Cyprus
Launch of online residence permit renewal pilot
On 22 May 2026, the Migration Department announced the launch of the pilot of an online residence permit renewal application service. The system being piloted allow the renewal of the following residence permits:
- Temporary residence permits for the purpose of remuneratedemployment (with the same employer);
- Temporary residence permits for the purpose of domestic employment (with the same employer);
- Temporary residence permits for employees of foreign interest companies (with the same employer / within the same company);
- Residence permits for family members of employees of foreign interest companies and long-term residents (spouses and minor children) residing in the Republic of Cyprus under the framework of Family Reunification;
- Long-term residence permits.
The service can be used by third-country nationals, Cypriot and/or European employers of third-country nationals, and authorised representatives with a verified Cy Login Profile.
The physical submission of applications will continue as normal until further notice.
Finland
Proposal to change residence permit for startup entrepreneurs is sent out for comments
The government has announced that its proposed changes to the residence permit process for startup entrepreneurs have been sent out for comments.
The proposed changes now in public consultation would streamline the residence permit process for startup entrepreneurs. The aim is to allocate the resources of authorities to those applicants that genuinely plan to establish a growth company in Finland. Another goal is to prevent abuse of the system.
Under the current rules, an applicant for a residence permit for a startup entrepreneur must obtain in advance a statement from Business Finland evaluating whether the startup company shows potential for international growth. A significant number of these statements have been negative, and have failed to result in a residence permit being granted or the applicant moving to Finland as a startup entrepreneur. Abuse has been suspected in some cases.
According to the proposed change, there would no longer be a separate advance application for Business Finland’s statement. From now on, the evaluation would be included in the residence permit application subject to a fee. The change is expected to prevent incomplete and low-quality applications and thereby save the resources of the authorities. At the same time, the conditions for granting a residence permit for a startup entrepreneur would be clarified and laid down in law.
A foreign national applying for the first residence permit as an entrepreneur could apply for a Finnish business identity code after the permit has been granted. The present rules require the applicant to have a business ID already before submitting the application, even though the permit will not necessarily be granted.
The changes are not expected to considerably impact Finland’s ability to attract international startup entrepreneurs. Instead, the aim is to create a seamless residence permit process for applicants who genuinely plan to establish a company or a startup business in Finland.
The comment period will continue until 8 July 2026. The government proposal is due to be submitted during the autumn session of 2026. The amendments would enter into force in early 2028.
Ireland
New Temporary Protection Transition Scheme aimed at Ukrainian nationals
The government has announced that it is preparing a new Temporary Protection Transition Scheme for Ukrainian nationals with temporary protection, based on Stamp 4 permission.
It will be granted for a period of up to two years and renewable for periods of two years thereafter. Time on the permission will count towards naturalisation. The permission will include the whole family unit who have been resident in Ireland under temporary protection. It is intended that the application process for the new permission will open in September 2026.
The eligibility criteria for this permission will include:
- being resident in Ireland for a minimum of one year as a beneficiary of temporary protection;
- employment or self-employment for six months, with a minimum yearly salary of EUR 29,432;
- not be availing of state supported accommodation such as commercially provided, rapid build programme or hosted accommodation supported by the Accommodation Recognition Payment at the time of application.
As with moves to other permissions, it will not be possible to be granted a “Stamp 4 – Temporary Protection Transition Scheme”, and to hold Temporary Protection or any other immigration permission at the same time.
It is intended that this new permission will incentivise labour market participation, upskilling, and progression to independent living, while also providing clarity and certainty for people in advance of the expiry of Temporary Protection.
Further details on how to apply will be available in September 2026.
Sweden
Government publishes list of occupations exempt from new salary requirement
From 1 June 2026, new rules for work permits will apply in Sweden. One of the changes is a new salary requirement stipulating that, in order to obtain a work permit, the salary must amount to at least 90 percent of the median salary in Sweden at the time of application.
The government has decided that certain occupational groups will not be subject to the salary requirement. Through amendments to the Aliens Ordinance, around twenty occupations are exempted from the salary threshold (listed here). For these occupations, the salary instead must amount to at least 75 percent of the median salary in Sweden at the time of application. The exemption for these occupations will apply from 1 June 2026.
Pending applications
At present, the Swedish Migration Agency has approximately 2200 open work permit cases (first-time applications). The majority of these applications will not be processed before 1 June. Of these 2200 cases, around 120 concern applications for work permits in occupations may now be exempt from the salary requirement. For all others, the salary requirement must be fulfilled in order for a work permit to be granted after 1 June 2026.
Extension applications
Those who currently have a work permit according to the rules that apply now and who apply for an extension between 1 June and 1 December 2026 are not covered by the new salary requirement. For these individuals, current rules apply instead: the monthly salary must be at least 80 percent of the median salary that Statistics Sweden (SCB) has published and was current when you applied. Currently, that is 29,680 SEK.
Work permit holders can apply for an extension no more than two months before your current permit expires.
Additional groups exempted
Four additional categories of applicants are also exempt from the 90 percent requirement. For these groups as well, the salary must amount to 75 percent of the median salary:
- former students who are allowed to apply for a work permit from within Sweden,
- persons with foreign qualifications seeking employment in order to obtain a Swedish licence as a pharmacist, doctor, nurse or dentist,
- persons granted residence permits with or after temporary protection under the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive, who apply for permits based on employment,
- employees at certain tech or life science companies. The company must be in a start-up phase, less than five years old, and have fewer than one hundred employees.
The exemption for these groups will apply from 11 June 2026.
Occupations excluded from eligibility for work permits
The new rules also mean that employment in two occupations will no longer qualify for a work permit, regardless of employment conditions. These two occupations are personal assistants and forest berry pickers.
Most people working in berry picking apply for seasonal work permits and are therefore not affected by the exclusion. However, there are approximately 60 work permit applications concerning employment as personal assistants. For this occupational group, the exclusion means that work permits can no longer be granted for employment within that occupation.
New notification requirement
The changes also mean that the government is introducing a new notification requirement for employers, with the aim of preventing fraud and abuse. Employers with an employee holding a work permit in Sweden must notify the Swedish Migration Agency if the employee has not started working within four months from the date the permit came into effect. In addition, information about employers contained in suspicion and criminal records registers may be disclosed to the Swedish Migration Agency in work permit cases.
