Finland · Business / Startup

Finland Start-up founder permit

First stay: 2 yrs

Residence permit for a start-up entrepreneur

First checked against official sources on 11 Oct 2026Change log

Key facts

Start-up founder permit is a business / startup route for Finland. You can work locally. Checked 2026-10-11 against the official source.

Government fees: €650 ≈ $730
Processing: Up to 14 days
First stay: 2 yrs

Cost, time and long term

To apply: government fee €650 ≈ $730; decision: up to 14 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.

Government fees€650 ≈ $730

EUR 650 (≈ $730)Online first permit (paper EUR 800 (≈ $890)); extended EUR 230 (≈ $260) online.

Shown, not spent€1,210+/mo ≈ $1,350

EUR 1,210 a month (≈ $1,350)Net per month, Helsinki metropolitan area (Espoo, Helsinki, Kauniainen, Vantaa); EUR 1,090 (≈ $1,220) in other large municipalities; EUR 1,030 (≈ $1,150) elsewhere. Required for at least 12 months (EUR 14,520 (≈ $16,200) per year in the metropolitan area); 24 months of funds for a 2-year permit.

RenewalRenewable

The first permit is for 2 years; an extended permit of up to 4 years is possible with proven continuous income.

Finnish Immigration Service

Permanent residenceAfter 6 years of residence

Only time on a continuous (A) permit counts. Permanent residence takes 6 years with 2 years of work history and satisfactory Finnish or Swedish, or 4 years on the faster paths (income over EUR 40,000, (≈ $44,700) or a master's degree plus work history, or very good language skills).

Finnish Immigration Service

CitizenshipAfter 8 years of residence

Citizenship needs 8 years of residence in Finland (applications from 1 October 2024); half of any time on a temporary B permit before an A permit counts.

Finnish Immigration Service

ProcessingUp to 14 days

Fast-track processing in two weeks is available for eligible cases.

Finnish Immigration Service

Where to applyFrom abroad

The first permit is applied for from abroad.

Finnish Immigration Service

Why this route may not fit

Check this before you apply.

Applications are made from outside Finland, not after arriving
Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports

What you'll need

Who can apply2

Applicant owns a recently founded growth-oriented start-up or is about to establish one.
A positive Eligibility Statement from Business Finland is required.

What you must show4

Net income or funds are at least EUR 1,210 (≈ $1,350) per month in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
The amount is EUR 1,090 (≈ $1,220) in other large municipalities and EUR 1,030 (≈ $1,150) elsewhere.
Funds for at least 12 months are required (EUR 14,520 (≈ $16,200) a year in the metropolitan area).
A 2-year first permit needs funds for 24 months.

Documents2

The Eligibility Statement is no more than 4 months old when the application is submitted.
Bank statements show the money in the applicant's own bank account.

Steps3

The Eligibility Statement is applied for in Enter Finland; one team member can apply for the whole team.
The first permit is applied for abroad; a fast-track decision in two weeks is available.
If the statement is refused, the entrepreneur permit is the alternative.

When you become tax resident

How Finland decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.

Stay on this route: 2 years at first, renewable
Tax residence: A person is resident with a main abode and home in Finland, or after a continuous stay of more than six months (exactly six months is not enough); temporary absences do not interrupt the stay.
Foreign-source income: Progressive state tax plus municipal tax on worldwide income of residents; example effective rate on pay of EUR 30,000 (≈ $33,500) is 8.5% and on EUR 70,000 (≈ $78,200) is 25.0% (Helsinki resident, Lutheran church member).

All tax rules for Finland Tax records checked 10 Oct 2026

Official site

Full official text

For founders of a growth-oriented start-up with a positive Eligibility Statement from Business Finland (no older than 4 months); fast-track available. ^{1 2}

What you must show and pay

Savings of at least EUR 1,210 a month (≈ $1,350) · Net per month, Helsinki metropolitan area (Espoo, Helsinki, Kauniainen, Vantaa); EUR 1,090 (≈ $1,220) in other large municipalities; EUR 1,030 (≈ $1,150) elsewhere. Required for at least 12 months (EUR 14,520 (≈ $16,200) per year in the metropolitan area); 24 months of funds for a 2-year permit. ^{1 2}
A fee of EUR 650 (≈ $730) · Online first permit (paper EUR 800 (≈ $890)); extended EUR 230 (≈ $260) online. ¹

