Emigration to Finland 2025 for Ukrainians: visa, relocation opportunities, rules for obtaining a residence permit and work permit

Finland is one of the most attractive countries for emigration. This is the opinion of the whole world, based on statistics and ratings. Find out what are the conditions for Ukrainians to enter Finland, how to apply for a visa, find a job and get a permanent residence permit

Legal advice on migration issues

GET

For the eighth year in a row, Finland has retained the status of the happiest country in the world (the ranking can be viewed here). On 24 January 2025, Mikko Savola, Member of the Finnish Parliament and former Minister of Defence of Finland, posted the following information on his Facebook page

- ‘In 2024, 13,551 Ukrainians moved to Finland;

- 63,049 people emigrated to the country from all over the world in the previous year.

We conclude that Finland is an open and hospitable country for Ukrainians. However, like any other country, it has its own nuances of migration processes. In accordance with the current legislation and international agreements, these details are covered on the official website of the Finnish Immigration Service. In order to make your migration quick, convenient and successful, we have collected answers to the most frequently asked questions in this article:

- Does Finland accept refugees from Ukraine?

- Do Ukrainians need a visa to Finland?

- How is education in Finland organised for Ukrainians?

- What are the conditions for obtaining permanent residence in Finland for Ukrainians?

Read on to find out more.

Visa to Finland for Ukrainians 2025: main types and requirements

Finland is a member of the Schengen area, so Ukrainians do not need a visa for short-term trips - only a biometric passport. A short-term stay in the country is considered to be up to 90 days within 180 days. If you plan to stay for a longer period, you need to apply for a residence permit.

Types of visas differ in duration - they are short-term and long-term.

Short-term visas include:

- business;

- transit visa;

- by invitation;

- tourist.

Long-term visas include:

- student;

- worker's visa;

- family reunification.

If we focus on the categories of visas according to the duration of stay in the Schengen area, the short-term visas are A (for transferring at the airport), B (transit - for travelling by bus or car) and C (for a short stay in the country). In the context of emigration, we are most interested in a type D visa, as it is the visa that gives grounds for obtaining a residence permit in the future.

Student visa

A student visa to Finland can also be short-term or long-term. If your studies (for example, training courses) last less than 3 months, you do not need to apply for a visa. If the study lasts more than 90 days, a residence permit is required.

In 2024, a student residence permit took about 8 days to be issued.

A student visa expires upon completion of studies. If you want to stay in Finland after the visa expires, you should take care of an internship, research project or other type of work beforehand to be able to replace your student visa with an employment visa. If the issue was not resolved during your studies, you will need to apply for a job seeker visa.

All the necessary details about studying in Finnish higher education institutions for foreigners are available here.

Employment visa

The Finnish Migration Service can issue a work visa for any period (even for 1-2 months - seasonal). Depending on the length of stay, there are 4 types of work visas for Ukrainians in Finland:

- Type C (short-term visa) - issued for the period of seasonal work for no more than 90 days.

- Type D - issued for the entire period of validity of the employment contract (usually 1 year with the possibility of extension);

- Type B - issued to those who enter into an employment contract in Finland for the first time (the validity period is limited by the terms of the employment contract);

- type A (issued for a period of 4 years after the expiry of the type B visa, if the contract with the employer is extended).

However, there are several other types of work visas in Finland - they are aimed at long-term stay in the country and open up more opportunities for emigration:

- Visa for job seekers - for those who have completed their studies in Finland (valid for a year while the graduate is looking for a job);

- EU Blue Card - granted to skilled workers who wish to work in Finland (requirements are available here);

- Visa for entrepreneurs and start-ups - for owners of profitable businesses;

- skilled worker visa - for those who belong to the category of highly skilled workers who can work as an expert in any field in Finland;

- religious work - for those who work in religious organisations.

- Au Pair - for people aged 17 to 30 to get acquainted with Finnish culture and language.

All the necessary information on expatriate employment in Finland can be found here.

Don't want to miss important updates and useful articles? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter!

How to move to Finland: the stages of preparation

First step: choose the type of visa

There are many types of visas available, some of which allow for permanent residence. To choose the type that is right for you, you should contact a qualified visa specialist. He or she will consider the situation in detail, recommend the best options and help you prepare a package of documents to ensure that the process is quick and successful.

Be careful! Each type of visa requires a different list of documents.

Second stage: submitting documents

The visa application must be submitted to a diplomatic mission or visa application centre in person.

Emails are not accepted for visa applications to Finland!

The application can be submitted no earlier than three months and no later than 15 days before the planned visit.

The third stage: biometric data collection

Ukrainians can enter Finland only with a biometric passport. For most types of visa applications, including work, student and tourist visas, it is necessary to provide biometric data that will be used to identify the applicant.

Fourth stage: obtaining a visa

The processing time for your application package can vary from 2 weeks to 3 months. We recommend that you take care of your visa in advance!

Visit Ukraine specialists can help you at each stage of migration - get a consultation and make sure your emigration to Finland is successful!

How to get a residence permit in Finland?

Residence permits in Finland are divided into two categories:

- fixed-term

- permanent (can be cancelled at your request or in case of violation of the rules for obtaining a permit).

A fixed-term residence permit has its own categories:

- temporary - for 1 year with annual renewal;

- continuous - for 4 years with the possibility of extension.

If you have lived in Finland for 5 years under a category A continuous residence permit, you can apply for permanent residence. This permit opens up wide opportunities, including unrestricted access to the labour market and health/social insurance, and is an important step towards Finnish citizenship.

Read more aboutwhat you need to obtain Finnish citizenship here.

Remember. To travel to Finland, you must have health insurance, which is required to cross the border of any Schengen country.

Photo: Freepik

Want to know more? Read the latest news and useful materials about Ukraine and the world in the News section.

Our recommendation for a safe and comfortable trip: 

Visit Ukraine Insurance - insurance for a safe stay abroad without unnecessary expenses;

Green Card - compulsory car insurance for traveling abroad;

Visit Ukraine Tickets - book tickets for buses, trains, and airplanes to/from Ukraine and between cities around the world;

Private Lawyer service - professional legal support on visa and migration issues;

Visit Ukraine Merch - buy patriotic clothing and accessories with worldwide delivery.

© 2018-2025, Visit Ukraine. Use, copying or reprinting of materials on this site is permitted only with a link (hyperlink for online publications) to Visit Ukraine.

All rights reserved.