Student’s family members
If you are a student’s family member, you can apply for a residence permit for Finland.
The following people, among others, are considered family members of a Finnish citizen and a foreign national who is not an EU citizen:
- a spouse
- a registered partner
- a child under 18 years of age.
You can find family members’ applications on the page Moving to Finland to be with a family member.
We prioritise the processing of students’ residence permit applications so that students could begin their studies in Finland as planned. For this reason, family members of students may not receive their decisions at the same time as the student.
Your family must have enough money for living in Finland
The amount of income that is required depends on where in Finland your family lives. The table below contains the required sums for a family living in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
Elsewhere in Finland, the required income is 10–15% lower because of the lower housing costs. See the municipality-specific sums on the page Income requirement for family members of a person who has been granted a residence permit in Finland.
Income requirement for a family in the Helsinki metropolitan area
| Person | EUR per month | EUR per year |
|---|---|---|
| student | 800 | 9,600 |
| 2nd adult belonging to the same household | 610 | 7,320 |
| 1st underage family member | 610 | 7,320 |
| 2nd underage family member | 480 | 5,760 |
| 3rd underage family member | 360 | 4,320 |
| 4th underage family member | 360 | 4,320 |
| 5th underage family member | 360 | 4,320 |
| 6th underage family member and any further underage family members | 360 | 4,320 |
Example
For a family that lives in the Helsinki metropolitan area and consists of one adult student, another adult and 2 children under the age of 18, the required income is EUR 2,500 per month in total (EUR 800 + EUR 610 + EUR 610 + EUR 480).
Read more about the income requirement for family members, about the income thresholds for families and about how your place of residence affects the required sums on the page Income requirement for family members of a person who has been granted a residence permit in Finland.
You have an unrestricted right to work and study
If you have been issued with a residence permit on the grounds of family ties, you have an unrestricted right to work and study in Finland. If you have been issued with a residence permit on the basis of an intimate relationship, you can work under certain conditions.
The residence permit of a student’s family member may be an A permit or a B permit
The family members of higher education students who carry out studies leading to a degree are issued with an A permit, or a continuous residence permit
The duration of the first A permit can be a year at the maximum. You can get an extended permit for a maximum of four years.
If you have an A permit,
- you can get a municipality of residence if you apply for it at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. Read more about the prerequisites for getting a municipality of residence (dvv.fi).
- If you have a municipality of residence, you can also use public healthcare services.
- You can apply for a permanent residence permit when you have lived in Finland for four years with an A permit.
The family members of students other than higher education students who carry out studies leading to a degree are issued with a temporary residence permit, or a B permit
If you have a B permit,
- you can get a municipality of residence but it is subject to more prerequisites than with an A permit. You can apply for a municipality of residence at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. Read more about the prerequisites for getting a municipality of residence (dvv.fi).
- if you have a municipality of residence, you can also use public healthcare services.
- if you have a municipality of residence, you can also use public healthcare services.