Migri's 2026 fee decree rewards online filing: a Specialist or EU Blue Card permit costs EUR 530 in Enter Finland but EUR 630 on paper — and fees are never refunded on refusal.
Overview
Every Finnish residence permit application carries a processing fee (käsittelymaksu) laid down in a Ministry of the Interior decree and revised each 1 January; Migri (the Finnish Immigration Service) collects it when you submit, and online applications through Enter Finland are almost always cheaper than paper. The 2026 schedule rewards the no-labour-market-test routes: a Specialist or EU Blue Card first permit costs EUR 530 online (EUR 630 on paper), while the employed person (TTOL) permit — which involves availability consideration — costs EUR 750 online and EUR 950 on paper. Studies cost EUR 600/750, a start-up entrepreneur EUR 650/800, family members EUR 750/800, extended permits EUR 230/430 and permanent residence EUR 380/600. A citizenship application is EUR 550 online (EUR 650 paper) and the D visa that lets Fast Track applicants travel immediately is EUR 95/120. Fees are charged per applicant and are not refunded if the application is refused. The salary thresholds sit separately: EUR 3,937 per month for Specialist and Blue Card roles in 2026. Verified against migri.fi as of June 2026.
Migri Processing Fees 2026 — Online vs Paper (EUR)
| Application | Online | Paper |
|---|---|---|
| First permit — Specialist, EU Blue Card, researcher, athlete/coach, intern, au pair, working holiday (no labour-market test) | 530 | 630 |
| First permit — employed person (TTOL) | 750 | 950 |
| First permit — family member and other grounds | 750 | 800 |
| First permit — start-up entrepreneur | 650 | 800 |
| First permit — other entrepreneur | 750 | 900 |
| First permit — studies | 600 | 750 |
| First permit — minor applicant | 400 | 430 |
| Extended permit (incl. studies and minors) | 230 | 430 |
| Permanent residence permit (P) / long-term resident's EU permit (P-EU) | 380 | 600 |
| Registration of an EU citizen's right of residence | 53 | 53 |
| D visa | 95 | 120 |
| Citizenship application | 550 | 650 |
How and When You Pay
- Where: In the Enter Finland e-service you pay at submission; at Migri service points you can pay by card, voucher or cash (cash of EUR 1,000 or more requires reliable proof of the money's origin under the Anti-Money Laundering Act); at a Finnish mission abroad, contact the mission in advance — you cannot pay into Migri's bank account unless the form says so.
- Which year's rate: The fee in force when your application becomes pending applies — applications pending by 31 December 2025 were still charged 2025 rates, everything later pays the 2026 decree prices.
- No refund on refusal: The fee pays for processing, not the outcome. A refused applicant pays a full new fee to reapply.
- Per applicant: Every person in a family files and pays separately; minors pay reduced rates (EUR 400 online for a first permit, EUR 300 for permanent residence).
- Why paper costs more: Migri prices paper higher in nearly every category because electronic processing costs it less — the gap is widest for permanent residence (EUR 380 online vs EUR 600 paper) and TTOL (EUR 750 vs EUR 950).
The Costs Around the Permit
- Residence permit card: Renewing the card costs EUR 60 online (EUR 105 paper); replacing a lost card costs EUR 140 either way.
- D visa for fast movers: EUR 95 online / EUR 120 paper — issued alongside positive Fast Track decisions (Specialists, EU Blue Card holders, startup entrepreneurs and their families) and valid 100 days, so you can travel before the residence permit card arrives.
- If you are refused: An appeal to the regional Administrative Court costs EUR 310 (charged only if you lose; waived with legal aid or in international protection cases) and a further appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court EUR 610, with leave required.
- Language tests on the road to PR/citizenship: The YKI test costs EUR 165 (basic), EUR 190 (intermediate) and EUR 216 (advanced) in 2026 — budget it alongside the EUR 380 permanent residence fee.
- Newly chargeable: The extended permit on international-protection grounds, free until the end of 2025, costs EUR 53 from 1 January 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does the Finnish Specialist or EU Blue Card permit cost in 2026?
EUR 530 if you apply online through Enter Finland, EUR 630 on paper. Both sit in the cheapest work category — first permits without labour-market testing, which also covers researchers, athletes, coaches, interns and au pairs. That is noticeably less than the employed person (TTOL) permit at EUR 750/950. The fee is separate from the salary requirement: a Specialist or Blue Card role must pay at least EUR 3,937 per month gross in 2026, and fringe benefits do not count. These categories qualify for Migri's Fast Track (decision within 14 days for complete applications), and a D visa at EUR 95 online lets you travel as soon as the decision is positive.
Why does the employed person (TTOL) permit cost more than the Specialist permit?
Because the categories are priced differently in the Ministry of the Interior's fee decree: TTOL first applications cost EUR 750 online and EUR 950 on paper, versus EUR 530/630 for the no-labour-market-test group. TTOL cases involve availability consideration and a collective-agreement check, and since 1 January 2025 Migri decides them in a single stage with a EUR 1,600 per month minimum income requirement. If your job genuinely requires special expertise and pays at least EUR 3,937 per month, the Specialist route is both cheaper to apply for and Fast Track eligible — worth checking before your employer files the more expensive TTOL application.
How much will it cost to bring my family to Finland?
Each family member files and pays separately: a first residence permit on family grounds costs EUR 750 online or EUR 800 on paper, and minor children pay EUR 400/430. Later extensions are EUR 230 online (EUR 430 paper) per person. The sponsor's income must meet Migri's family-size-scaled requirement, which is assessed in the same application. Family members of Specialists, EU Blue Card holders and startup entrepreneurs can use Fast Track alongside the main applicant and get their own D visas (EUR 95 each online) to travel immediately. Applying online for the whole family is the single easiest saving — EUR 50–200 per person versus paper.
What do permanent residence and citizenship cost in 2026?
A permanent residence permit (P) or long-term resident's EU permit (P-EU) costs EUR 380 online or EUR 600 on paper — up sharply from EUR 240/350 in 2025; minors pay EUR 300/350. Remember the substantive rules changed on 8 January 2026: the default qualifying period is now 6 years with work-history and B1 language requirements, with 4-year accelerated paths. A citizenship application costs EUR 550 online (EUR 650 paper) and since 1 October 2024 requires 8 years' residence. Budget the YKI language test too — EUR 165–216 depending on level — since both milestones demand certified Finnish or Swedish.
Do I get the processing fee back if Migri refuses my application?
No. The fee covers processing, not the result, and it is not refunded on refusal. Your paid options afterwards are an appeal to the regional Administrative Court named in your decision's appeal instructions — EUR 310, but charged only if you lose, and waived entirely with legal aid or in international protection cases — or a corrected new application with a full new processing fee. A further appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court costs EUR 610 and requires leave. If the refusal turns on a fact you can now prove, a fresh application is usually faster and not much more expensive than litigating.
Is it really cheaper to apply online, and which fee applies if I filed in 2025?
Yes — Enter Finland is cheaper in nearly every category: TTOL EUR 750 vs 950, studies EUR 600 vs 750, permanent residence EUR 380 vs 600, citizenship EUR 550 vs 650. Only the EU-registration and D-visa-adjacent items cost the same either way. The decisive date is when your application became pending: anything pending by 31 December 2025 was charged the old rates (for example EUR 590 online for an employed person, EUR 240 for permanent residence), while applications from 1 January 2026 pay the new decree prices. At a Finnish mission, ask in advance how to pay — missions handle payment differently from the e-service.