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13.5.2026 | The proposed amendments will accelerate the development of the nature values market in Finland and promote the steering of private funding to improving the state of nature. The amendments would enter into force in August 2026.

29.4.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project to prepare the necessary amendments to the provision of the Aliens Act on sufficient financial resources for family reunification. In future, a government decree would lay down provisions on the euro amounts required to demonstrate sufficient financial resources. This requirement would apply to family members of people who live in Finland with a residence permit.

18.5.2026 | The Government is addressing the income difficulties faced by international students. The proposed amendments, open for comments, concern family reunification for international students, the income requirement and verification of students’ language proficiency.

30.4.2026 | The Government’s two legislative packages will address the income difficulties faced by international students. The first would strengthen the monitoring of students’ use of social assistance in accordance with the Government Programme. The Government submitted its proposal to Parliament on 30 April 2026.

22.12.2025 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a draft government proposal to reform the provisions on removal from the country and entry bans laid down in the Aliens Act. The deadline for comments is 2 February 2026.

18.12.2025 | The Government will address the difficulties of foreign students and their families. On 18 December 2025, the ministerial working group on internal security and administration of justice outlined legislative changes regarding requirements for student livelihood and language skills.

22.12.2025 | The conditions for obtaining a permanent residence permit will be tightened. For example, the continuous period of residence required for the permit will be extended. Applicants will also be required to demonstrate higher integrity, proficiency in Finnish or Swedish and have a work history of a certain length. The President of the Republic approved the relevant amendments to the Aliens Act on 22 December. The amendments will enter into force on 8 January 2026.

10.10.2025 | On Friday 10 October, the Government submitted its third supplementary budget proposal for 2025 to Parliament. Among other things, the proposal sets aside an appropriation for investments in the preparedness of the Finnish Defence Forces’ healthcare services for emergency conditions and updates the tax revenue estimates to correspond to the latest forecast. 

5.6.2025 | The conditions for obtaining a permanent residence permit will be tightened. For example, the continuous period of residence required for the permit will be extended. Applicants will also be required to demonstrate proficiency in Finnish or Swedish and have a work history of a certain length. The Government submitted to Parliament the relevant proposal for amending the Aliens Act on 5 June.

31.10.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project to develop the regulation on removal from the country.

21.11.2024 | International protection will be made temporary in nature and the length of permits will be shortened to the minimum allowed by EU law. Committing offences and endangering national security will lead to the refusal or end of protection status. The Government submitted the amendments to the Aliens Act for approval on Thursday 21 November. The President of the Republic is to approve the amendments on Friday. The amendments will enter into force on 2 January 2025.

18.4.2024 | On 18 April, the Government submitted to Parliament a proposal for introducing a new border procedure. The Aliens Act will be amended in line with the EU Asylum Procedures Directive to introduce the new border procedure in Finland. The purpose of the border procedure is to enhance the examination of unfounded applications and the return of applicants whose application has been rejected. In addition, this will prevent secondary movements of asylum seekers to other EU countries. 

23.1.2023 | A study commissioned by the Ministry of the Interior explored ways to anticipate future needs for amendments when drafting legislation. To this end, the study looked into the amendments made to the Aliens Act and the motivations behind them. The study was carried out by Åbo Akademi University in cooperation with researchers from the University of Turku.

15.10.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project to prepare the necessary legislative amendments to implement the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum in Finland.

18.4.2024 | The Government proposes legislative amendments to prevent the evasion of provisions on entry more effectively than at present. The amendments would prohibit asylum applicants from switching to a work-based or education-based application procedure in order to apply for a residence permit. The amendments would also tighten the identity verification procedure. The Government submitted the proposal to Parliament on 18 April. The proposed acts would enter into force on 1 July 2024.

27.2.2025 | The process of granting temporary protection will become easier both for the beneficiaries and the authorities. At its session on 27 February, the Government proposed amendments to the Aliens Act and the entry-into-force provision of the Act on Temporarily Amending the Aliens Act. The President of the Republic is to approve the amendments on 28 February.

12.6.2025 | The Government will tighten conditions for family reunification, in other words residence permits issued to foreign nationals on the basis of family ties. In its session on 12 June, the Government proposed that the President of the Republic approve the relevant amendments to the Aliens Act on 13 June. The amendments will enter into force on 16 June.

25.1.2022 | The Government wants to speed up the residence permit processes by reforming Chapter 5 of the Aliens Act. It therefore proposes to shorten the processing time for work-based residence permits to an average of 30 days by the end of the government term. The reform would also increase the use of automation and enable the certification of employers to make the application process easier. 

27.1.2025 | The Government proposes tightening the conditions for a permanent residence permit by extending the continuous period of residence required for a permanent residence permit and by requiring language skills in Finnish or Swedish and a work history of a certain length, among other things. The government proposal to amend the Aliens Act was sent out for comments on 27 January.

6.3.2025 | The Government is tightening the conditions for family reunification. In line with the Government Programme, the Government proposes that Finland should introduce the additional conditions permitted by the EU Family Reunification Directive concerning the spouses' minimum age, ability to provide for their own needs and the time they have stayed in the country. The Government submitted a proposal on the matter to Parliament on 6 March.