🚀 Business residence permit in Finland 2026: entrepreneur, self-employment and case "protection"

If you want to understand how to move to Finland in 2026 through your own business — a café, IT studio, consulting firm or small pie factory — it is important to immediately separate your dream from the paperwork. Finns are not at all opposed to entrepreneurs, but they need to see that the business is alive, meaningful and has numbers behind it, rather than just being a "company on paper".

There are three types of residence permits:

● the classic entrepreneurial residence permit (self-employment permit);

● permit for start-up entrepreneurs;

● self-employment and "light entrepreneurs" who work on invoices or combine business with another basis.

The Finnish entrepreneur residence permit is a separate type of status: it is issued to people who actually work in their company in Finland and earn their living from it. Simply owning a share in an Oy or being a freelancer with foreign clients is not enough: you need to show that you are an entrepreneur and that the company is your main source of income here, not a souvenir.

At the same time, there is the world of "start-up entrepreneurs" — those who bring scalable, innovative businesses to the country — and the world of people who already have another residence permit (for work, study, family), but want to add entrepreneurship as a second source of income. And this is where the most interesting part begins: which format to choose so that the case does not fall apart?

Who is considered an entrepreneur and what formats are there?

Who is an "entrepreneur" in Finnish logic?

Formally, an entrepreneur is not considered to be "anyone who sells something," but a person who works in their company in one of the following specific statuses:

● sole trader (toiminimi);

● partner in a general partnership (avoin yhtiö);

● full (not silent) partner in a limited partnership (kommandiittiyhtiö);

● member of a cooperative with unlimited liability;

● manager and significant shareholder in an Oy (usually ≥30% of votes or capital).

Key point: you cannot obtain a residence permit simply because you own a company. You are required to work in the company and live in Finland on the income from this activity, rather than just collecting dividends somewhere posh in the reports.

Classic entrepreneur vs start-up entrepreneur

Further on, the branch splits into two:

1. Regular entrepreneurial residence permit
   Suitable for those who are starting a "normal" business: a café, barbershop, small IT company, logistics, cleaning, consulting.

○ You will need a business ID, a business plan, and a calculation of your profits and expenses.

○ Your case will first be assessed by the regional development centre (ELY) and then by the migration authorities.

○ It is important that your plan shows that the company is capable of supporting you (and possibly your family).

2. Residence permit for start-up entrepreneurs
This is a separate story for innovative, scalable companies.

○ You need a positive assessment from the relevant government agency and a business plan that says, "We're growing fast and far."

○ In terms of money, the benchmark is no less than €1,210/€1,090/€1,030 net per month (depending on the region of residence) and funds for at least a year ahead, or preferably for the entire duration of the permit.

○ The first residence permit is usually granted for up to 2 years at once.

Self-employment and "light entrepreneurs"

Freelancers and those who work through invoicing services (kevyt yrittäjä) are a world apart.

Here's the tricky part:

● there is no separate residence permit for freelancers and light entrepreneurs;

● the basic route is to obtain a residence permit on another basis (work, study, family) and then start operating as an entrepreneur if your status allows it;

● a number of permits explicitly state the right to conduct business (for example, a family residence permit often gives complete freedom, while a student permit gives partial freedom).

This is how self-employment in Finland comes about: formally, you hold one type of residence permit, but you already live in a "hybrid" mode — partly on a salary, partly on entrepreneurial income.

Comparison of three popular models

Money: "minimum cost of living" and business profitability

Entrepreneurs do not have the same fixed threshold as students (€800/month) or families. For a classic entrepreneurial residence permit, two things are considered:

● whether the business can actually support you (and, if necessary, your family);

● whether you have sufficient funds to start up — rent, equipment, the first few months until you break even.

In figures, this usually means that the company's income + other official sources (salary, dividends, side jobs) must be comparable to the same benchmarks as for other categories — around a thousand euros net per month or more, depending on the region.

The requirements for start-up entrepreneurs are much more straightforward:

● as of 2025–2026 — no less than €1,210 / €1,090 / €1,030 net per month (capital region / large cities / others) and money for at least a year ahead;

● if you want a two-year residence permit right away, you need to show that you have enough funds for two years.

Important: the funds must be yours and accessible. Vague promises from investors and "verbal agreements" do not work well.

Fees and deadlines

For 2025–2026, the fees are as follows:

● business residence permit, first online application — around €550 (paper application is more expensive, around €700);

● start-up entrepreneur, first online application — around €450; paper application — more expensive;

● Renewals for both formats are significantly cheaper than the first application.

The processing time depends on the workload and the quality of the application package: for some, it takes 2–4 months, for others, it takes longer. Plus, it is important to remember that the Economic Centre (ELY) gives its opinion first, and only then do the migration authorities.

Business plan and document package

This is the heart of the case. Formally, the list of attachments is long, but it can be assembled in layers:

1. You and your company

● passport, photographs, basic questionnaires;

● company registration (or a package of documents for registration, if you are only planning to open it from abroad);

● information about the form of the company (Oy, toiminimi, ky, etc.), articles of association, founding documents, register of shareholders/partners.

