Finland will raise the income requirement for a residence permit for a working person to 1,600 euros per month on January 1, 2025. The new provision only applies to the residence permit of an employed person, not to any other work-related residence permits.
Currently, a residence permit for an employed person can be granted if the applicant’s salary complies with the applicable collective agreement or meets the income requirement of 1,399 euros per month.
The minimum income limit is the minimum salary that you must earn for the work that you will do in Finland. The minimum income limit will mean your gross salary.
The new requirement applies to applications for a first residence permit for an employed person as of 1 January 2025 and extended permits as of 1 April 2025.
If you are going to Finland to work for a Finnish employer or another employer that operates in Finland, you need to apply for a residence permit. A residency permit is provided to an employed person for the professional sector in which they work. You must have confirmed employment before applying for this permit.
If your employer has achieved employer certification, you can apply for a D visa while also applying for a residence permit. The D visa permits you to travel to Finland immediately after receiving a residency permit and attaching a D visa sticker to your passport.
After the changes to the income requirement, a foreign worker’s salary must still be at least the minimum specified in the applicable collective agreement. Otherwise, the new minimum income limit of 1,600 euros will be the minimum salary level that is required: if your salary is lower than that, you cannot get a residence permit for an employed person.
One of the requirements for obtaining a residence permit for an employed person is that you must have a job in Finland as well as sufficient competence and education for the job.
In addition, you must have sufficient income in Finland during the entire period of validity of your residence permit. Your salary must be at least the minimum specified in the applicable collective agreement. If there is no collective agreement in your sector or you are working part-time, your total salary must be at least 1,600 euros per month in 2025. You may earn your income from several employment relationships.
Your employer may pay part of your salary as fringe benefits, such as by offering you a company car or an accommodation benefit. A maximum of 50% of your salary may consist of fringe benefits. Fringe benefits are taken into account according to their taxable values.
The decision-making on the first and extended residence permit applications will be on pause from 1 to 8 January 2025. The processing pause concerns the residence permit for an employed person and the residence permits for seasonal work where the permit period is at least 6 months.