Skip to main content
Work & LifeFinland

Spouse work rights on a dependent visa in Finland

Yes. A family-ties residence permit gives a spouse in Finland an unrestricted right to work, from the day the permit is granted. What applies before and after.
All articles·Published ·
6 min read
Ask AI about this page:ChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle

Yes. A spouse who holds a residence permit on the basis of family ties can work for any employer, in any field and for any number of hours, from the day the permit is granted. The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) lists the residence permit on the basis of family ties among the permits that give an unrestricted right to work. Before the permit is granted you cannot work: Migri states, "You cannot start working before you get a residence permit."

Finland has no document called a dependent visa. The spouse applies for their own residence permit on the basis of family ties (oleskelulupa perhesiteen perusteella), and the right to work is stated on that permit card.

Who this applies to

This page covers spouses who are not EU, EEA or Swiss citizens and who join one of two sponsors in Finland:

  • A spouse of a residence permit holder, for example the spouse of a specialist, an employed person or a student. The sponsor's permit type affects the income requirement and processing time of the spouse's application.
  • A spouse of a Finnish citizen. No income requirement applies, and the right to work on the permit is the same.

A spouse who is an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen does not need a residence permit and registers their right of residence instead. A non-EU spouse of an EU citizen living in Finland applies for a residence card, a separate route with its own fee.

Scope of an unrestricted right to work

Unrestricted means the spouse is tied to no single employer, no single sector and no weekly hour limit. A student's spouse is outside the student's 30-hour cap, and a specialist's spouse can work in any field. No separate work permit is needed on top of the family-ties permit. The residence permit card shows a statement on the right to work, and that is the document an employer checks and keeps a copy of.

The permit itself, including income thresholds and processing times, is covered in the spouse visa route into Finland.

Start date of the right to work

The right to work starts when the permit is granted. Migri's page for a spouse of a residence permit holder states: "You cannot start working before you get a residence permit." The same sentence appears on the page for a spouse of a Finnish citizen. A pending first application gives no right to work.

Migri states that a first family-ties permit must be applied for abroad, and that applications for a first residence permit can be submitted in Finland "only in certain exceptional situations". A Schengen visa or a visa-free stay allows a visit and gives no right to work, whatever the visitor's marital status. A spouse who finds a job during a visit has to wait for the family-ties permit before starting it.

Fees for the spouse's permits in 2026

The fee is per applicant and Migri does not start processing until it is paid. Migri's processing fees page sets these amounts for 2026:

ApplicationOnline (EUR)Paper (EUR)
First permit on family ties750800
Extended permit on family ties230430
Residence card for a family member of an EU citizen5353

Work during processing of an extended permit

A spouse who already holds a family-ties permit and applies for an extended permit before the current one expires can keep working while the application is processed. Migri states that "you may also continue working while your application for an extended permit is being processed if you applied for it before your previous residence permit expired".

If the application is filed after the permit has expired, Migri's page on working while an extended permit application is processed states that "you are not allowed to continue working on the basis of your old permit." The right to work ends on the expiry date, even though an application is pending. Migri advises against applying earlier than three months before the current permit expires, so the window to apply runs from three months before expiry to the expiry date itself.

Identity code and tax card before the first payday

Before the first payday the spouse needs a tax card from the Tax Administration (Verohallinto). Without one, the employer has to withhold tax at a high flat rate, and the excess only comes back through the annual tax assessment.

A personal identity code is needed for most practical steps, such as opening a bank account and dealing with Kela. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) states that the identity code can be requested at a DVV service point, at the Finnish Immigration Service or at the Tax Administration, so you can arrange the code and the tax card in the same period.

A change in the family tie

The permit rests on the family tie. If the relationship ends or the sponsor leaves Finland, the basis for the permit changes. A spouse who is working at that point can apply for an extended permit on new grounds, such as work, before the current permit expires.

Migri allows several applications on different grounds and gives a separate decision on each. Filing in time keeps the existing right of residence and right to work in force during processing. Filing after expiry risks both: Migri states that if you apply after your current permit has expired, "you may get a negative decision on your application."

Common problems

Starting work before the permit is granted is the most serious error. Work done on a pending first application or on a visa is work without a right to work, for the spouse and for the employer who hires them.

Applying for the extension after the card has expired is the second. The right to work stops on the expiry date, and the application may be refused.

Starting a new job without a tax card is the third. The employer withholds at the higher rate until a tax card arrives, and the difference is refunded only after the tax year ends.

Treating the sponsor's permit conditions as the spouse's own is the fourth. A specialist's permit can be tied to a field and a student's permit to an hour limit, and neither restriction carries over to a spouse on a family-ties permit.

The law behind it

The right to work of residence permit holders is set out in the Aliens Act (ulkomaalaislaki 301/2004), available in English translation on Finlex. Migri's guidance on the right to work summarises how the Act applies to each permit type, and the overview of Finland's residence permit types explains the A, B and P letters on the card.

The date that matters falls on the expiry date printed on the spouse's permit card: an extension filed after that date ends the right to work on that same day.

Frequently asked questions

Does a spouse on a family-ties permit need a separate work permit in Finland?

No separate permit is needed. Migri's right-to-work page lists the residence permit on the basis of family ties among the permits with an unrestricted right to work. The statement on the permit card is what the employer checks (Migri, right to work).

Can a spouse start working while the first family-ties application is pending?

No. Migri's application pages for spouses state, "You cannot start working before you get a residence permit." A Schengen visa or a visa-free visit gives no right to work while you wait (Migri, spouse of a residence permit holder).

Can a spouse keep working while the family-ties permit is being extended?

Yes, on one condition: the extension must be filed before the old permit expires. An application filed after expiry means the spouse is not allowed to continue working on the old permit (Migri, working while your extended permit application is being processed).

Does the sponsor's permit type limit what the spouse can do?

The spouse's own family-ties permit sets the right to work, and Migri gives that permit an unrestricted right to work whatever the sponsor's permit says. A spouse who plans to work as an entrepreneur should read Migri's entrepreneurship guidance first, because Migri handles self-employment separately from paid employment (Migri, right to work).

How much does the spouse's permit cost in 2026?

A first family-ties permit costs 750 euros online or 800 euros on paper, and each extended permit costs 230 euros online or 430 euros on paper. Processing does not start until the fee is paid (Migri, processing fees).

Sources

Last updated: October 2026

permitsemploymentfamily

More articles