How does Permanent & EU Long-Term Residence (P / P-EU) work in Finland, and who qualifies?

The Permanent (P) and EU Long-Term Resident (P-EU) permits are for non-EU nationals with continuous A-permit residence. A major change took effect on 8 January 2026: the previous single unconditional four-year route to the national P permit was replaced by a multi-path system. Fast paths still allow four years but add a condition — high annual income, an advanced degree plus work history, or strong Finnish or Swedish language skills — while the standard path now requires six years. There is also a path for a degree completed in Finland with developing language skills. Throughout, you must have sufficient means without reliance on social assistance.

The EU long-term resident permit (P-EU) is a separate option available after five years of A-permit residence, and its big advantage is the right to move to and reside in other EU member states. From 8 January 2026 it also requires Finnish or Swedish language skills at the required level. The electronic fee for these permits is EUR 380.

Because the rules shifted recently, it is especially important to confirm the current path conditions on migri.fi before applying. The choice between national P and EU-portable P-EU depends on your future plans, and ACME can help you map your residence history to the right path.