Finland is one of the best European countries for immigrants to reside. However, the process to obtain Finland permanent residence is any easy one. I’ll guide you through every process, requirements and documents needed to apply for permanent residence permit.
Before I guide you through the process, let me first highlight the benefits of becoming a permanent residency of Finland. After that, I’ll reveal the documents required with eligibilities and finally explain the application process involved.
Benefits of Becoming Permanent Residency in Finland
- Permanent residence in Finland is a gateway to obtaining Finnish citizenship
- In Finland, you get educational rights like every Finnish citizens as a permanent residence of Finland
- You also get medical rights and access to any free medical facilities
- You get to pay lower tax compared to other foreign immigrants
- As a permanent residence of Finland, you can also sponsor your family to become immigrants of Finland
- Finland is part of the Schengen countries, so you gain visa-free access to other Schengen countries.
- You can also get job opportunities from Schengen Zone countries without getting to apply for a work permit.
Paths to Finland Permanent Residence
There are different paths to obtaining permanent residency in Finland. However, before you can apply for permanent residency in Finland, it’s required you’ve a permit for at least four years and your residence permit must be valid during entry time.
In Finland, you can apply for either residence permit for study or work. I already published an article detailing how you can obtain Finland study visa. For those of you looking forward to study in Finland and plan to stay for a period of over 90 days, it’s required you apply for residence permit. Alternatively, if you plan to work in Finland, you can apply for residence permit for work. I already published an article guiding you on how to obtain Finland work visa or permit.
Finland also have other different paths to obtain residence permit like through marriage, investments etc. However, once you’ve held their residence permit for at least 4years, then you can apply for the permanent residence permit.
Requirements & Eligibilities
- Receipt of application fee
- Proof of residence if applicable
- You must have held a permit for at least 4yrs
- Proof of Finnish-language abilities
- Marriage certificate if applicable
- You must not be a danger to public order and security
- You must not be a danger to public health
- Passport styled photograph
- Valid passport document
- Birth certificate if applicable
How to Apply for Finland Permanent Residence
You can apply for permanent residence permit in Finland through the Finnish immigration e-service. However, to obtain this permit, it’s required that you’re not a convicted felon, in other words, if you’ve committed crimes in Finland, your permanent residence permit application may be refused. It’s also advised you apply for permanent residence permit three (3) months before completing your four-year period of residence.
To apply;
- Submit an application to their e-service centre here.
- After that, visit any Finland Immigration service point to prove your identity
- Make payment for application
Processing fees for Permanent Residence Permit
The processing fee for a permanent residence permit application in Finland is 190 €. However, if you are under 18 years old, the processing fee is 150 € and the fee for online or paper application is same.
Processing time for Finland Permanent Residence
If you’re processing your application through the Finland immigration e-service online, it may take between 1 to 3 months to process your application, while those processing on paper; it can take up between 5 to 9 months to process application. However, the process begins after you must’ve visited the Finnish Immigration service.
Read also: How to Obtain Tourist Voucher for Russia Visa Collection
That’s it on how to become permanent residency in Finland. I believe this information help you obtain Finnish permanent residence permit. If you encounter any difficulty during the process, please do let me know via comment section. Also, it’s advisable to hire an immigration lawyer to speed up the process for you. Feel free to check out the full list of immigration lawyers in Finland.