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Residence permit on the basis of family ties

FinlandFamily

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

Programme source

Explore pathways in Finland Read the five questions ↓

Which family relationships qualify?

Family members of a Finnish citizen or of a non-EU foreign national are: a spouse; a registered partner; a cohabiting partner (at least 2 years of continuous cohabitation, unless there is joint custody of a child or other serious reasons); a person with custody of a child under 18; and an unmarried child under 18 in the sponsor's custody. A person one is dating and other relatives are not family members; other relatives can get a permit only if the sponsor is a Finnish citizen or has refugee status, subsidiary protection or a temporary-protection permit.

See recorded sources
  • Recorded source · migri.fi
    Family members of a Finnish citizen and a foreign national who is not an EU citizen include: a spouse a registered partner a cohabiting partner You are required to have lived together for a continuous period of at least 2 years. This requirement does not apply if you have joint custody of a child or if there are other serious reasons. a person who has custody of a child under 18 years of age an unmarried child under 18 years of age of whom the sponsor has custody.
  • Recorded source · migri.fi
    A person you are dating. However, the person you are dating may get a residence permit on other grounds.
  • Recorded source · migri.fi
    Other relatives can be granted a residence permit only if the sponsor is a Finnish citizen or has been granted refugee status, subsidiary protection status or a residence permit on the basis of temporary protection in Finland.

Who may sponsor or bring the family member, and what immigration/citizenship status must that person hold?

The sponsor may be the applicant's child, spouse or partner, or parent or guardian, and the applicant must intend to lead a family life with the sponsor in Finland. The sponsor may be a Finnish citizen or a non-EU foreign national.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The capture gives sponsor examples but Finnish family-law definitions are narrower and route-specific.
  • Migri capture 2026-09-12; exact extracted
    Your family member who lives in Finland is called a ‘sponsor’. Persons who can act as your sponsor include your child, your spouse or partner or your parent or guardian. Granting a residence permit requires that you intend to lead a family life with the sponsor in Finland.
  • Recorded source · migri.fi
    Family members of a Finnish citizen and a foreign national who is not an EU citizen include: a spouse a registered partner a cohabiting partner You are required to have lived together for a continuous period of at least 2 years. This requirement does not apply if you have joint custody of a child or if there are other serious reasons. a person who has custody of a child under 18 years of age an unmarried child under 18 years of age of whom the sponsor has custody.
  • Recorded source · migri.fi
    A person you are dating. However, the person you are dating may get a residence permit on other grounds.
  • Recorded source · migri.fi
    Other relatives can be granted a residence permit only if the sponsor is a Finnish citizen or has been granted refugee status, subsidiary protection status or a residence permit on the basis of temporary protection in Finland.

What is important for proving marriage, partnership, parentage, custody, dependency or another qualifying relationship?

The checked official sources did not provide enough route-specific evidence to confirm the evidence needed to prove the family relationship.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • This detail is not established in the evidence recorded here. Confirm the applicable requirement with the responsible authority.

What important financial, accommodation, insurance or maintenance responsibilities apply?

In most cases the applicant must have sufficient financial resources (secure means of support), meaning enough funds for the applicant and family to live in Finland; income may come from employment, a private enterprise, assets or pensions. The official source does not state the required income amounts or any accommodation or insurance requirement.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The required income amounts and the cases exempt from the requirement are not stated on this page (separate income-requirement pages).
  • No accommodation or insurance requirement is stated on this page.
  • Recorded source · migri.fi
    In most cases, you must have sufficient financial resources
  • Recorded source · migri.fi
    ‘Sufficient financial resources’ or 'secure means of support' means that you have sufficient funds for you and your family to live in Finland. Your income can come for example from employment, a private enterprise, assets or pensions.

How does the application work at a high level, what rights does the family member receive, how long does the status last, and how can it become independent or longer-term where officially stated?

A first permit is normally applied for abroad through Enter Finland (or on paper), with identity proved at a Finnish mission and the decision awaited abroad; it can be applied for in Finland only by a family member of a Finnish citizen or for a child born in Finland. Applicants aged 18 or over must apply themselves. The official source does not state the rights granted, the permit duration, or how the status can become independent or longer-term.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The page does not state the rights granted to the family member (e.g. work), the permit duration, or how the status can become independent or longer-term.
  • Recorded source · migri.fi
    Apply for a first residence permit abroad and visit a Finnish mission (embassy or consulate) to prove your identity. Wait for the decision abroad. Submit your application using the online service Enter Finland. If you cannot use Enter Finland, fill in a paper application.
  • Recorded source · migri.fi
    You can submit an application for a first residence permit on the basis of family ties while you are in Finland only if:
  • Recorded source · migri.fi
    you are a family member of a Finnish citizen
  • Recorded source · migri.fi
    you are applying for a residence permit for your child who is born in Finland.
  • Recorded source · migri.fi
    If you have turned 18, you must apply for a residence permit yourself. Your sponsor cannot submit the application on your behalf.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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