• Privacy World Facebook
  • Privacy World Instagram

Follow Privacy World – 

Finland

Finland

Passport rank
4
Visa-free countries
190
Residency
Yes
Citizenship
No

Acquisition: 48 months

Capital required: €350,000

Acquisition: -

Capital required: -

About Finland Citizenship and Residency

Finland offers residency through the investment visa, there is no fast-track procedure to obtain permanent residency or citizenship by investment in Finland. The timeframes to get them are one year to become a permanent resident, and 4 years to become a Finnish citizen. You can also move here with your spouse/civil partner and minor children.

To qualify for Finland’s investment visa, an entrepreneur must become self-employed here and set up a business or enter a partnership.

 

Quick Facts

  • EU and non-EU nationals can apply for Finland’s investment visa.
  • The minimum investment is set at €350,000.
  • It is not possible to obtain an investment visa through real estate acquisitions.
  • Finland’s investment visa addresses persons aged 21 to 60.
  • The entrepreneur must live in Finland.
  • The applicant must have at least 3 years of business experience.
  • Family members must apply for separate residence permits.
  • It takes 8 to 12 months to obtain an investment visa in Finland.
  • No additional financial requirements for family members.
  • Timeframe for obtaining citizenship/residency by investment will be 4 years of permanent residence.
  • Dual citizenship is allowed in Finland.
  • Personal income tax ranges between 6% and 31.25%.

 

A residence permit by investment in a business can only be obtained after approval from Business Finland, which evaluates the business model, team, and resources for the potential for rapid international growth. If approved, the applicant is granted permission to start a business.

Permission is initially obtained for up to two years, after which it can be extended. The approval does not imply financial support from Business Finland. Finnish legislation does not regulate the amount of investment, the number of employees, or the authorized capital of the company. The primary conditions for approval are profitability, solvency, and correspondence of the qualifications and salaries of employees with similar specialties. An applicant cannot get a residence permit by investment just by owning a company, they are required to work in it.

 

A residence permit for financially independent persons can be obtained by wealthy people with income that fully covers their needs. At the same time, they are not allowed to work in Finland and must spend at least 183 days a year there. The main condition is to have a regular income outside Finland. For example, proof of income can be an employment contract, an author’s contract, an investment lease agreement, a share in a business, or ownership of assets.

 

Comparison between the residence permit for doing business and for financially independent persons.

 

  • Residence permit for business
    • Eligibility: Foreign citizen over 18 years old with education and experience in the field of the future business
    • Knowledge of Finnish or Swedish: Optional, but considered an advantage
    • Capital: Sufficient to start a company
    • Business project: Approved Business Finland
    • Additional Requirements: Rent or buy a home and have a valid health insurance policy. For applicants over 45 years old, pension insurance is also required.

 

  • Residence permit for financially independent persons
    • Eligibility: Foreign citizen over 18 years old
    • Knowledge of Finnish or Swedish: Optional
    • Capital: Sufficient to provide for yourself and your family for the duration of the residence permit
    • Business project: Not needed
    • Additional Requirements: Rent or buy a home and have a valid health insurance policy

 

To obtain permanent residence, you must fulfill the following requirements:

  1. Have a stable income and do not use state benefits.
  2. Pay taxes and pensions contribution for all four years.
  3. Live in your own or rented accommodation.
  4. Comply with Finnish Law.
  5. Have proof of knowledge of Finnish or Swedish at level B1 or knowledge of the Finnish-Swedish sign language.
  6. Comply with the rules for continuous residence in Finland.
  7. Pay the state duty.

 

 

Benefits Of Finland Residency By Investment Program

  • Unrestricted access to the workforce
  • Health and social insurance that includes:
    • Daycare
    • Family Counseling
    • Services for the disabled
    • Substance abuse services
    • Dental care
    • Childbirth care
  • Freedom of movement
  • Access to free education
  • Right to bring over family members in Finland
  • Right to pension income

 

Finland Residency Requirements And Qualifications

These are the documents you need to attach to your residence application.