Requirements

Applicant owns a recently founded growth-oriented start-up or is about to establish one. ¹
A positive Eligibility Statement from Business Finland is required. ¹
Net income or funds are at least EUR 1,210 (≈ $1,350) per month in the Helsinki metropolitan area. ^{1 2}
The amount is EUR 1,090 (≈ $1,220) in other large municipalities and EUR 1,030 (≈ $1,150) elsewhere. ^{1 2}
Funds for at least 12 months are required (EUR 14,520 (≈ $16,200) a year in the metropolitan area). ^{1 2}
A 2-year first permit needs funds for 24 months. ¹
The Eligibility Statement is no more than 4 months old when the application is submitted. ¹
Bank statements show the money in the applicant's own bank account. ¹
The Eligibility Statement is applied for in Enter Finland; one team member can apply for the whole team. ¹
The first permit is applied for abroad; a fast-track decision in two weeks is available. ¹
If the statement is refused, the entrepreneur permit is the alternative. ¹

Stay

First permit 2 years; extended permit up to 4 years for proven continuous income.
Initial permitted stay: 24 months.
Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
First permit up to 24 months: Requires funds for 2 years; otherwise at least 1 year.
Extended permit up to 48 months: Only for the period of proven continuous income.

Nationality

Third-country nationals; EU/EEA citizens do not need the permit. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.

Work

Main activity must be running the start-up; other work is allowed alongside.

Checked 2026-10-11

Official sources

Residence permit for a start-up entrepreneur · Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) · checked 2026-10-11
Income requirement (threshold groups) · Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) · checked 2026-10-11
Permanent residence rules effective 8 January 2026 · Finnish Immigration Service · checked 2026-10-11
Citizenship for adults (residence period 8 years from 1 October 2024) · Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) · checked 2026-10-11
Period of residence for Finnish citizenship · Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) · checked 2026-10-11

Start-up founder permit and its alternatives

Route	Money needed	Stay	Work
Start-up founder permit	–	2 yr, renewable	Yes
Entrepreneur permit	Needs income of ~€15k a year ≈ $17k	–	Yes
Startup Visa Portugal	Needs savings of €6,446+ ≈ $7,200	2 yr, renewable	–
Entrepreneur visa Spain	–	3 yr, renewable	–
Startup Visa Italy	Needs savings of €50k+ ≈ $56k	1 yr, renewable	–

Questions people ask

How much money do I need for the Start-up founder permit?

Savings of at least EUR 1,210 a month (≈ $1,350). Net per month, Helsinki metropolitan area (Espoo, Helsinki, Kauniainen, Vantaa); EUR 1,090 (≈ $1,220) in other large municipalities; EUR 1,030 (≈ $1,150) elsewhere. A fee of EUR 650 (≈ $730). Online first permit (paper EUR 800 (≈ $890)); extended EUR 230 (≈ $260) online.

How long can I stay on the Start-up founder permit?

First permit 2 years; extended permit up to 4 years for proven continuous income.

How long does the Start-up founder permit take to process?

Fast-track processing in two weeks is available for eligible cases.

Can I work on the Start-up founder permit?

Yes. Main activity must be running the start-up; other work is allowed alongside.

Who can apply for the Start-up founder permit?

Does the Start-up founder permit lead to permanent residence in Finland?

Time on the Start-up founder permit counts toward permanent residence in Finland, which the rules allow after 6 years of residence. Time on the Start-up founder permit counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 8 years of residence.

How are Start-up founder permit holders taxed in Finland?

No special regime in our records is tied to the Start-up founder permit. The standard rules apply: Progressive state tax plus municipal tax on worldwide income of residents; example effective rate on pay of EUR 30,000 (≈ $33,500) is 8.5% and on EUR 70,000 (≈ $78,200) is 25.0% (Helsinki resident, Lutheran church member).

More in Finland

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Business / startup visas elsewhere

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≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.

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How this was checked

Checked on 2026-10-11 against 5 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.

Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.

Residence permit for a start-up entrepreneur · Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) · checked 2026-10-11
Income requirement (threshold groups) · Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) · checked 2026-10-11
Permanent residence rules effective 8 January 2026 · Finnish Immigration Service · checked 2026-10-11
Citizenship for adults (residence period 8 years from 1 October 2024) · Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) · checked 2026-10-11
Period of residence for Finnish citizenship · Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) · checked 2026-10-11

Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.