Foreign employee permits and registering in Finland
The employer has the responsibility to ensure that the employee has the right to work in Finland.
Citizens of EEA countries may work in Finland without a residence permit. For employees from outside the EEA, residence permits will be checked from a residence permit sticker that is located in the person's passport.
Citizens of EEA countries
- EEA countries: The Netherlands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Spain, Ireland, Iceland, the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, Italy, Austria, Greece, Cyprus, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Poland, France, Romania, Sweden, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Hungary and Estonia.
- Citizens of EEA countries can reside and work in Finland without a separate work permit. Those staying in Finland for longer than three months must also register at the local police station.
- Citizens of Nordic countries must register only after six months of residing in Finland at the specific city's magistrate.
Employees from outside the EEA countries
Residence permit for employees:
A residence permit for employees can be applied for by those foreigners who have a secured work position in Finland. A residence permit for employees is usually granted for a specific profession, assignment or company. The employment office receives the applications and grants a ruling depending on the workforce needs.
Further information, and the residence permit application form, can be found on the web pages of the Employment and Economic Development Office.
Other permits that can be used for working in Finland:
Continuous (A permit) and permanent (P permit) residence permits
You can work in Finland without limitations.
Temporary residence permit (B permit)
You can work in Finland without limitations, if the permit has been granted due to temporary protection or due to other such humanitarian grounds of immigration.
Residence permit for students
You can work a maximum of 25 hours a week on a residence permit for students. Working full-time is allowed during holidays and for study related practical training.
- If the employee's residence permit has expired, he/she may continue to work while waiting for the permit extension. In this case, the employee must provide the employer with proof of their submitting a residence permit application.
- If necessary, the employer may expedite the processing of an employee's residence permit application by a written request. Further information is available at the Polku advisory service.
Further information
Immigration web pages by the Employment and Economic Development Office: Permits and registrations for foreign employees
Police: Extensions of permits for citizens outside the EEA and the registration of EU citizens
Finnish Immigration Service: Preliminary residence permits for persons in foreign countries and in certain cases for persons in Finland
Working Permit Unit of Uusimaa: Information regarding working permits
Advisory telephone service of the employers of the Ministry of Employment and the Economy: Provides general working permit advice to employers