Immigration

Finland | Changes to the Aliens Act and the Citizenship Act

Summary

The Finnish Government is continuing to make updates to Finnish immigration laws. The most recent updates introduce stricter requirements for both permanent residence permit applications and citizenship application. The amendments to the Finnish Aliens Act, introducing stricter requirements for permanent residence permits, came into effect on 8 January 2026 while the changes to the Citizenship Act, which tighten the criteria for acquiring Finnish citizenship, took effect on 17 December 2025. For employers, these recent amendments affect citizenship and permanent residence permit planning, retention strategies, and communication with international talent.

The detail

Stricter requirements for permanent residence permits

As of 8 January 2026, the standard requirements for permanent residence permits include six years of continuous residence in Finland, sufficient Finnish or Swedish language skills, and at least two years of work history. Applicants subject to the language requirement must demonstrate their skills by passing a language test. Requirements related to the applicant’s criminal record have also been tightened.

Despite the updated continuous residence-requirement, certain applicants remain eligible to apply for a permanent residence permit after four years provided that they have lived continuously in Finland for four years under a continuous A-permit or a Brexit permit and they meet at least one of the requirements below:

• Applicants with annual income of at least EUR 40,000 (no language or work history requirement)
• Applicants holding a recognized master’s or postgraduate degree with at least two years of work experience (no language requirement)
• Applicants with particularly strong Finnish or Swedish language skills and at least three years of work history

Residence requirements for permanent permits are waived in the following situations:

• If applicants have completed a master’s, licentiate, or doctoral degree in Finland, or a bachelor’s degree at a university (excluding universities of applied sciences, which still require the residence period). Applicants with developing Finnish or Swedish language skills may also qualify without meeting the work history requirement.
• A child under 18 can be granted a permanent residence permit if a parent or guardian in Finland has a permanent residence permit, long-term resident’s EU residence permit (“P-EU permit”), or Finnish citizenship.

New amendments to P-EU permit requirements:

• Applicants must now demonstrate good Finnish or Swedish language skills as part of the eligibility criteria for a P‑EU permit, in addition to the existing requirements.

Beyond the new requirements outlined above, all general requirements for permanent residence must also be fulfilled. Applications for a permanent residence or P‑EU permit submitted before 8 January 2026 will be processed under the previous Aliens Act, even if identity verification occurs later. Applications submitted on or after 8 January 2026 will be assessed under the amended Aliens Act.

Stricter requirements for Finnish citizenship

Amendments to the Citizenship Act, effective from 17 December 2025, introduce stricter criteria for acquiring Finnish citizenship, as set out below:

• Sufficient financial resources: applicants must now demonstrate sufficient financial resources by providing a reliable account of how they have supported themselves over the past two years. Reliance on unemployment benefits or social assistance for more than three months in total during the past two years will generally result in refusal.
• Establishment of identity: applicants who previously obtained an alien’s passport to receive a national passport must now present a valid national passport when applying for citizenship.
• Loss of citizenship and impact of criminal offences: citizenship may be more readily revoked in cases involving false information, fraud, or serious offences. Also, criminal offences will carry greater weight in the assessment of eligibility for Finnish citizenship. The waiting periods resulting from offences will be longer; waiting periods following negative decisions now range from 1 to 8 years, during which citizenship is typically not granted.

Applications submitted before 17 December 2025 will be processed under the provisions of the previous Citizenship Act. Applications submitted on or after 17 December 2025 will be assessed in accordance with the new requirements of the amended Citizenship Act.

What this means for employers

Stricter residence, language, and income requirements may lengthen the path to permanent residence or citizenship for affected employees, increasing the importance of permit continuity and timely extensions. Employers should plan ahead, communicate proactively with employees, and consider support for possible language development when recruiting and retaining international talent.

How we can help

Our Vialto team provides guidance on eligibility, application support, and compliance considerations, and can assist with workforce planning for internationally mobile employees. Further changes to the Citizenship Act are expected and are currently being prepared by the Finnish Government. We will continue to monitor legislative developments and share updates as further changes are introduced.

Contact us

For a deeper discussion on the above, please reach out to your Vialto Partners point of contact, or alternatively:

Jenni Merta
Senior Manager

Lena Nymark-Akerele
Director

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