{"id":28477,"date":"2026-10-15T19:26:46","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T15:56:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/blog\/finland-startup-permit-extension\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T19:26:46","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T15:56:46","slug":"finland-startup-permit-extension","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/blog\/finland-startup-permit-extension\/","title":{"rendered":"Extending a Finland startup permit (2026)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Your Finland startup permit expires soon and you want to keep building the company. The company does not have to be profitable yet; it has to have moved forward and still meet Business Finland&#8217;s criteria. A Finland startup permit extension is called an extended permit, and you file it only from inside Finland. Migri, the Finnish Immigration Service, decides, and in practice it almost always asks Business Finland, which issued your eligibility statement, for its view first. The first permit is covered in our <a href=\"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/finland-startup-visa\/\">Finland startup visa<\/a> guide.<\/p>\n<h2>Applying from Finland before your permit expires<\/h2>\n<p>Apply before your current permit expires; Enter Finland, Migri&#8217;s e-service, advises about 2 to 3 months ahead. You need a valid passport from your country of nationality.<\/p>\n<p>The form is <a href=\"https:\/\/enterfinland.fi\/eServices\/info\/selfemploymentextension\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Extended permit for an entrepreneur, OLE_YRI<\/a>. By law you file it online; paper is accepted only when e-filing is not possible.<\/p>\n<p>You may not need to visit a Migri service point if all four apply:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>you log in with strong identification: Finnish online banking, a citizen certificate or a mobile certificate;<\/li>\n<li>you use the same Enter Finland account as before;<\/li>\n<li>you add a digital passport photo retrieval code;<\/li>\n<li>you pay the fee online.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you add no photo code, or do not pay online, you visit a service point; bring a passport photo if you added no code. At an extension, fingerprints are taken only for a special reason, or if five years have passed since your previous card. Enter Finland points you to the attachment list on <a href=\"https:\/\/migri.fi\/en\/start-up-entrepreneur\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Migri&#8217;s start-up entrepreneur page<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Business Finland&#8217;s nine extension criteria<\/h2>\n<p>Under section 80 b of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.finlex.fi\/fi\/lainsaadanto\/2004\/301\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Aliens Act<\/a>, a new permit is granted to continue the same or a similar business if it is profitable, or if its business model still meets Business Finland&#8217;s startup funding criteria. Business Finland lists nine criteria:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>The company and its headquarters are registered in Finland as a limited liability company.<\/li>\n<li>It is still innovative and able to grow and scale fast internationally.<\/li>\n<li>The idea and solution are the same as, or similar to, those first approved.<\/li>\n<li>The product, service or concept has been developed further, and commercial operations have started or, at the first extension, are about to start.<\/li>\n<li>The team has enough expertise and resources.<\/li>\n<li>The company has the prerequisites to become profitable, with obligations such as bookkeeping and tax met.<\/li>\n<li>The founders focus mainly on the startup described in the approved statement.<\/li>\n<li>The founders live in Finland and have a Finnish personal identity code.<\/li>\n<li>Each founder&#8217;s means of support are secured.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>In its October 2026 bill (HE 216\/2026 vp), the government describes current practice and notes that few startups are profitable by the first extension. A company still in development can count as having the prerequisites for profitability if its profitability is improving and the founder&#8217;s own means are secured.<\/p>\n<p>No progress reports are required unless Migri or Business Finland asks for them, but you must meet the criteria throughout and be ready to explain how the business developed. The permit also lets you take other work, even as an employee, as long as running the startup stays the main purpose of your stay.<\/p>\n<h2>Means of support and the length of the new permit<\/h2>\n<p>Your means must be secured as for a first permit, but unlike an ordinary entrepreneur you need not live off the company. For one adult, Migri&#8217;s net monthly level is \u20ac1,210 in the Helsinki area and lower elsewhere; these levels have applied since 1 November 2024. Family members&#8217; means must be secured too; Migri&#8217;s family thresholds are in our <a href=\"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/blog\/finland-startup-visa-proof-of-funds\/\">proof of funds guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The money can be savings, startup income, funding granted to the startup or other regular income. It must sit in your own bank account and cover the whole permit period. Bank statements and the company&#8217;s income statement and balance sheet are accepted evidence.<\/p>\n<p>The law caps an extended permit at four years, and Migri grants it only for the period your continuous income is proven. According to the same bill, Migri rarely grants the full four years: at the first extension many founders show savings covering less than four years.<\/p>\n<p>Each family member files their own extension, and a guardian files for children. Their permits cannot run longer than yours. If your own permit expires within three months, Enter Finland recommends applying for your extension as soon as possible.<\/p>\n<h2>Fee and processing time<\/h2>\n<div class=\"av-tscroll\">\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Item<\/th>\n<th>Detail<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Fee in 2026, online in Enter Finland<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac230<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Fee in 2026, paper application<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac430<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Fee for a minor child<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac230 online \/ \u20ac430 paper<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Migri&#8217;s estimate (October 2026)<\/td>\n<td>1 month in most cases; 2 months in a minority<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Legal time limit<\/td>\n<td>2 months from a complete application; longer in exceptional, complex cases<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Length of the new permit<\/td>\n<td>Up to 4 years, usually the period your means cover<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Minimum net monthly means for one adult (Migri levels since 1 November 2024)<\/td>\n<td>Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen \u20ac1,210; 24 larger municipalities such as Tampere, Turku and Oulu \u20ac1,090; elsewhere \u20ac1,030<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Where to apply<\/td>\n<td>Only in Finland, form OLE_YRI<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Startup extensions granted (government figures)<\/td>\n<td>103 (2023), 127 (2024), 99 (2025)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Negative extension decisions (government figures)<\/td>\n<td>Under 10 a year until 2024; 33 (2024), 47 (2025)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>The fee is charged per application, in advance, and is not refunded if you withdraw after processing has started. You pay in Enter Finland by credit card or Finnish online banking, or at the service point. The amounts come from the Ministry of the Interior&#8217;s 2026 decree, in force until 31 December 2026.