Finland sets new residency permit rules for foreign students, workers

For general workers in Finland, the minimum, gross monthly income should be €1,399
An undated image of  Helsinki Finland. — Pexels
An undated image of  Helsinki Finland. — Pexels

A new minimum wage threshold has been set in Finland by November 1, 2024, for the resident permit applicants. These changes were implemented to ensure that the applicants make ends meet to live in Finland.

The threshold data was generated by Finland’s Social Insurance Institution and other official sources. The threshold for residence permits creates different sets of requirements for various types of permits according to their locations. 

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Minimum income threshold in Finland

Applicants must meet the general financial criteria to be able to support themselves in Finland, and this depends on the permit type and personal circumstances: 

Minimum income threshold for work permit in Finland

For general workers, the minimum, gross monthly income should be €1,399, while for the specialist and EU Blue card applicants, the minimum wage shall be €3,638. 

Regional income variations in Finland

Minimum income requirements vary according to the area’s living cost:

Helsinki Metropolitan Area: Applicants from (Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen)

  • Monthly income should be €1,210 (net) and Annually €14,520 (net).

Other Large Municipalities

  • Minimum Monthly income should reside as €1,090 (net) and Annually €12,360 (net).

Other minimum income requirements in Other Municipalities are Monthly: €1,030 (net), Annually: €13,080 (net).

Minimum wage for Students residence permits

International students must show €800 per month, this same threshold remains for graduates, entrepreneurs and researchers. 

Au Pairs must have €340 pocket money per month.

Working holiday permits involve €2,450 for the first three months to recover the initial expense.

This is the first time that the resident applicants' permits shall be submitted outside of Finland starting from September 1, 2024.

These new implementations of rules aim to make the permit process more efficient and ensure the financial stability of its residents. Moreover, applications within Finland will generally be rejected unless for any special circumstances.