Finland Family Reunification with International or Temporary Protection 2026: Complete Guide to the 2-Year Rule, Income and Exceptions

1. Identify the protection status first

Refugee status, subsidiary protection and temporary protection are not identical family-reunification routes. Check the exact status in the sponsor's Migri decision.

Refugee status may come through asylum or quota-refugee admission. Whether the family existed before the sponsor came to Finland ('old family') or was formed later ('new family') can affect income and residence-period rules.

2. The two-year residence requirement

For some protection-family applications filed after 16 June 2025, the sponsor must have lived in Finland with a residence permit for at least two years. Only time lived in Finland with a residence permit counts toward the period.

Migri's current guidance applies the two-year rule to other-relative applications where the sponsor has refugee or subsidiary-protection status. The same two-year requirement does not apply to an other-relative application where the sponsor has temporary protection. For ordinary family members, status and timing of family formation must also be checked.

3. Exceptions to the two-year rule

Migri can derogate from the two-year residence requirement in an individual case for exceptionally serious reasons or when required by the best interests of a child.

This is not an automatic humanitarian exception; the serious circumstances should be documented concretely.

4. Minor sponsors and the income requirement

Family members of an unaccompanied minor sponsor with refugee status are exempt from the income requirement, whether refugee status was granted through asylum or quota-refugee admission.

If the minor sponsor has subsidiary or temporary protection, family members generally must meet the income requirement. Income can also re-enter the analysis for a minor refugee who is not unaccompanied. Other relatives of a minor protection beneficiary generally face an income requirement.

5. Income calculation and excluded benefits

Where the income requirement applies, the family threshold is assessed using net income. Salary, business income and certain Kela benefits can count.

Social assistance, labour-market subsidy, basic unemployment allowance and the general social security benefit replacing the latter benefits from 1 May 2026 cannot be used to meet the requirement. A requested exception should be supported by exceptionally weighty reasons or the child's best interests.

6. Age 21 for spouse/cohabiting partner

The age-21 rule also applies to spouse/cohabiting-partner applications involving a protection sponsor after 16 June 2025. Applicant and sponsor generally must be 21 when the permit becomes valid.

A joint-custody child may make the parent/guardian route available before age 21. Cohabiting partners must also normally meet the two-year cohabitation rule or an applicable exception.

7. Old family vs new family

In refugee-family cases, whether family life existed before the sponsor arrived in Finland or before refugee status was granted can matter for exemptions as an 'old family'.

In certain refugee cases, filing within three months after the sponsor was served with the refugee-status decision can preserve more favourable income rules. Dates must be calculated precisely.

8. Documents, first permit and work rights

Relationship and custody documents should be legalised and translated where required. If official evidence is unavailable because of refugee circumstances, explain and document why; Migri may use further family-tie investigation or DNA testing where legally appropriate.

A first residence permit is generally filed abroad. Once a family-ties permit is granted, the holder normally has an unrestricted right to work; a pending application alone does not create that right.

9. Protection family checklist

A single generic family-reunification rule is unsafe in protection cases; status and family timing must be analysed together.