<\/p>\n<p>By law, Business Finland has one month from Migri&#8217;s request to give its statement, and Migri must decide within one month of receiving it. The clock stops while extra information is awaited.<\/p>\n<h2>Monitoring, refusals and other routes<\/h2>\n<p>A fixed-term permit may be revoked if its conditions no longer exist, and Migri&#8217;s automated monitoring can check a permit before it expires. Revocation reviews have mainly concerned first permits, and the main reasons were that the holder never arrived or never started the business. Only isolated reviews have concerned extended permits.<\/p>\n<p>Government figures show negative extension decisions rising sharply from 2024, and fewer extensions were granted in 2025 than in 2024. Our post on <a href=\"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/blog\/finland-startup-permit-refusal-reasons\/\">why startup permits are refused<\/a> covers the reasons and the revocation figures.<\/p>\n<p>A negative decision can be appealed in writing to an administrative court within 30 days of notification. Business Finland&#8217;s statement can be appealed only together with Migri&#8217;s decision.<\/p>\n<p>If your grounds for residence change, for example because you take a job, you apply for an extended permit on that new basis. Under current law, if the business is no longer the same or similar, you can apply again for a startup permit, with a new Business Finland statement. The <a href=\"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/immigration-to-finland\/finland-investor-visa\/\">entrepreneur residence permit<\/a> uses the same OLE_YRI form but needs a Business ID. For that permit, the Economic Development Centre (Elinvoimakeskus) first checks that the business is profitable and your income from it is enough.<\/p>\n<p>The same bill also proposes that every extension would need a positive Business Finland partial decision and would cover only the same business, not a similar one. It has been with Parliament&#8217;s Administration Committee since 7 October 2026 and, if passed as proposed, would apply from 12 January 2028. See <a href=\"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/blog\/finland-startup-permit-bill-he-216-2026\/\">Finland&#8217;s startup permit bill<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Before you file, Aval Visa checks your progress and evidence against Business Finland&#8217;s criteria, plans each family member&#8217;s documents and prepares the evidence of means. You file your own application, and Migri decides. To go through your case, <a href=\"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/assessment\/\">start your assessment<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Common questions<\/h2>\n<h3>Do I need a new Eligibility Statement to extend?<\/h3>\n<p>No. Migri asks Business Finland for a statement itself when needed, and in practice it almost always does. Either of them contacts you if more information is needed.<\/p>\n<h3>Can I keep working while Migri decides?<\/h3>\n<p>If you applied while your permit was still valid, you may continue working under that permit until the new permit is granted or a refusal becomes final.<\/p>\n<h3>Does time on a startup permit count towards permanent residence?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes, because it is a continuous (A) permit. Since 8 January 2026 the standard path is 6 years with at least 2 years of work history and B1 Finnish or Swedish. Work as an entrepreneur counts as work history. See our guide to <a href=\"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/blog\/finland-permanent-residence\/\">Finland permanent residence<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.startupinfinland.com\/applying\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Business Finland: Applying for the Startup Permit<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.startupinfinland.com\/applying\/faq\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Business Finland: Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/enterfinland.fi\/eServices\/info\/residenceextension\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enter Finland: Extended residence permits<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/enterfinland.fi\/eServices\/info\/selfemploymentextension\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enter Finland: Extended permit for an entrepreneur<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/enterfinland.fi\/eServices\/info\/familytiespermitextension\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Enter Finland: Family ties permit extension<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/migri.fi\/en\/start-up-entrepreneur\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Migri: Start-up entrepreneur<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/migri.fi\/en\/working-in-finland\/income-requirement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Migri: Income requirement<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/migri.fi\/en\/processing-fees-and-payment-methods\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Migri: Processing fees and payment methods<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/migri.fi\/en\/processing-times\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Migri: Processing times<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/migri.fi\/en\/amendments-to-aliens-act-regarding-permanent-residence-permits-2026\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Migri: Amendments to the Aliens Act regarding permanent residence permits 2026<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/migri.fi\/en\/work-history-requirement\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Migri: Work history requirement<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.finlex.fi\/fi\/lainsaadanto\/2004\/301\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Finlex: Aliens Act (301\/2004)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.finlex.fi\/fi\/lainsaadanto\/2025\/1336\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Finlex: Ministry of the Interior decree on Migri fees in 2026 (1336\/2025)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.finlex.fi\/fi\/lainsaadanto\/2019\/808\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Finlex: Administrative Judicial Procedure Act (808\/2019)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eduskunta.fi\/fi\/asiat-ja-aanestykset\/valtiopaivaasiat\/HE%20216%2F2026%20vp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Parliament of Finland: government bill HE 216\/2026 vp<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Checked October 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You extend a Finnish startup permit from inside Finland on form OLE_YRI. Your company need not be profitable yet, but it must still meet Business Finland&#8217;s nine criteria, and you must show means for the next period. The 2026 fee is \u20ac\u06f2\u06f3\u06f0 online.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28478,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28477","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28477"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28477\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/avalvisa.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}