Spouse Visa in Finland

Finland does not have a specific spouse visa for foreign partners of Finnish citizens or residence permit holders. As such, those who want to bring their life partners to this country need to apply for family reunion visas.

Below, our Finnish lawyers explain the procedure related to obtaining a family reunification visa for one’s spouse. You can rely on us during and after the application process.

Scenarios that cover spouse immigration to Finland

The residence permit issued instead of a spouse visa in Finland covers several scenarios, among which:

• that of a foreign citizen living here based on a Finnish residence permit;
• that of a Finnish national seeking to bring a foreign spouse here;
• that of bringing a spouse to Finland under the refugee status;
• that of bringing a cohabitating partner to Finland.

While the visa is the same, the documents to provide to the authorities are different.

You can rely on our law firm in Finland for professional advice on a case-to-case basis, so do not hesitate to ask for support when filing for family reunion.

General requirements when filing for a Finnish visa

When filing for the equivalent of a Finnish spouse visa, there are various conditions to be met by both partners/spouses. However, in most cases, the Finnish citizen or resident is required to comply with more conditions, among which:

• he or she has a valid residence permit in the case of foreign citizens living in Finland;
• the Finnish spouse has sufficient income to support him/herself and the incoming spouse.

With respect to the foreign citizen joining a Finnish spouse, he or she must:

• have no prohibition to enter Finland;
• not be a danger for public security;
• not pose a threat to Finland’s international relations;
• not pose a public health threat.

Each requirement can be proved with documents, so if you are planning to file family reunification under the form of a spouse visa for Finland, you do not need to worry about these aspects. Our lawyers in Finland can help you gather them.

Documents required for the foreign spouse

The foreign spouse seeking to join a Finnish citizen or resident must prepare the following papers:

• the valid passport;
• a clean criminal record;
• a recent photo;
• proof of marriage/civil partnership.

These papers must be shown to the Finnish Embassy/Consulate before traveling to Finland.

Documents required for the Finnish spouse

Most of the documents associated with the equivalent of a spouse visa for Finland must be submitted by the spouse/partner living here. Specifically:

• his/her residence permit, in the case of Finnish residents;
• the passport of the foreign spouse, which must have a minimum validity of 6 months;
• the marriage certificate or proof of the relationship;
• proof of financial stability through which he/she can support the joining spouse/life partner.

With respect to the documents indicating proof of a relationship, any paper starting with a civil law partnership agreement and up to rental agreements on both partners’ names can be used to prove it. Moreover, correspondence and other papers can also be used to demonstrate their ties.

Please note that in the case of divorced people, the divorce certificate must also be appended to the application.

Income requirements for bringing a foreign spouse to Finland

According to the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri), the indicative minimum net income for family reunification (thresholds in force since 1 November 2024) is:

• EUR 1,820 per month for a family of two adults – the same amount everywhere, also in Helsinki and its metropolitan area;
• EUR 2,910 per month for two adults and two children, with no regional differences, also in large cities like Lahti, Rovaniemi, and Tampere;
• the amounts are indicative, are reviewed annually and are assessed case by case, also in other cities.

Should you need support in filing for the equivalent of a spouse visa for Finland, do not hesitate to contact us.