Austria
New minimum income requirements
The Austrian authorities have published updated minimum income requirements for residence permits.
Third-country nationals, i.e. persons who are neither EEA nor Swiss citizens, need a residence permit for Austria if they want to stay in Austria for more than six months. Qualified workers from third countries, and their dependent family members, can apply for a red-white-red card.
The authorities may only issue a residence permit to applicants who have an income at least in the amount of the relevant compensation allowance standard rate.
The standard compensation allowance rates effective 1 January 2025, are as follows:
- for single applicants: EUR 1273.99;
- for married couples: EUR 2009.85;
- for each additional child: EUR 196.57.
Social benefits to which a claim would only arise by issuing the residence permit, in particular social assistance benefits or the compensation allowance, are not taken into account.
Denmark
Updated requirements for hosting au pairs
The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) has announced that new rates for the monthly allowance and for the amount to help finance Danish language classes for au pairs took effect on 1 January 2026. The new rates apply to au pair applications that are submitted from 1 January 2026 onwards.
The new rate for the monthly allowance (pocket money) is DKK 5250, and the new rate for the amount that helps finance Danish language classes is DKK 20,900.
The host family must pay at least DKK 5250 (2026 level) per month as pocket money. The money must be paid to the au pair’s Danish bank account no later than the last banking day of each month, and is taxable. This must be paid even if the au pair is ill
When all other conditions for a residence permit as an au pair have been met, the host family must pay a one-off payment of DKK 20,900 to cover Danish language lessons.
The payment of the fee is a condition of being granted a residence permit.
Positive Lists updated
The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) has updated the Positive Lists for, respectively, people with a higher education and skilled work, effective 1 January 2026.
The new Positive List for People with a Higher Education includes 183 job titles, while the Positive List for Skilled Work includes 57.
The current update shows a slight decrease in the number of positions on the Positive List for people with a Higher Education and in the number of positions on the Positive list for Skilled Work.
Foreign nationals who have been offered a job included in one of the Positive Lists can apply for a residence and work permit in Denmark based on the scheme.
Those who have been offered a job requiring university level qualifications in a profession with a shortage of qualified professionals can use the Positive List for people with a higher education.
SIRI updates fees for residence permits
The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) has increased its fees for processing residence permit applications, effective 1 January 2026.
The fee increases are as follows:
| 2025 | 2026 | |
| Work cases | 6,055 | 6,810 |
| Study cases | 2,255 | 3,060 |
| Au pairs and interns | 4,210 | 4,305 |
| Accompanying family | 2,380 | 3,080 |
Foreign nationals applying for a residence permit on the basis of work or studies etc. must generally pay a fee for submitting the application. The fee amounts are generally set once a year based on the tasks associated with the case processing.
New wage statistics for the Positive List for Skilled Work
The Danish Agency for International Recruitment and Integration (SIRI) has published updated wage statistics that apply to the Positive List for skilled work from 1 February 2026.
When SIRI assesses applications on the Positive List for skilled work, it uses special wage statistics compiled by Statistics Denmark to assess whether an offered wage corresponds to Danish standards.
Currently, SIRI uses wage statistics based on data from Statistics Denmark’s wage register which contains information from Q2 2025
Now, the wage statistics have been updated with information from Q3 2025 which will be valid from 1 February 2026.
This means that all applications on the Positive List for skilled work submitted on or after 1 February 2026 will be assessed according to the wage statistics from Q3 2025.
Applications submitted before 1 February 2026 will still be assessed according to the wage statistics from Q2 2025
Finland
Changes to Finnish Immigration Service processing fees as of 1 January 2026
Some of the processing fees of the Finnish Immigration Service were updated on 1 January 2026. The processing fees charged by the Finnish Immigration Service are laid down in a decree issued by the Ministry of the Interior. Some processing fees for residence permit applications have been increased to reflect the costs of processing.
The processing fees for using Enter Finland to submit an online application are almost always lower than for paper applications.
Examples of changed fees
- Until now, applying for an extended permit on the basis of international protection has not been subject to a fee. From now on, the processing fee for an application for an extended permit on the basis of international protection is EUR 53.
- As of 1 January 2026, the processing fee for an online application for a first residence permit for an employed person is EUR 750. In 2025, the fee was EUR 590. The processing fee for a paper application for a first residence permit for an employed person increases from EUR 750 to EUR 950.
- The processing fee for an online application for a permanent residence permit will be EUR 380. Previously, the fee was EUR 240. The processing fee for a paper application for a permanent residence permit increases from EUR 350 to EUR 600.
- The processing fee for an online application for a first residence permit for studies increases to EUR 600. Previously, the fee was EUR 450. The processing fee for a paper application for a first residence permit for studies increases from EUR 550 to EUR 750.
- As of 1 January 2026, the processing fee for an online application for a first residence permit for an entrepreneur is EUR 750. Previously, the fee was EUR 550. The processing fee for a paper application increases from EUR 700 to EUR 900.
For applications that became pending on 31 December 2025 at the latest, the applicant will be charged the processing fee applicable in 2025.
All the latest processing fees can be found on the page Processing fees and payment methods.
Italy
New citizenship rules for minors born abroad
Italian consulates have announced that the Budget Law for 2026 amends the rules for acquiring citizenship for minor children born abroad to Italian citizens by descent.
In particular, the amendments provide that the declarations made by parents – at least one of whom is an Italian citizen by birth – of minor children born abroad who do not automatically acquire Italian citizenship, may be submitted within three years (instead of within one year) from the birth of the minor (or from the later date on which filiation, including adoptive filiation, to an Italian citizen is established).
At the same time, such declarations can now be made free of charge – the previous EUR 250 fee has been cancelled.
These amendments entered into force on 1 January 2026. For this reason, the waiver of fees will apply only to applications submitted from that date onward, and no refund is provided for applications already submitted.
United Kingdom
Updated English language requirements for some routes
Effective 8 January 2026, the Home Office has increased the English language level required for entry under the Skilled Worker, High Potential Individual and Scale-up routes from B1 to B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
The change was announced in the statement of changes laid before parliament in October 2025. B2 is equivalent to A Level, while B1 is similar to GCSE level.
The new requirements apply to those seeking an initial grant of leave in a relevant route following the implementation of these provisions on 8 January 2026. Those who have already obtained a permission where they were required to show a B1 level, will continue to be subject to a B1 level requirement where they are seeking an extension on the same route.
