Finland residence permit to look for work or start a business after studies 2026

Students and researchers who have finished their studies or research in Finland and do not yet have a job can apply for this residence permit to look for work or to start a business. It is also available to people who already have a job that does not pay enough to qualify for a residence permit on the basis of work. The permit must be applied for within five years from the date on which the residence permit for studies or research expired.

Applicants must have held a residence permit for studies or research and must have studied and completed a degree in Finland, or finished their research work or a doctoral degree in Finland. Holders of a national research permit qualify only if they completed a degree in Finland, while holders of a research permit issued under the EU directive can qualify after finishing a degree or their research. Applicants must also show sufficient funds for living in Finland: the immigration service states a monthly minimum and a matching total for a two-year permit, and it is the applicant's responsibility to have that amount available.

A first permit must be applied for abroad, and only an extended permit can be applied for in Finland, in which case the degree certificate is attached to the application or sent within three months if it has not yet arrived. The permit can be granted for a maximum of two years, and it can be used in three parts if each part lasts at least six months and the last part ends within three years of the date on which the first part began. Because the permit includes an unrestricted right to work, a new permit is not needed when the holder finds a job; a new permit can be applied for at the earliest three months before the current one expires.

There is no fixed intake, so applications can be submitted throughout the year.