have sufficient financial resources. In other words, you and your family members must have enough money for living in Finland.

When we assess your financial resources, income earned by your family member who lives in Finland through employment or income earned through business activities can be counted towards the required sum. However, you cannot secure sufficient financial resources with social assistance and other benefits paid by the society.

The required income is calculated from your net income, that is, from income that remains after tax and after employer’s and employee’s pension and insurance contributions.
The amount of money that is required is based on the basic social assistance granted to beneficiaries of social assistance by Kela and on the housing costs and healthcare expenses that are observed when granting social assistance.

The amount of money that you must have depends on where you live, since there is regional variation in housing costs.

Required income: Income thresholds for families as of 1 November 2024

1. Helsinki metropolitan area: Espoo, Helsinki, Kauniainen, Vantaa

Person €/month (net) €/year (net)
1 adult 1,210 14,520
2nd adult living in the same household 610 7,320
1st child 610 7,320
2nd child 480 5,760
3rd child 360 4,320
4th child 360 4,320
5th child 360 4,320

The income threshold for a family increases by 360 euros per each child starting from the third child.

2. Other large municipalities: Hyvinkää, Hämeenlinna, Joensuu, Jyväskylä, Järvenpää, Kajaani, Kerava, Kirkkonummi, Kouvola, Kuopio, Lahti, Lappeenranta, Lohja, Mikkeli, Nokia, Nurmijärvi, Oulu, Pori, Porvoo, Raisio, Riihimäki, Rovaniemi, Seinäjoki, Sipoo, Siuntio, Tampere, Turku, Tuusula, Vaasa, Vihti

Person €/month (net) €/year (net)
1 adult 1,090 13,080
2nd adult living in the same household 550 6,600
1st child 550 6,600
2nd child 430 5,760
3rd child 320 3,840
4th child 320 3,840
5th child 320 3,840

The income threshold for a family increases by 320 euros per each child starting from the third child.

3. Other municipalities:

Person €/month (net) €/year (net)
1 adult 1,030 12,360
2nd adult living in the same household 520 6,240
1st child 520 6,240
2nd child 410 4,920
3rd child 310 3,720
4th child 310 3,720
5th child 310 3,720

The income threshold for a family increases by 310 euros per each child starting from the third child.

Examples: 

  • For a family consisting of 1 adult and 1 child who live in Helsinki (group 1), the income threshold is EUR 1,210 + EUR 610 = EUR 1,820 per month.
  • For a family consisting of 2 adults and 2 children who live in Tampere (group 2), the income threshold is EUR 1,090 + EUR 550 + EUR 550 + EUR 430 = EUR 2,620 per month.
  • For a family consisting of 2 adults and 4 children who live in a municipality that belongs to group 3, the income threshold is EUR 1,030 + EUR 520 + EUR 520 + EUR 410 + EUR 310 + EUR 310 = EUR 3,100 per month.
  • For a family consisting of a student and of a second adult (a spouse) who live in Lappeenranta (group 2), the income threshold for the student is EUR 800 per month, and the income threshold for the family is EUR 800 + EUR 550 = EUR 1,350 per month. 

Some social benefits are considered income

Certain social benefits reduce the amount of financial resources required. These are called ‘social security benefits compensating for expenses’. For example the following benefits belong to this category:

  • child benefit
  • child care allowance
  • child maintenance allowance
  • study grant
  • housing allowance

Exceptions to the income requirement

See the page Income requirement to check if you must meet the income requirement. In some situations, family members may not have to meet the income requirement.

For families with children, we may deviate from the required sums on a case-by-case basis if the family’s income is slightly below the income threshold. Making an exception to the income requirement is possible if there are exceptionally weighty reasons or if a derogation is in the best interest of a child. If you are requesting an exception to the income requirement, submit an explanation and documents supporting your claim.