Residence permit extension in Finland
A residence permit extension in Finland costs EUR 230 online in 2026. When to file, what to attach, and your right to work while Migri decides.
A residence permit extension in Finland (jatkolupa) costs EUR 230 through the Enter Finland e-service and EUR 430 on paper, according to the Finnish Immigration Service's (Migri) processing fees page. The EUR 200 difference between the two channels is the strongest practical argument for filing online. The timing window is tighter than the fee: for a work-based permit, Migri states you should not apply earlier than two months before your current residence permit expires, because an early application cannot yet be assessed against the requirements.
The application window
The deadline that matters is the expiry date printed on the card. Migri's extended permit page states that your online application is considered to have arrived in time if it has been submitted on the last day of validity of your previous residence permit. A single day past that date changes everything about work rights.
For work-based permits, the window opens two months before expiry. For other categories, Migri's extended permit page sets the earliest filing date at three months before expiry. Filing earlier than that gains nothing, because Migri cannot assess whether you meet the requirements on an early application.
Who this applies to
The extended permit is for third-country nationals already in Finland on a fixed-term residence permit, whether that permit carries the letter A (continuous) or B (temporary). The guide to the difference between these letters explains which years count toward a permanent permit. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not hold residence permits and register their right of residence instead.
The grounds for extension match the grounds the permit was issued on: work, studies, family ties, international protection or other reasons. Each ground carries its own timing rule, its own statutory processing maximum and its own set of attachments.
Requirements before filing
Three records must exist before the form is opened. The first is a valid residence permit. Migri's extended permit page states you must apply before the existing permit expires, and an application filed after the permit has expired requires a valid reason for the late filing, such as severe illness. The second is a valid passport, whose original is shown at the service point if a visit is required. The third, for work-based extensions, is a current employment contract or terms-of-employment statement from the employer, submitted through Enter Finland for Employers or on paper.
One document you do not need to gather is salary evidence. Migri's extended permit page states that it receives information about salaries and benefits from the Incomes Register, so you do not need to attach certificates of salaries or benefits to the application.
The filing procedure
The application goes in through the Enter Finland e-service. You select the extended permit application that matches your grounds, fill in the form, upload the attachments (passport copies, a recent passport photo and any ground-specific documents), and pay the EUR 230 online fee. Migri's processing fees page states that processing does not begin until the fee is paid, so an unpaid submission sits in no queue.
Identity verification is the step that trips people up. Migri's extended permit page states that visiting a service point to prove your identity is not always required, and Enter Finland tells you after submission whether a visit is needed. If a visit is needed, an appointment at a Migri service point must be booked, and appointment availability is the part of the process nobody controls. An application filed from abroad is processed as a first residence permit with a first permit's fee, so the extended permit route exists only for applicants already in Finland.
Fees and processing times
The fee depends on the channel and the grounds. Migri's processing fees page lists the 2026 figures below.
| Application type | Online (EUR) | Paper (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| Extended permit, standard | 230 | 430 |
| Extended permit, studies or minor | 230 | 430 |
| Extended permit, international protection | 53 | 53 |
The fee is paid at submission. The paper channel adds EUR 200 to the standard application for the same decision.
Migri's processing times page sets out the statutory maximums.
| Grounds | Statutory maximum |
|---|---|
| Work (employed person, specialist) | 2 months |
| Studies | 3 months |
| Family ties | 9 months |
For employed persons, the average processing time for a positive decision on an extended permit was 37 days and for a negative decision 162 days, as shown on Migri's residence permit for an employed person page with figures from July 2026. The nine-month ceiling on family-ties cases is the number worth planning around when a spouse's own permit derives from yours. Processing begins when identity has been proved, and Migri says manufacturing and posting the card after a positive decision takes about two weeks.
Right to stay and right to work while the application is pending
Migri's extended permit page states that if you apply for an extended permit in time, your right of residence and your right to work remain unchanged during processing. A pending file keeps you lawfully in the country even when the decision runs past the old expiry date.
Your right to work depends on whether you filed on time and whether you changed jobs. The work-based extension page says you may continue working as usual with the same employer when the application went in before expiry. If your new job is in a different field, you are generally not allowed to continue working while the application is being processed. Filing after the permit has already expired removes the right to work until a decision is made.
Salary floor for work-based extensions
For an employed person, Migri's residence permit for an employed person page states the total gross salary must be at least EUR 1,600 per month in 2026. Salary supplements such as evening or night work supplements are excluded from that total. The cost of the permit is a one-time charge, but the salary floor must hold for the entire period the permit covers. Migri also states that salary requirements for work-based permits are based on collective agreements, legislation or statistics, so a sector agreement can set a higher minimum than EUR 1,600.
The extended permit's duration
Migri's extended permit page states that an extended permit is granted for a maximum of four years. The actual duration follows the grounds: a work-based extension follows the employment relationship, and a family-ties extension follows the family member's own permit. The letter on the new card depends on the grounds at the time of the decision, so a B permit holder whose situation has become permanent applies on new grounds, and an A permit granted on those grounds starts the count toward permanence from its own date.
Missed deadlines and late applications
An application that arrives after the permit has expired changes the situation in three ways. The right to work stops on the expiry date. Migri requires a valid reason for the late application, and severe illness is the example it gives. If the applicant has left Finland, an application from abroad is processed as a first residence permit, with first-permit fees that are considerably higher: EUR 750 online for an employed person versus EUR 230 for an extended permit, per Migri's processing fees page.
Where this plan breaks, it breaks on a calendar. A work-based permit expiring on 30 June means the application window opens at the end of April. Two weeks before that, the employer is asked for an up-to-date terms-of-employment statement, and the bank identifiers get tested by logging into a government service, because a lapsed identifier discovered on the day of filing costs an appointment slot that nobody controls.
The governing law
The extended residence permit is governed by the Aliens Act (ulkomaalaislaki 301/2004). The act sets the types of residence permits, the grounds on which each type can be extended, the right to work while an application is pending, and the statutory processing time limits that bind the Finnish Immigration Service. The two-month and nine-month maximums in the table above come from this act.
Frequently asked questions
Earliest filing date for a work-based extension. Migri's work-based extension page says not to apply earlier than two months before expiry. For other grounds, the general extended permit page sets the earliest date at three months before expiry.
Changing employer between permits. A change of employer turns the extension into a question about a new job. If the new job is in a different field, you are generally not allowed to keep working while the application is processed, and the new employer submits fresh terms of employment.
Filing multiple applications on different grounds. Migri's extended permit page states that if there are several grounds for issuing you with a residence permit, you can submit several applications, and each receives a separate decision.
Service point visit requirement. Enter Finland tells you after you submit whether you must visit a service point to prove your identity. If a visit is needed, the appointment is booked through Migri's appointment system.