Finland – Changes to Permit Salary Thresholds

The Finnish immigration authorities (Maahanmuuttovirasto) have updated salary threshold requirements for Specialist and EU Blue Card permit application types for the year 2024.¹  The salary thresholds were increased from the previous year for both permit types. 

The new amendments to the salary levels for Specialist and EU Blue Card permits will need to be taken into account when applying for the first residence permit or for an extension to assure the employee’s eligibility for the permits.  If the salary does not meet the requirements, a residence permit for an employed person should be applied for, instead of the Specialist or EU Blue Card permits.  

A residence permit for an employed person may be subject to labour market testing, which means that the employer must establish if there is available labour force within a reasonable timeframe in Finland or within the EU/EEA for the work in question.²  

The salary threshold for the Specialist permit type for 2023 was set at EUR 3,437 per month.  For 2024, the threshold has been increased to EUR 3,638 per month.  Fringe benefits are not counted towards this sum.  In addition to the salary threshold, another requirement for the Specialist permit is a higher education degree or otherwise acquired special expertise through work experience or another type of education.³  

For the EU Blue Card permit type, the salary threshold in 2023 was set at EUR 5,209 per month.  For 2024, the threshold has been increased to EUR 5,457 per month.  Fringe benefits are not counted towards this sum.  In addition to the salary threshold, other requirements for the EU Blue Card permit are a minimum one-year employment relationship and a higher education degree that takes at least three years to complete.⁴  

Going forward, it is important to review who may be affected for future extension applications, as a salary below the required level may lead to the employee not being granted the applied residence permit type and delay the whole application process considerably as it would require a change in the applied permit type.⁵  

So if one applies for an EU Blue Card, but the salary does not meet the requirement, the immigration authorities in Finland will process the application as Specialist permit application; as long as the salary meets the Special expert salary requirement, they will issue an extension permit for the Specialist permit type.  If the salary does not meet the Specialist minimum salary requirement, the application is then going to be processed under "residence permit for an employed person," which has much higher processing times that could delay the extension process considerably.

Employers must also assess the employee for whom an application will be made to make sure, where applicable, the employment relationship, and educational and experience levels of the candidate meet the conditions, as stipulated above. 

For more information or assistance, you are advised to consult with your qualified immigration counsel/adviser or a member of the Immigration Services team with KPMG in Finland (see the Contacts section).

1  See the Maahanmuuttovirasto webpage (in English) "Income requirement" at https://migri.fi/en/income-requirement .

2  Residence permit for an employed person (TTOL). Maahanmuuttovirasto. (n.d.-c). https://migri.fi/en/residence-permit-for-an-employed-person . 

3  Residence permit application for persons employed as a specialist. Maahanmuuttovirasto. (n.d.). https://migri.fi/en/specialist .

4  EU Blue Card. Maahanmuuttovirasto. (n.d.-a). https://migri.fi/en/eu-blue-card .

5  Residence permits. Maahanmuuttovirasto. (n.d.-d). https://migri.fi/en/faq-residence-permits#Changing .

* Please note the KPMG International member firm in the United States does not provide immigration or labour law services. However, KPMG Law LLP in Canada can assist clients with U.S. immigration matters.

The information contained in this newsletter was submitted by the KPMG International member firm in Finland.