Employment

Frequently asked questions: Employment

Application requirements

  1. 1. I wish to move to Finland to work in paid employment. I am not an EU national or a person with an equivalent nationality. What do I need to do?
    1. To move to Finland on the basis of employment, you must first get a job in Finland. After you have found a place to work, you will need a residence permit for an employed person issued by Finland. If you intend to be self-employed or an entrepreneur in Finland, you will need a residence permit for a self-employed person issued by Finland.
    2. In some cases, you may be entitled to paid employment if you have another type of residence permit instead of a residence permit for an employed person. For more information, see the Right to work page.
    3. In some cases, you are entitled to paid employment without any residence permit. For more information, see Right to work without a residence permit.
    4. For general information on the rules and regulations of working life in Finland, see the website of the Employment and Economic Development Office.
  2. 2. May I apply for a residence permit for an employed person if I find a suitable job while visiting Finland?
    1. As a rule, for your first residence permit you should submit your application at a Finnish embassy in your home country, before you come to Finland. However, if you are visiting Finland and have found a job, you may apply for a residence permit by submitting your application (application forms OLE_TY1 and TEM054, with appendices) to the local police service point. Contact your local police to find out which service point in the area provides licence services. The Finnish Immigration Service will process and consider the application.
      You can apply for the residence permit also electronically.

Application procedure

  1. 3. I have been living in Finland on a student residence permit (a B permit) for some years and now have a temporary residence permit for an employed person. What do I need to do to get a continuous residence permit (an A permit)?
    1. When you apply for a residence permit for an employed person, the Employment and Economic Development Office issues a temporary decision determining whether your permit will be continuous (A) or temporary (B). This is usually determined on the basis of your employment agreement and the duration of your stay in the country. The Finnish Immigration Service or the police cannot overrule the type of permit determined in that decision.
    2. You may apply for a continuous residence permit when you have lived in Finland for employment purposes on a temporary residence permit for an uninterrupted period of two years. The permit may then be granted if you continue to meet the requirements for granting a residence permit.
    3. See also the answer to question no. 9: “I have a temporary residence permit (B permit). What is required to apply for its replacement with a continuous residence permit (A permit)? under Frequently Asked Questions: Residence permit types.

