Finland Announces Period of Stay Before Foreigners Can Receive Permanent Residence Permit

• Finland’s Immigration Service has confirmed that foreigners must have lived legally in the country for some specific years before applying for permanent residence
• The time period must be completed under specific permit types, including a continuous residence permit, permanent residence permit, or a family member residence card
• Applicants who submit their application before completing the full-time requirement will automatically receive a negative decision from Finnish authorities

Finland’s Immigration Service has confirmed that foreign nationals must complete at least five years of legal residence in the country before they can submit an application for a permanent residence permit.

The requirement applies specifically to those applying for the P-EU permit, which grants long-term resident status in Finland.

According to the Finnish Immigration Service, the five-year period must be fully completed at the point of submission, not at the end of processing. This means that applicants who file their paperwork even one day before reaching the five-year mark will face an automatic rejection, regardless of how close they are to meeting the threshold.

Read also

Finland announces full requirements for foreign workers to get residence permit

Finland: Residency permit types for 5-year requirement

Not all time spent in Finland qualifies. The five years must have been lived under one of four recognised permit categories:

1. A continuous residence permit (A permit)
2. A permanent residence permit (P permit)
3. A residence card issued to a family member of an EU citizen,
4. A right of residence granted under the Brexit withdrawal agreement.

For EU Blue Card holders, there is a degree of flexibility. In certain circumstances, time spent legally residing in another EU member state may be counted towards the five-year total required for the Finnish P-EU permit.

Finland residency permit application

Finnish authorities have been clear that the processing period for the application does not count towards the five-year residency requirement.

An applicant cannot, for instance, submit their application four years and ten months into their stay and expect the two months of processing time to bridge the gap. The five years must be in place before the application is lodged.

Read also

Denmark explains how foreigners can qualify for permanent residence after 4 years instead of 8

This rule is particularly relevant for the large number of African migrants who have japa to Finland in recent years, many of whom are working towards long-term settlement in the country.

Spain publishes permanent residency permit fee

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Spain’s government has updated its residency permit fee structure starting January 1, 2026, with different rates depending on nationality.

Americans face a different fee than other nationalities under the new schedule published by Spain’s consular authorities.

Source: Legit.ng