Finland’s national social-security agency, Kela, issued a detailed press release on 10 March 2026 explaining how the first cohort of Ukrainians who fled Russia’s invasion in spring 2023 will soon become eligible for Finnish residence-based old-age pensions.
Under Finnish law, non-EU citizens can qualify for so-called Kela pensions once they (1) turn 65 years old and (2) have lived in Finland on a permanent basis for three consecutive years. Many of the roughly 55 000 Ukrainians who arrived under the EU Temporary Protection Directive will reach that three-year threshold between March and June 2026. Kela stresses that the clock does not start on the date of entry but on the date when the person is deemed “permanently resident”, usually after one year of continuous stay.
The agency will assess permanence case-by-case, looking at factors such as family ties, length of stay, work history and whether the applicant has a fixed address. Time spent in another EU/EEA country, Switzerland or the UK can, in some circumstances, be counted toward the Finnish three-year requirement. Kela says it will publish multilingual guidance and a printable factsheet in Ukrainian and Russian in the coming weeks so that employers, municipalities and NGOs assisting refugees can prepare the necessary documentation in advance.
![Kela outlines pension eligibility for Ukrainian refugees reaching three-year residency mark]()
If refugees or their employers need extra support navigating Finnish residence rules—whether for pension purposes or for upgrading from temporary protection to longer-term permits—VisaHQ can help. The service’s Finland portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) provides tailored visa information, document checklists and application tracking, streamlining the paperwork so applicants can focus on integration rather than administration.
For global-mobility managers the announcement is a reminder that Ukrainian staff on temporary-protection status may soon transition into Finland’s mainstream social-security and tax systems. Employers should review payroll settings, make sure A1 certificates (where relevant) reflect the change and consider the long-term housing implications once the right to reception-centre accommodation ends. HR teams should also alert affected employees that pension applications filed before the full three-year residence period will be rejected, potentially delaying benefit start dates.
The clarification provides welcome certainty for both refugees planning to settle and Finnish organisations that have integrated Ukrainian talent into their workforce. It also signals that Finland is moving from emergency assistance toward longer-term integration of displaced Ukrainians.
Under Finnish law, non-EU citizens can qualify for so-called Kela pensions once they (1) turn 65 years old and (2) have lived in Finland on a permanent basis for three consecutive years. Many of the roughly 55 000 Ukrainians who arrived under the EU Temporary Protection Directive will reach that three-year threshold between March and June 2026. Kela stresses that the clock does not start on the date of entry but on the date when the person is deemed “permanently resident”, usually after one year of continuous stay.
The agency will assess permanence case-by-case, looking at factors such as family ties, length of stay, work history and whether the applicant has a fixed address. Time spent in another EU/EEA country, Switzerland or the UK can, in some circumstances, be counted toward the Finnish three-year requirement. Kela says it will publish multilingual guidance and a printable factsheet in Ukrainian and Russian in the coming weeks so that employers, municipalities and NGOs assisting refugees can prepare the necessary documentation in advance.
If refugees or their employers need extra support navigating Finnish residence rules—whether for pension purposes or for upgrading from temporary protection to longer-term permits—VisaHQ can help. The service’s Finland portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) provides tailored visa information, document checklists and application tracking, streamlining the paperwork so applicants can focus on integration rather than administration.
For global-mobility managers the announcement is a reminder that Ukrainian staff on temporary-protection status may soon transition into Finland’s mainstream social-security and tax systems. Employers should review payroll settings, make sure A1 certificates (where relevant) reflect the change and consider the long-term housing implications once the right to reception-centre accommodation ends. HR teams should also alert affected employees that pension applications filed before the full three-year residence period will be rejected, potentially delaying benefit start dates.
The clarification provides welcome certainty for both refugees planning to settle and Finnish organisations that have integrated Ukrainian talent into their workforce. It also signals that Finland is moving from emergency assistance toward longer-term integration of displaced Ukrainians.
