Finland: Relaxed Visa Requirements Introduced

January 12, 2023

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Country / Territory

At a Glance

  • The government of Finland has introduced or will soon introduce multiple changes which relax its regulations governing visas.
  • These changes include the expansion of D visa eligibility, Fast Track eligibility for residence permits and D visas, and the use of the Finnish Incomes Register for certain extension applications to confirm a fair salary is being paid.
  • The government expects these changes will reduce processing times and streamline immigration processes, which should help to attract skilled talent to Finland.

The situation

The government of Finland has introduced or will soon introduce multiple changes to its regulations governing visas.

The changes include:

CHANGE DETAILS IMPACT
Expansion of D visa eligibility
    • Additional categories of individuals are now eligible for a D visa, including those in managerial positions and their families.
    • Effective April 1, 2023, researchers, students and their family members and individuals who have lost their residence permit cards due to technical reasons (i.e., lost, expired or stolen) can also apply for a D visa.
    • The D visa allows individuals to travel to Finland as soon as their residence has been granted, instead of waiting for the residence card to be issued and delivered to their home country after approval, as in the typical work permit process.
    • Employers and foreign nationals will benefit from a faster entry process as foreign nationals will be able to move to Finland more quickly.
Expansion of Fast Track eligibility for residence permits
    • Individuals in upper- or middle-managerial positions can now apply for a residence permit through the Fast Track
    • Individuals in these positions will now have their residence permits processed within 14 days, down from 30 days.
Expansion of Fast Track eligibility for D visas
    • Effective April 2023, Fast Track D visas will be available to individuals who have been granted:
      • a residence permit for a special expert;
      • a EU Blue Card;
      • a residence permit for a growth entrepreneur;
      • an intra-company transfer residence permit for managers or specialists;
      • a residence permit for a researcher on the basis of research, study, internship and voluntary activities, studies;
      • a residence permit for upper- or middle-management positions; or
      • a residence permit based on family ties to persons who have been granted one of the above-mentioned residence permits.
    • This change will allow more individuals to benefit from the the Fast Track-D visa scheme. 
Finnish Incomes Register used for certain extension applications
    • Effective January 19, 2023, the Finnish Immigration Service will begin to use Finnish Incomes Register to prove that applicants for extensions of permits based on employment or studies are being paid a sufficient income.
    • This will improve the reliability of the information that the Finnish Immigration Service will use to adjudicate the extension applications, as it will be taken directly from the government authorities, and will reduce the amount of information they require from the applicant. For example, pay slips will no longer be required for an extension application, although they may be requested on an individual basis.
  • Emphasis on attracting talent. These changes are intended to help the Finnish government attract talent, both students and employment-based, to the country through streamlined processes. These changes build upon those implemented a year ago when the D visa and Fast Track Service were initially introduced.
  • D visas. National D visas, which have been introduced in many European countries, are based on the Schengen Convention and allow for a longer stay than the short-term Schengen visas.

It is expected that the Fast Track for residence permits may be expanded to other categories of individuals in the near future and that there may be other, further relaxed immigration regulations. Fragomen will report on any related developments.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].

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