Finland Residence Permit

Business In Finland

Entrepreneurs who wish to own and operate a business in Finland can apply for a residence permit after entering the intended business in the Finnish Patent and Registration Office’s Trade Register. The entrepreneur must also work in the company. The Residence Permit is valid for five years, and can subsequently be renewed or extended. In a sense, it is the equivalent of a Finland Entrepreneur Visa.

An ‘entrepreneur’ can be defined as any of the following:

Private entrepreneurs with an individually owned business
Partners in a general partnership
General partners in a limited partnership (not silent partners)
Cooperative members with unlimited liability for re-financing
Shareholders occupying managerial positions in limited liability companies OR people working in other companies in managerial positions owning 30% or more share capital or at least 30% voting rights in company shares OR people occupying managerial positions in another kind of company with a similar authority

Finland Entrepreneur

Freelancers who work independently (typically for several contractors without a permanent employment relationship), and ‘light entrepreneurs’ i.e. self-employed people who undertake entrepreneurial activities, also need an Entrepreneur Residence Permit to work in Finland.

BENEFITS

Residence permit offers the same social security benefits as citizenship
Apply for permanent residence after four years of living in Finland
Apply for citizenship by naturalization after continuously living in Finland for five years
Finland allows dual citizenship, so the immigrant need not give up their current nationality
Supportive start-up ecosystem , especially in Helsinki
High scope for business innovation, sophisticated research and development infrastructure
Entrepreneurs can also work as employees for other employers in Finland as a secondary source of income.
Those whose main purpose of stay in Finland is not entrepreneurship can also start a business in the country.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

All applicants must have a Business ID (except private traders who apply for their residence permit before entering Finland)
Private traders with an individually-owned business must have their domicile registered in a country within the European Economic Area.
Self-employed persons must be engaged in an appropriate form of business.
The business operations must be profitable, as assessed by the ELY Centre.
The business must be registered in the Trade Register of the Finnish Patent and Registration Office.

In addition to this, candidates must also meet some general Finland Residence Permit requirements:

Have a passport that will remain valid throughout the validity period of the residence permit.
Not be prohibited from entering the country.
Not be a threat to public order, health, security or international relations.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Those who meet the eligibility requirements must collect their supporting documents in the prescribed format, and attach these to the filled out Finland residence permit application.

The application fee can be paid online via Enter Finland, at the Finnish Immigration Service point, or a Finnish embassy or consulate. Candidates can submit the application electronically at Enter Finland or submit a paper application by booking an appointment at the Finnish embassy or consulate in their current country of residence. They must also visit the embassy/consulate to prove their identity.

The application is processed at two stages. First, a partial decision is made by the ELY Centre. Then, the Finnish Immigration Services processes the application and announces the final decision online, or via post, or through the embassy/consulate. Following a positive decision, the candidate can travel to Finland start their business. Later, they may choose to apply for an extended permit or a Finland permanent residence permit.

PERMIT FEES

To submit an application electronically, the entrepreneur/freelancer/self-employed person must pay €490 for the first permit, and €260 for extended permits.

To submit a paper application, the entrepreneur/freelancer/self-employed person must pay €640 for the first permit, and €260 for extended permits.

PROCESSING TIME

Both electronic and paper-based applications for the first permit are typically processed within four months. Applications for extended permits are also processed within four months.

Why Choose Abhinav?

The role of a consultant is integral for an investor visa application. We provide guidance on identifying lucrative investment opportunities, coordinate with authorities for certifying investments, and prepare solid application packages to limit the scope for error and rejection.

Thus, investor or business visa prospects are greatly enhanced with the assistance of consultants. At Abhinav, we have accumulated a wealth of experience in filing visa applications for high net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs and investors. Our detail-oriented approach focuses on offering holistic support at every stage and leveraging international networks to achieve the goal of permanent residency, and eventual citizenship overseas.

Are you ready to start with us? Just fill our free assessment form or call us at
(+91) 859 533 8595
and let our immigration experts help you make the move as smooth as possible.