To continue living in Finland when your current permit draws to a close, you must apply for an extended permit before your current permit expires. Applying on time keeps your legal right to stay and usually preserves your right to work while the Finnish Immigration Service (Maahanmuuttovirasto, or Migri) processes your file. Submitting your application even a day late can immediately end your right to work, risk a refusal, and create gaps that harm future applications for permanent status.
What an extended permit is and how long it lasts
An extended permit is a new fixed-term residence permit applied for when your current permit is about to expire and you want to stay in Finland. Migri grants an extended permit for at most four years, as outlined in the Migri extended permit guidance.
The length granted depends on your situation: a family-ties permit is usually extended for 4 years at a time, whereas a permit granted on the basis of an intimate relationship is usually extended for only one year. Migri applies the same criteria for first and extended permits. You can apply to extend your stay on the same grounds if you still meet the residence permit conditions, or you can apply on entirely new grounds. If you qualify under several grounds, you can submit several applications and receive a decision on each.
When to apply — the window and the deadline
You must apply before your current permit expires. An application made after expiry may be refused. As long as you submit an online application on the last day of your old permit's validity, it counts as submitted in time.
You should not apply too early: not earlier than 3 months before expiry, or Migri may be unable to assess your requirements. Some permit types have their own rules:
- For a work-based permit, apply about 2 months before expiry and not earlier.
- Students should not apply for an extension before completing the necessary ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits; see our overview on studying in Finland for academic permit rules.
If you submit your online application on time but cannot find an available service-point appointment before your current permit expires, you can still wait legally in Finland. You must prove your identity at a service point within three months of applying.
Staying and working while the application is pending
You may stay legally in Finland while your application and any subsequent appeal are processed. If you receive a negative decision accompanied by a removal decision, you must leave the country.
If you applied in time, your right of residence and your right to work remain as they were while Migri decides your case. If you apply only after your permit has already expired, you may not keep working on the old permit.
Rules regarding your employment while waiting include:
- Changing fields: If you hold a Finland work permit and take a new job in a different field, you need a new permit before you start that job. You can continue working in your current field until Migri issues a decision.
- Graduates: A student who applies before their permit expires for a permit based on a Finnish degree, or for a permit to look for work, may work full-time in any field while waiting.
- Exceptions ending work rights: The right to work ends on the day of expiry even if you applied on time if you hold a permit as an au pair, a Working Holiday maker, a trainee, a worker on certain short assignments, or an intra-corporate transfer (ICT) permit holder reaching 3 years.
- After a deportation decision: If you receive a negative decision and a deportation decision, you may continue working until the deportation is enforceable. This occurs 30 days after service, or longer if a court is asked to stop enforcement.
If you apply late, or from abroad
You must hold a valid permit when applying for an extension. If your permit has expired, you need a valid reason for the delay, such as a severe illness. Migri takes the length of your illegal stay into account, and any late application must include a valid reason for being late.
An extension can only be applied for in Finland. Any application submitted from abroad is processed and charged as a first residence permit.
Submitting late can also compromise your long-term plans. Only periods of legal residence count towards permanent residence in Finland, and gaps between permits without good reason can interrupt your continuous residence period.
How to apply, fees and processing times
You can apply online in the Enter Finland service (paper applications cost more). If you log in using strong identification—such as Finnish online banking credentials—you may not need to visit a service point at all. Enter Finland will inform you after submission whether an in-person visit is required. Because Migri reads salaries and benefits directly from the national Incomes Register (tulorekisteri), you do not need to attach pay slips to your application.
In 2026, the fee for an extended permit is €230 online and €430 on paper.
Migri's processing-time estimates as of October 2026 (updated every two months) are:
- Employed person: 1 month in most cases, 2 months in a minority of cases, with a statutory maximum of 2 months.
- Specialist: 2 weeks in most cases.
- Student: 3 months in most cases, 6 months in a minority of cases, with a statutory maximum of 3 months.
- Family ties: Carries a statutory maximum of 9 months. Migri currently publishes no estimate because processing of family-ties applications is running behind.
Permits that cannot be extended, and turning 18 on a family permit
Certain temporary permits cannot be extended once granted for their maximum statutory length: au pair, internship, intra-corporate transfer, and Working Holiday permits. You cannot get an extended permit on these grounds unless you have another reason to stay in Finland.
Age also changes family-permit rules. A child who originally received a residence permit on the basis of family ties cannot extend it on those same grounds after turning 18. Adult children of Finnish citizens or international protection holders must use the application for other relatives; otherwise, an applicant who has reached 18 must apply on new, independent grounds.
Renewing the card is not renewing the permit
Renewing a physical residence permit card (oleskelulupakortti) is completely separate from applying for an extended permit. A new card does not extend an expiring permit; if your right to reside is ending, you must apply for an extended permit. If you still hold a valid permit and your card is lost or damaged, you only need a new card.
A residence permit card is valid for up to 5 years because its digital chip holds biometric data. A card can only be renewed while you are in Finland. The costs and processing details are:
- Renewing a card costs €60 online and €105 on paper.
- Replacing a lost or stolen card costs €140.
- Card renewal processing-time estimates as of October 2026 (updated every two months) are 3 weeks online and 4 weeks on paper in most cases, extending up to 3 months in a minority of cases. This includes roughly 10–14 days to manufacture and deliver the card.
You can avoid visiting a service point for a card renewal in Enter Finland if you log in using strong identification, enter a photo retrieval code for your digital passport photo from a photo shop, and pay the fee online before submitting.