2. Business logic

● detailed business plan: what you do, who you sell to, how you differ from others;

● financial forecast for at least 2 years: revenue, expenses, salary for yourself and employees;

● information about the premises (lease agreement, letter of intent, if it is a café, warehouse, office).

3. Money and experience

● bank statements for personal and, if applicable, corporate accounts;

● proof of investments, loans, grants;

● CVs, diplomas, certificates, letters from employers showing that you understand the business you are entering.

4. For an existing business

● latest financial statements (balance sheet, profit and loss statement);

● current contracts with clients/partners;

● documents confirming the purchase of the business (if you are not the founder but the new owner).

Accounting, taxes and YEL: how not to get burned by paperwork

Finland is very relaxed towards entrepreneurs as long as you:

● keep accounts;

● pay your taxes;

● take out compulsory insurance, primarily YEL.

YEL is an entrepreneur's pension/social insurance, which you are required to pay as soon as your annual business income exceeds the established minimum (in 2025, this is approximately €9,200 per year, and the threshold is indexed thereafter).

Add to this:

● VAT registration if your income reaches the threshold;

● timely submission of reports;

● understanding that the figures in the reports and the figures in the business plan should not be from different universes — they are used to justify the extension.

What do real-life trajectories look like?

There are dozens of scenarios, but there are several particularly typical ones.

Scenario 1. Small business from scratch

You want to open a coffee shop, salon, cleaning service or small manufacturing business in Finland.

The route is like a quest:

● first, you think through the idea and the numbers, consult with business centres;

● you draw up a business plan, look for premises, calculate what salary the company can realistically pay you;

● then you apply for an entrepreneur residence permit, putting all the pieces of the puzzle together.

An important point: if your income is small at first, that's not a problem — the problem is if your plan doesn't show how you will ever reach a normal figure and how many months you are prepared to live on your savings.

Scenario 2. Freelancer with clients outside Finland

A common story: a designer, developer or marketer with an established client base wants to relocate and live in Finland.

Options:

● if you are prepared to continue working on a contract basis and are employed somewhere, it is sometimes easier to arrange a move to Finland for work and keep freelancing as a side activity;

● If you want to live "as an entrepreneur" and build a business around yourself, then it's a question of an entrepreneur/start-up residence permit and how your foreign income will be converted into a comprehensible Finnish model.

In any case, it is important not to forget about taxes: as soon as you become a tax resident of Finland, your global income begins to play a role.

Scenario 3. Transition from employment/study to entrepreneurship

Another real-life scenario: you came to work or study, gradually developed your business on the side, and now it has become your main source of income.

This is where a change in your Finnish residence permit status comes into play:

● As long as the business is a "side gig," it's enough for your current residence permit to allow entrepreneurship.

● as soon as the main purpose of your stay is business rather than work/study, it is wise to look into an entrepreneur or start-up residence permit;

● It is better to plan the transition in advance, not two weeks before the expiry of your previous permit.

Imagine: you are sitting in the library of the University of Tampere, and you already have not just one client, but a whole queue of people waiting for your services. At this point, it is useful not only to rejoice, but also to think about the basis on which you want to live in the country in two or three years' time.

Applicants' mistakes and how to avoid them

Now let's talk about the pitfalls that entrepreneurs most often fall into.

Registering a company is only the beginning. If you do not demonstrate real activity, clients, an income plan, and your own participation, the case looks like an attempt to buy status through a legal shell. The system clearly states: residence permits are not issued solely for share ownership.

In reality, your business plan is not read by an investor who needs to be impressed, but by experts who need to understand whether it is possible to make a living from it. Dry but understandable tables with prices, rent, taxes and sales volumes are much more convincing than beautiful slogans.

There is no separate residence permit for light entrepreneurs and freelancers. You still need some basic status — for work, study, family — that gives you the right to do business. Confusion between the format of activity and the basis for a residence permit often leads to unnecessary refusals.

The Finnish system does not like surprises: if, at the time of renewal, it turns out that there was no reporting, tax debts have accumulated, and no one has paid YEL, confidence in your case will plummet. It is easier to set up a simple reporting system in the first year than to clean up the mess later.

When reality differs greatly from the basis for your residence permit, it is a risk. If the main purpose of your stay is no longer study or employment, but permanent business, it is better to think in advance about adjusting your documents accordingly. This will reduce the likelihood of questions when renewing your permit and bring you closer to a stable, long-term status.

A business path without burnout and illusions

An entrepreneurial residence permit in Finland is not a "golden visa" or a reward for courage. It is a tool for those who are ready to honestly show: here is my plan, here are my figures, here are the risks I am taking and why I believe that I can live here and pay taxes. This logic does not involve any dramatic "love/hate foreigners" issues, but rather a very pragmatic question: how does your business fit into the Finnish reality?

If you perceive entrepreneurship as one of the grounds for a Finnish residence permit, rather than a one-off trick, it becomes easier: you see the long trajectory — from the first application and opening of the company to renewals, a possible transition to other formats and, in the long term, permanent status.

If this text has helped you get the picture and understand what exactly you should tackle first, share it with those who also dream of starting their own business in Finland. Write questions, share cases and small victories: entrepreneurial life here largely depends on the quiet mutual assistance of people who have already walked this path.