Government proposes to revoke residence permits of foreign students who receive social assistance
The Finnish Government proposes a legislative amendment under which the residence permit of a student from a country other than an EU or EEA country or Switzerland may be withdrawn or denied if the student receives social assistance. If the proposed amendment passes into law, it will take effect in October or November 2026.
The Government proposes amendments to the Act on the Conditions of Entry and Residence of Third-Country Nationals on the Basis of Research, Studies, Training and Voluntary Service. According to the Government's proposal, if it turns out that a student has received social assistance, their residence permit may be withdrawn or a new residence permit may not be issued.
The aim is for students to support themselves in some other way than through social assistance. The change would apply to situations where a student receives social assistance while in Finland on a residence permit. The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) receives information about social assistance payments from Kela's registers.
If the residence permit is withdrawn, the student cannot get residence-based benefits from Kela.
The Finnish Immigration Service already takes social assistance into account in applications for extended residence permits
The Finnish Immigration Service already carries out post-decision monitoring of students' residence permits based on the current legislation. Receiving social assistance once or for a short time has not automatically led to the withdrawal of a student’s residence permit, but it has been taken into account when considering their application for an extended permit.
According to the Government's proposal, a little over a year of post-decision monitoring has revealed that 333 out of more than 37,000 students received social assistance. This shows that there has not been any large-scale reliance on social assistance among students.
When are the proposed changes intended to enter into force?
The amendments will enter into force in October or November 2026 if Parliament approves the government proposal.
Kela will provide further information to customers once the final contents of the Act are confirmed.