  • You must have a valid passport at the time of your application. Please make sure your passport isn’t about to expire and that it was issued sometime during the last decade.
  • Identity picture. You need to provide a recent identity picture, no older than six months.
  • Copy of your passport’s bio page. Nowadays applicants are required to submit a copy of their passport’s bio page when they apply for residency or a visa.
  • Copy of your spouse’s bio page. This is required in cases where you apply to reunite with a family member; spouse or registered partner.
  • Form PK1 plus, if you apply for a residence permit based on family ties your sponsor needs to supplement your application by filling in this form and signing it.
  • Civil documents. These documents include birth certificates, marriage licenses, divorce licenses, adoption papers, foster papers, family certificates, etc.
  • Proof of Residence. You need to provide a document proving that you are living legally in your current place of residence.
  • Proof of financial stability. You must submit proof that you can support yourself during your stay in Finland. The financial requirements are different for each application type. For example, if you are applying for a reunification visa your sponsor can support you financially and you must submit their bank statements and similar documents.
  • Proof of cohabitation. This is required in cases where you apply for a permit based on cohabitation, you and your partner must live together for at least two years.

 

Steps And Timeline

Step 1: Fill in the application in the enter Finland online service.

Step 2: Attach the required documents to your online application:

    • Valid passport
    • Passport photo
    • Color copies of all passport pages that contain personal data or notes
    • Clarification of income that proves a sufficient amount of funds (the amount is the same as for your previous A-permit)

Step 3: Apply and pay the service fee (€190). Optionally you can also pay the fee when you visit the Finnish Immigration Service.

Step 4: Book an appointment at the Finnish Immigration Service. You can choose at which service point you wish to book an appointment.

Step 5:  Visit your chosen service point to prove your identity, have your fingerprints taken and show the originals of the documents that you have attached to your application.

Step 6: Wait for the processing of the application. It takes around 1-2 months to process the online application. The Immigration Service will contact you if necessary. If you need to complement your application, you can do it online through the Enter Finland service.

Step 7: You will get an email or text message when the decision is ready. The decision will also appear in your Enter Finland account.

 

Our Services

Privacy World offers its services to anyone, not only looking to obtain residency and citizenship processes but our experts figure out legal ways to:

  • Find the best solution for your needs.
  • Identify and deploy a strategy to help you accomplish your goals.
  • Activate our network of people in the country where you need help without having you search for the best solution or lawyer. We only work with licensed people in every country whom we carefully vet and pass the guidelines and principles of privacy we stand for.
  • Focus on cutting through the red tape and expedite your process.
  • Provide proper communication with you about your case.
    …. and above all: Offer you legal strategies to provide additional layers of privacy for your identity, while obtaining your residency or citizenship!

Privacy World can also help you with incorporating your company in Finland, assisting in getting you settled in the country, and coordinating with you so that this experience will be less hassle.

Want Privacy World to handle your case? Have any questions? Contact us!

contact us

FAQ’s

Finnish legislation allows multiple nationality. Although multiple nationality is allowed, a person with citizenship in more than one country may lose his/her Finnish citizenship at age 22 if he/she lack a sufficient connection to Finland.

No, family members must apply for separate residence permit.

You are eligible for a permanent residence permit if you have lived in Finland on a continuous residence permit (A permit) for an uninterrupted period of five years

It takes six years of permanent residence in Finland.

No, but knowledge of Finnish or Swedish is considered an advantage.

Residents are subject to Finnish taxes on the income they receive in Finland and in other countries.

A non-resident is only liable to pay taxes on income earned in Finland. Examples of such income include the wages received from a Finnish payor for work done in Finland, and the dividends paid to an individual by a Finnish limited company.

There are no net worth/wealth taxes in Finland. 

Inheritance tax is levied to a person who receives immovable or movable property through inheritance or will if the deceased, the inheritor, or the beneficiary was resident in Finland and shares of a company, the assets of which consist mostly of immovable property, are always subject to inheritance taxation in Finland.

en_USEnglish