Public discussions have often revolved around the preconditions for athletes to obtain residence permits and citizenship. Residence permits for athletes and coaches form a separate category, but in other respects, the legislation provides no exceptions for athletes.
The Finnish Immigration Service cannot deviate from the requirements set by law. Under law, neither the residence permits nor the citizenship applications of athletes can be processed in a way that deviates from the treatment of other applicants. Unlike some other European countries, Finland does not have a fast track for athletes in citizenship matters or other issues.
In other words, the Citizenship Act does not recognise athletes as a special group. They cannot be granted citizenship on different or lighter terms than other applicants. The Finnish Immigration Service has investigated the matter, and it may not interpret the Act in a way that allows deviations from the requirements for citizenship, such as the period of residence.
Faster processing by Finnish Immigration Service for first applications of athletes who have applied abroad
A legislative amendment related to preventing the evasion of provisions on entry was adopted last year, affecting many types of permits, including athletes’ residence permits. The legislative amendment that entered into force on 1 September 2024 specified the requirement that the first residence permit must be applied for abroad.
“With regard to athletes, it is worth noting that, as a rule, we process applications submitted by applicants abroad more quickly. Meanwhile, the first residence permit applications submitted in Finland are referred to a more detailed investigation, which extends the processing time,” explains Raisa Palomäki, Process Owner for the process of specialists, entrepreneurs and other types of work.
The speed of obtaining the permit is also affected by whether Finnish embassies or consulates have available identification appointments. As a rule, the availability of identification appointments for athletes in embassies or consulates has been good. Once an athlete has identified themselves in the embassy or consulate, they will typically receive a positive decision in approximately two weeks at the moment.
The Finnish Immigration Service processes each application individually. As the situations of athletes are diverse, the processing times may vary in different situations. The processing time may be longer if there is a need to interview the customer or if further clarification is needed for the application, for example.
The number of athletes’ applications and positive decisions has remained unchanged compared with previous years
A customer may apply for a residence permit for an athlete if they are a professional athlete and receive sufficient income from their work as an athlete to finance their living in Finland.
A residence permit for athletes can be issued as a so-called continuous residence permit (A permit) or temporary residence permit (B permit). The continuous residence permit is intended for moving to Finland for a longer period and a temporary residence permit for moving to the country for a temporary period. In addition to these fixed-term residence permits, it is also possible to apply for a permanent residence permit if the customer has been staying in Finland for at least four years and meets the other requirements for the permit.
The number of residence permit applications by athletes has remained at the same level as in previous years despite the legislative amendment. In 2024, the number of first applications for residence permits and extended permits for athletes was the same as in the previous year (520 applications).
“In 2024, a total of 389 first residence permits and extended permits for athletes were issued, which is approximately 5% less than in 2023. However, such fluctuation is normal between different years. In 2024, 69 applications received a negative decision and 45 expired,” says Palomäki.
The negative decisions were mostly based on deficiencies in the fulfilment of the employee’s or employer’s requirements. The reasons for the expiry of the application may include the withdrawal of the application or the applicant moving away from Finland.
Applying for citizenship is possible after residing in the country for at least five years
Customers may apply for citizenship after residing in the country for five years when they meet the language proficiency requirement. The citizenship application also contains other prerequisites, such as a report of adequate financial resources.
The period of residence for citizenship is calculated differently for the time spent living in Finland with a continuous and temporary residence permit. The time spent in Finland with a continuous permit is calculated as such for the period of residence. If the client has had a temporary residence permit at some point, only half of the time spent living in Finland with the temporary permit is included in their period of residence.
When calculating the period of residence, the number of days the client has spent abroad is also taken into account. The reason for spending time abroad does not affect the calculation of the period of residence. In addition, to be granted citizenship, the client must have had a valid continuous residence permit for at least one year before the granting of citizenship.
With regard to sufficient financial resources, the client must provide information about where they receive and have received money for living expenses.
“Financial resources may consist of things such as salary, business activities and savings. Income received under a sponsor or partnership agreement is taken into account in the same way as other income when examining the preconditions for citizenship. The financial resources must be legal and sufficient to cover living expenses,” explains Mari Luukkonen, Citizenship Process Owner.
Further information for the media
Revised on 15 April 2025 at 15.46: Added translation of the press release in Swedish and English
Please visit:
Our Sponsor