The spouse visa route into Finland
A spouse visa in Finland is a family-ties residence permit: 750 euros online, income thresholds by municipality, the age 21 rule and processing times.
A couple applying for a spouse visa in Finland pays 750 euros through Enter Finland for the first residence permit on the basis of family ties, or 800 euros on paper, according to the Finnish Immigration Service (Maahanmuuttovirasto, Migri). Finland issues no document by that name; the residence permit on the basis of family ties (oleskelulupa perhesiteen perusteella) is the instrument. The 50-euro gap between the two channels buys the same permit, and the spouse's work right after it arrives is unrestricted.
Two tracks, one permit
The application depends on who the sponsor is. A spouse of a Finnish citizen follows one track; a spouse of a foreign national with a Finnish residence permit follows another. Two differences carry a price.
The first is the income requirement. A spouse of a Finnish citizen is exempt. A spouse of a residence permit holder must show that the household's net income meets a published threshold, set by municipality group and family size.
The second is where the application can be filed. A family member of a Finnish citizen can apply from inside Finland. Everyone else must apply from abroad and prove identity at a Finnish mission (embassy or consulate).
Income thresholds by municipality
For households where the sponsor holds a residence permit, Migri publishes net monthly income figures in force since 1 November 2024.
| Family member | Helsinki metro (EUR/month) | Other large municipalities (EUR/month) | Other municipalities (EUR/month) |
|---|---|---|---|
| First adult | 1,210 | 1,090 | 1,030 |
| Second adult | 610 | 550 | 520 |
| First child | 610 | 550 | 520 |
| Second child | 480 | 430 | 410 |
| Third and each further child | 360 | 320 | 310 |
Helsinki metro means Espoo, Helsinki, Kauniainen and Vantaa. The other large municipalities group includes Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Lahti, Hyvinkää and Kerava, and Migri's page lists the rest. A couple with no children settling in Tampere adds 1,090 and 550 to reach 1,640 euros net per month; the same couple in Helsinki adds 1,210 and 610 for 1,820 euros. That 180-euro gap between the two municipality groups recurs at every renewal.
Net means after tax and after pension and insurance contributions on the payslip. Income from employment or business counts, from the sponsor or another family member living in Finland, along with some Kela benefits. Child benefit, housing allowance, study grants and child care allowance reduce the amount required. Social assistance and the general social security benefit, which replaced labour market subsidy and basic unemployment allowance on 1 May 2026, cannot be used.
For families with children, Migri may deviate from the thresholds where there are exceptionally weighty reasons or where an exception serves a child's best interests.
Age and relationship conditions
For applications submitted on or after 16 June 2025, both spouses must be at least 21 years old when the residence permit becomes valid, according to Migri. An application may be submitted at the earliest nine months before turning 21. Where the couple has joint custody of a child, the permit can be granted earlier on the basis of parenthood.
Cohabiting partners qualify with one added condition: at least two years of living together. That requirement is waived where the couple has joint custody of a child or where there are other serious reasons. Neither partner may be married to someone else, and time together on holiday trips does not count as living together.
Registered partnerships are treated the same as marriage.
Application procedure
The spouse creates an account in Enter Finland and files the application matching their track. The 750-euro fee is paid through the service. The spouse then proves identity in person at a Finnish mission abroad, or at a Migri service point if applying from inside Finland as a family member of a Finnish citizen. Fingerprints are taken at this visit. The sponsor in Finland fills in the supplement form LIITE_PUOLISO with their own details.
The marriage certificate must be legalised unless it was issued in a Nordic country or an EU member state. Documents in a language other than Finnish, Swedish or English need translation by an authorised translator. The file requires colour copies of both partners' passport pages, a passport photo no older than six months, and divorce or death certificates for any previous marriages.
Migri may call both spouses for an oral hearing (interview) if the documents do not settle the grounds for granting the permit, and the decision arrives through Enter Finland.
Fees and processing times
| Item | Online (EUR) | Paper (EUR) |
|---|---|---|
| First permit, family ties | 750 | 800 |
| Extended permit, family ties | 230 | 430 |
An online application saves 50 euros on the first permit and 200 euros on each extension.
The statutory maximum processing time for a family-ties permit where the sponsor holds a residence permit is nine months. Family members of students or researchers face a three-month maximum; family members of EU Blue Card holders, two months.
Right to work
A residence permit on the basis of family ties carries an unrestricted right to work in any field, according to Migri. The right starts on the day the permit is granted. A spouse waiting for the decision cannot begin working, whether abroad or in Finland on a visa.
Rejection grounds
For permit-holder sponsors, the income threshold is the first barrier. Add up the table for the correct municipality group and family size, counting only income Migri accepts, and check the sum before filing.
Documents are the second. A marriage certificate that is not legalised, a translation by a non-authorised translator, or a missing divorce certificate each triggers a request for additional information and slows the decision.
Filing from the wrong location is the third. A spouse of a permit holder who files the first application from inside Finland will usually be refused unless they fall into one of the narrow exceptions Migri lists.
Settling in after arrival
On arrival, a spouse needs a personal identity code from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (Digi- ja väestötietovirasto, DVV), then a municipality registration, then a Finnish tax card once work begins. Each registration depends on the one before it. Without the tax card, the employer withholds 60 percent.
The extended residence permit is filed before the first permit expires, from inside Finland, at the lower fee of 230 euros online.
The legal basis
The Aliens Act (ulkomaalaislaki 301/2004) governs residence permits on the basis of family ties, the definition of family member, the income requirement, and the grounds for refusal. The amendments that introduced the 21-year age requirement and tightened family reunification provisions took effect on 16 June 2025. The January 2026 amendments created a path for children under 18 to receive permanent permits directly.