Immigrate to Finland from South Africa

Are you planning to immigrate to Finland from South Africa and don’t know where to start? First of all, you will need a short-stay visa issued based on a passport with a minimum validity of 3 months. For long-term relocation, you will need to apply for residency in Finland.

In the article below, our Finnish lawyers explain the main requirements to respect if you want to move to Finland from South Africa based on the reason for relocation.

Relocation reason – the main condition to comply when immigrating to Finland from South Africa

As a non-EU citizen, it is important to understand that a residence permit cannot be granted without filing evidence on the reason for immigration. So, once you decide to relocate to Finland from South Africa, you must specify what you will be doing here.

The most common reasons for which foreign citizens immigrate to Finland are:

• studentship, as there were around 12,484 foreign students enrolled in Finnish universities in the 2021/2022 academic year, a 10% increase over the past decade;
• employment, as 34,557 new work-related residence permits were issued in 2023 alone, out of which more than 15,000 were first-time employment visas, according to news;
• business, with 344 startup residence permits being issued in 2023.

Family reunification is also a reason under which you can immigrate to Finland from South Africa. However, for this purpose, you need your relative to be a Finnish resident.

Each relocation option can be discussed with one of our lawyers in Finland so that you can make the right decision.

How to move to Finland from South Africa for employment

Employment is a good option for non-EU citizens who want to relocate to Finland for various reasons. One of them is the possibility of earning an income correlated to the living standards of this country.

If you plan to immigrate to Finland from South Africa, here are your main options:

• finding a job and securing an employment contract;
• relocating as a self-employed person, if you have a profession that enables you to create a Finnish sole proprietorship, for example;
• moving to Finland based on a Blue Card, however, this option is subject to more specific requirements, among which for the employing company justifying your hiring.

The relocation process implies drafting various documents, starting with a valid passport and up to proof of payment of various processing fees. If you require updated information, so that you have everything in order, you can consult our law firm in Finland.

When moving to Finland from South Africa based on employment, you will be issued a work permit. After arriving here, you must apply for a residence card.

How to apply for a residence permit

Apart from employment, which also requires obtaining a work visa, the main document attesting to your legal right to stay in Finland is the residence permit. So, no matter if you move as a student, a family member of a resident, or a business person, the procedure is the same.

Here is a list of the documents required for a residence permit when you relocate to Finland from South Africa:

• a valid passport;
• recent photographs;
• proof of having a place to stay (you can rent an apartment or house before arrival);
• proof of funds to sustain your stay here for a limited period or until you start earning money from your activity here;
• valid health insurance.

Apart from these, you will also need documents that attest to the reason for immigration to Finland. Living here for 6 years (4 years on certain grounds) will help you get permanent residency, while Finnish citizenship generally requires 8 years of residence as a rule (5 years for applicants with Finnish or Swedish language skills).

Do not hesitate to contact our Finnish law firm for support during the immigration process.