Residence permit application for persons employed as a specialist
Apply for a residence permit with this application if you work as a specialist.
You are a specialist if:
- you are coming to Finland to work in expert duties that require special expertise (highly skilled worker);
- your salary is at least EUR 3,638 per month in 2024; and
- you have a higher education degree or have otherwise acquired the special expertise required in your work through work experience or other education.
You must have confirmed employment before you apply.
A first residence permit for a specialist is granted for a maximum of 2 years. If your employment lasts for less than 2 years, the permit will be valid for the duration of your employment relationship.
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Expected processing time for electronic application
First permit 1 month /
extended permit 1 month
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Expected processing time for paper application
First permit 1 month /
extended permit 1 month
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Electronic application fee
First permit 380 € / extended permit 170 €
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Paper application fee
First permit 480 € / extended permit 430 €
You can apply for this residence permit via the fast-track service and get the permit in two weeks. Read more on the page Fast track.
You can apply for a D visa at the same time as you apply for a residence permit. The D visa allows you to travel to Finland immediately after you have been issued with a residence permit and a D visa sticker has been attached to your passport. Read more on the page D visa.
This is what you should do
Prepare:
1. You must have a job in Finland.
- Your employer must supplement your application by filling in your terms of employment either online in Enter Finland for Employers or by using a paper form.
2. Your duties must require special expertise.
- Specialists include, among others:
- IT experts;
- experts in some field of specialisation who have a higher education degree;
- other persons with a higher education degree whose work requires special expertise.
3. Your gross salary must be at least EUR 3,638 per month in 2024.
- Fringe benefits are not counted towards this sum.
- If your salary is less than EUR 3,638, you should apply for a residence permit for an employed person.
4. As a rule, you must have a higher education degree.
- If you have not completed a higher education degree, you need to have acquired the special expertise required in your work through work experience or other education.
- Your employer must verify that you have the special expertise required in your work.
In addition, you must meet the general requirements for obtaining a residence permit. See the general requirements for issuing residence permits.
Have the attachments translated and legalised if needed.
- A valid passport accepted by Finland (um.fi). Present your passport when you submit your residence permit application
- A passport photo complying with the photo guidelines issued by the police, or a photograph retrieval code you received from a photo shop
- The passport photo must be no more than 6 months old.
- Colour copies of the passport page containing personal data and of all passport pages that contain notes
- Document showing that you are legally staying in the country where you submit the application
- Form MP_1 (PDF) (if you already are in Finland and apply for your first residence permit)
Fill in the application:
You can fill in the application online in Enter Finland. The fee for an online application is lower than for a paper application. If you apply for your first residence permit in Enter Finland, you might not need to visit a service point when you apply for an extended permit.
If you cannot use Enter Finland, fill in a paper application. You will find a link to the application at the bottom of the page.
If you apply online via the online service Enter Finland, pay the processing fee:
- with a credit card or with Finnish online banking credentials when you submit the application, or
- when you visit a Finnish mission abroad to prove your identity.
If you apply with a paper application, pay the processing fee:
- when you visit a Finnish mission abroad to prove your identity.
After you have submitted your application in Enter Finland, your employer must add your terms of employment and other required documents to your application using Enter Finland for Employers. See the page Filling in the terms of employment to check what information your employer needs to fill in and which attachments are required.
An employer who cannot use Enter Finland for Employers can fill in the ‘Terms of employment’ paper form. In that case, you need to attach the form to your application in Enter Finland.
If you are submitting your residence permit application on paper, attach to your application the form ‘Terms of employment’, filled in by your employer.
Book an appointment to visit a Finnish mission (embassy or consulate) abroad to prove your identity.
For more information, see the page Proving your identity abroad.
- If you applied online in Enter Finland, you will receive notifications of your application's progress and of possible 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 possible requests for additional information by email.
For more information, see: Processing of applications
Right to work
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You have the right to work as a specialist. Check your right to work if you wish to change jobs. The right to work begins once a residence permit has been issued.
- Specialists may work without a residence permit if the work lasts for a maximum of 90 days. For more information, see the page Working without a residence permit.
- If you apply for an extended permit, check if you have the right to work while your application is being processed.
Prepare for your life in Finland
Among other things, the authorities may ask you for information about whether you have enough money to live in Finland.
If you were not issued a personal identity code together with your residence permit card, you must visit a service location of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency in person.
The Digital and Population Data Services Agency enters your personal details, information about your family relations and your address in the Population Information System. You can also apply for a municipality of residence at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.
For more information, visit the website of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (dvv.fi)