Key routes
- Residence permit for an employed person — for qualifying employment; salary and labour-market conditions apply.
- Specialist permit — highly skilled expert duties; confirmed employment and the current specialist salary threshold apply.
- EU Blue Card — highly qualified employment route with qualification, salary and minimum-contract requirements.
- Graduate/research-related work permits — separate routes can apply after completing eligible studies or research in Finland.
Is a job offer required?
A confirmed job is required for the employed-person, specialist and EU Blue Card routes.
PR / settlement potential
Finland changed permanent-residence requirements on 8 January 2026. There are now different permanent-residence application paths with residence, work-history, income and/or Finnish/Swedish language requirements depending on the route; the P-EU long-term resident permit generally uses a five-year residence requirement plus other conditions.
Profile assessment matters: Occupation, age, qualifications, language, experience, salary, licensing, sponsorship, points and family circumstances can change which route is realistic.
Government references used by STCWorking in Finland / income requirements ↗Specialist permit ↗EU Blue Card ↗Permanent residence permits ↗