Finland start-up visa for entrepreneurs

Start-ups are new small or medium-sized companies aiming for rapid international growth. Business Finland assesses the business model, the team’s competence and the capacity to grow, and you cannot get the permit without its positive eligibility statement. The statement is requested online in Enter Finland; one member of the founding team applies and shares it with the others. When you file the residence permit application, the statement must be no more than four months old.

Apart from the company’s funding, you must cover your own living costs: in 2026 EUR 1,210 net a month in the capital region, EUR 1,090 or 1,030 elsewhere. The money must be in your own bank account and may come from savings, company income or funding raised for the company. You need funds for at least one year; a two-year permit requires two years of funds.

First residence permits are filed online in Enter Finland (or on a paper form) and then completed in person at a Finnish embassy or consulate, or at a VFS Global application centre that receives applications for Finland in some countries. Book an appointment and bring your passport and the original attachments; biometrics are taken at the visit, and a VFS Global centre charges its own service fee.

If you need a visa to enter Finland, you can request a D visa in the same Enter Finland application. It is placed in your passport at the mission once the permit is granted, is valid for 100 days and lets you travel before the residence permit card arrives. Under the 2026 fee decree a D visa costs EUR 95 online or EUR 120 on paper.

The fast track is available only for a first permit applied for from abroad. Apply and pay online, then prove your identity at the mission within five working days; Migri targets a decision in about two weeks. Family members can join the fast track if they apply at the same time.

An extended permit can only be applied for in Finland, before the current permit expires; if it expires while the application is pending you may stay and usually keep working. The 2026 fee for an extended permit is EUR 230 online or EUR 430 on paper. Migri checks your income in the national Incomes Register, so make sure your salary data is correct before applying. An extended start-up permit can be granted for up to four years, but only for the period covered by proven continuous income. If Business Finland’s statement is negative, you can apply for the general residence permit for an entrepreneur instead.

A negative Migri decision comes with appeal instructions. The appeal goes to an Administrative Court, which can uphold the refusal or send the case back to Migri; further appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court needs leave to appeal. If you applied from abroad, you wait abroad while the appeal is pending.