Right to work

  1. 4. Am I allowed to work while waiting for a decision on my application for a residence permit on the basis of employment?
    1. You do not have the right to work while your first application for a residence permit on the basis of employment is still being processed. Work for which a residence permit is not required is an exception to this rule. Note, however, that you will be allowed to work in this way without a residence permit only until the expiry of your visa or exemption from visa.
    2. If you have already been granted a residence permit on the basis of employment or some other residence permit on the basis of which you are entitled to work, you may continue the work that you are entitled to do in the same field during the processing of your extended permit on condition that you have applied for an extended permit before the expiry of your previous permit.
  2. 5. Am I allowed to begin working immediately after arriving in Finland, even though I have not yet received a decision on my residence permit application?
    1. No, except if:
      - you come to Finland to work on a specific assignment where working is allowed without a residence permit. In these cases, the right to work applies to specific, restricted job duties for a period of no more than three months or the period of validity of your visa. If you wish to continue your employment beyond this period, you must apply for a residence permit before the end of the period so that your right to work is not suspended.
      - you are an asylum seeker and three or six months have elapsed since you filed your application for asylum.
  3. 6. I did not apply for a residence permit until after arriving in Finland. When may I begin working?
    1. You may begin working when you have been granted a residence permit including the right to work. Your right to work is valid as soon as you receive notification of the decision, even if you have not received your residence permit card yet.
  4. 7. May I work elsewhere within the Schengen area with a residence permit for an employed person issued by Finland?
    1. If you have a Finnish residence permit, you may travel to other countries in the Schengen area for a short period of time, but you are not allowed to take paid employment there. If you wish to live or work in another country in the Schengen area, you need to contact the authorities of that country to determine the type of permit required.
    2. Regardless of the type of residence permit (A, B or P) or the reasons why it was granted, a Finnish residence permit allows you to visit other countries in the Schengen area for no more than three months at a time. This is the longest total consecutive time you may spend outside Finland in other Schengen countries, not just in one country.
  5. 8. I have a permanent residence permit issued by another Schengen country. Does this allow me to live and work in Finland?
    1. A residence permit issued by another Schengen country allows you to travel to Finland for a period of no more than three months at a time. If you do not have a residence permit issued by Finland, you may not stay any longer than that, and you may not take paid employment.
    2. Work for which a residence permit is not required is an exception to this rule.
  6. 9. May I change from one occupational sector to another while my residence permit for an employed person is valid?
    1. Your residence permit for an employed person entitles you to work in any or several occupations of your choosing. For more information, see Changing jobs.
  7. 10. Am I allowed to study if I have a residence permit for an employed person?
  8. 11. May I continue in my current employment after my residence permit expires?
    1. Yes, if:
      - you had a residence permit for an employed person for a specific professional field or a residence permit for a self-employed person and you have applied for an extension of that permit in the same professional field before the previous permit expired. In this case, you may continue in your current employment until you receive a decision on your extension application.
      - you had a residence permit on the basis of family ties and you have applied for an extension of that permit before the previous permit expired. In this case, you will retain your right to work unchanged until you receive a decision on your extension application. Thereafter, your right to work is determined by the new decision.
    2. No, if:
      - you had a trainee’s, consultant’s, instructor’s or teacher’s residence permit or a residence permit granted on some other grounds which included a limited right to work. In this case, you may not continue working even if you have applied for an extension.
      - you have received a decision rejecting your application for a residence permit or a decision of removal from Finland, and the decision has gained legal force.
      - you submitted your application for an extension too late, i.e. after your previous permit had expired.
      - you have a residence permit for a certain professional field or a certain employer ,and you wish to work in another field or for another employer. In this case, you may not begin your new employment until you have received a decision granting you a new residence permit.
  9. 12. May I work as a self-employed person on a residence permit for an employed person after my employment relationship ends? Or vice versa, may I work in an employment relationship if I have a residence permit for a self-employed person?
    1. If you have been granted a residence permit for an employed person and your employment relationship ends while that permit is still valid, you may become a self-employed person if you then apply for an extension of your permit on the basis of self-employment.
    2. If you have been granted a self-employed person’s residence permit and you discontinue your business, you may enter an employment relationship if:
      - you then apply for a new residence permit on the basis of employment
      - your residence permit for a self-employed person is continuous
      - you have been an entrepreneur, and not a practitioner

Researchers and other experts

  1. 9. I am entering Finland to conduct research. I am not an EU national or a person with an equivalent nationality. What permit do I need to conduct research in Finland? How do I apply for one?
    1. If you are entering Finland to conduct research on the basis of an invitation or agreement for a period of no more than three months, you may conduct research until your visa or visa exemption period expires.
    2. If you wish to work in Finland for longer than that, you will need a residence permit. Further information and application instructions.
  2. 10. I am entering Finland as a lecturer. I am not an EU national or a person with an equivalent nationality. Do I need to apply for a residence permit for an employed person?
    1. If you are entering Finland as a lecturer on the basis of an invitation or agreement, you do not need a residence permit for an employed person.
    2. However, you must have a valid visa or be a citizen of a visa-exempt country. You may work for no more than three months, until your visa or visa exemption period expires.
    3. If you are entering Finland for an assignment lasting more than three months, you must apply for a residence permit which is granted separately for lecturing.
    4. In addition to the residence permit application and the appendices specified on the application form, you need to append the following clarifications:
    5. - the invitation or agreement on the basis of which you are entering Finland as a lecturer, and
    6. - your employment agreement, detailing your pay and the terms and conditions of your employment, the duration of your proposed stay in Finland and, if necessary, a description of the specialist duties requiring particular expertise.