Obtain Finland Retirement Visa

Finland does not have a specific retirement visa, as such if you want to retire here, you must follow the usual residency pathway. This means that you need to complete several steps, depending on your country of origin.

Below, our Finnish lawyers explain how to retire to this country, as well as the advantages of living here as a retiree. You can rely on our law firm for support with the immigration procedure.

Options for those who want to retire to Finland

While there is no special Finland’s retirement visa scheme, here are your main options to move here as a foreign retiree:

• you can apply for a temporary residence permit;
• family reunification with adult children living in Finland is possible only in exceptional cases (e.g. full dependency);
• you can also file for a Finnish permanent residence permit if you have lived in this country before.

Our law firm in Finland can help you choose the appropriate visa option for you.

Obtaining temporary residency in Finland as a foreign retiree

Both EU and non-EU retirees can immigrate to Finland and file for temporary residency. The main difference consists in the fact that EU citizens do not need entry visas and can also stay in Finland for a maximum of 90 days based on their valid travel documents. Considering most retirees seek long-term relocation, EU citizens will instead have to register their right of residence with the Finnish Immigration Service (non-EU retirees need residence permits), however, they do this at a later date compared to people coming from third countries.

If you are interested in this alternative to Finland’s retirement visa, our immigration lawyers can explain the steps to complete to get a temporary residence card.

Documents required to retire to Finland

Here is a list of the documents that will help you retire to Finland without worries:

• your valid passport, no matter the country you come from;
• proof of a local address (for this, our lawyers in Finland recommend renting a place before arrival);
• proof of income must also be submitted, as evidence that you can support your stay here (the pension slip can be used);
• a valid health insurance is also mandatory, irrespective of the country of arrival.

In case you move here based on family reunion, you can use your child’s address as a place of residence.

You can rely on our law firm for support in preparing the necessary documents for relocating to Finland.

Obtaining permanent residency as a retiree in Finland

In order to obtain a permanent residence permit, you must, as a rule, live in Finland for at least 6 years (applications from 8 January 2026). As a retiree, you will have to apply for the permit with the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) in the city you live in.

An important step to complete as a retiree, especially if your pension is obtained abroad is to file for an entitlement certificate for medical care in Finland. This will ensure your access to Finnish public healthcare benefits. The certificate will be issued in your country of origin or the one in which the pension arises.

As you can read here, even without obtaining a specific Finland’s retirement visa, you will be entitled to the same benefits as Finnish citizens.

Advantages of the Finnish pension system

If you decide to retire to Finland and you are below the pension age threshold, you can still work and even obtain some benefits, such as:

• any work in Finland accrues an earnings-related pension, and after 3 years of residence you can also receive a national pension from Kela;
• the full national pension for a single person is up to EUR 787.07 per month in 2026;
• for married people or civil partners living together, the full national pension is EUR 702.69 per month in 2026.

If you want to retire and even apply for citizenship in Finland and need support, please contact our local law firm.