EU Blue Card in Finland

Since 13 May 2024 Finland’s Blue Card salary threshold is the same as the specialist threshold. The card is not bound to one employer, so you can change jobs within highly qualified work. It is issued for up to two years, or for the job plus three months if the contract is shorter. Blue Card holders get six months to find new work if employment ends early.

You must have confirmed employment of at least six months in work that requires special expertise, and the employer verifies that you have it. Higher professional qualifications are shown by a degree from studies lasting at least three years or, as a rule, by at least five years of professional experience at a level comparable to higher education. The salary must be at least EUR 3,937 gross a month in 2026; fringe benefits and daily allowances do not count.

Apply and pay online, have the employer add the terms of employment within two working days and prove your identity within five working days to stay on the fast track, which aims at a decision in about two weeks. 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.

Migri normally gives you a Finnish personal identity code with the positive decision. After moving, book a visit to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) to register your address and, if you qualify, a municipality of residence, which opens access to municipal health, social and integration services. Bring your passport, the residence permit card and your employment contract or proof of studies.

Your spouse and minor children can apply for residence permits on the basis of family ties, at the same time or later. They usually need secure means of support; Migri’s 2026 guideline is EUR 1,210 net a month for a single adult in the capital region (EUR 1,090 or 1,030 elsewhere), rising for each additional family member. Once granted, family members may work and study without restrictions. Migri must decide family applications of Blue Card holders within two months.

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.

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.