Permanent residence permit
You can receive a permanent residence permit (P) if
- you have lived in Finland at least four years with an A permit
- the prerequisites for the granting of the continuous residence permit are still in place.
If you had an A permit when you came to Finland, the four year period is considered to begin on the day of your arrival in Finland. If you have received an A permit in Finland, the four-year period is considered to begin on the day the first A permit came into effect. If you have received international protection in Finland, the four-year period is considered to begin on the day of your arrival in Finland.
A permanent residence permit can be denied in the following cases:
- You have committed an offence for which you can be sentenced to prison
- You are suspected of committing an offence for which you can be sentenced to imprisonment
- You have committed two or more offences
- You are suspected of two or more offences
Apply for a permanent residence permit before your current residence permit expires. If you apply for a permanent residence permit only after your previous residence permit has expired, you may get a negative decision.
When applying for a permanent residence permit, you must have a passport of your own country. and the passport must be valid.
The permanent residence permit is valid until further notice. However, the permit can be cancelled if you move permanently away from Finland or live continuously abroad for more than two years, or if you submitted false information when applying for the permit.
Finnish Immigration Service
Permanent residence permitLink redirects to another websiteFinnish Immigration Service
Information on travel documents Link redirects to another websiteEU residence permit for third-country nationals with long-term EU resident status
A third-country national is a citizen of a country other than one of the Nordic or EU countries, Liechtenstein or Switzerland.
You can receive a third-country national’s EU residence permit (P-EU) if:
- you have lived in Finland at least five years with an A permit,
- you have not lived abroad for longer than ten months during this time, and
- the grounds for the previous permits are still valid.
Apply for a P-EU permit in the same way as a permanent residence permit.
The P-EU permit is valid until further notice.
P-EU permits can be denied for the same reasons as in the case of permanent residence permits.
How to apply for a permanent residence permit
Apply for a permanent residence permit in the Enter Finland service:
- Log in. Confirm your identity using your online banking credentials, Citizen Certificate or Mobile ID.
- Fill in the application form and include the required enclosures. Information on the necessary enclosures can be found on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service. Also pay the residence permit processing fee.
- You should visit a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service within three months. Book an appointment in advance from the appointment booking service on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service.
- Check your Enter Finland account regularly. If further clarifications are needed, you will be informed via your account. You will also be notified of the decision via your account.
If you are unable or do not know how to apply for a permanent residence permit online:
- Apply for a permanent residence permit with a paper application.
- Print out an appropriate form from the Finnish Immigration Service website and fill it in with care. An incorrectly filled application will not be accepted.
- Book an appointment in advance from the appointment booking service on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service.
- Take your filled-in application form, the enclosures and copies of the enclosures, your passport and a passport photo with you to the service point.
- When submitting your application, you must pay a processing fee.