Employee needs a residence permit

If you intend to work in Finland, you need a residence permit granted by the state of Finland.

Residence permit for an employed person

You need a residence permit for an employed person if you are not allowed to work with another residence permit or without one.

Residence permit for certain type of work

If you are entering Finland to work in any of the following capacities, you will not need a residence permit for an employed person. You will, however, need a residence permit. The permit will be granted separately for each case mentioned below.

• a specialist
• a researcher
• as an employee for a religious or non-profit association
• an athlete, coach or trainer, or sports judge or referee
• a traineeship or a transfer within a company for no longer than a year
• a person who has completed a degree or qualification in Finland
• work in the top or middle management for a company
• a visiting teacher, lecturer, instructor, consult, or research worker, and the duration of your job is no longer than one year
• an employee for a religious or non-profit association
• work in the field of science, culture, or arts (does not apply to musicians playing in restaurants)
• work in an international organisation or in a position related to official co-operation between states
• work in the field of mass media, and your employer does not have an office in Finland
• tasks that involve the studying of markets, preparation of a company’s location in Finland, negotiation for or acquisition of orders, supervision of the delivery of orders, or the performance of other similar tasks, and your employer does not have an office in Finland
• tasks that are part of the delivery contract for an individual machine, device, production line, or expert system that has been imported to or is to be exported from Finland, as long as the job takes no longer than six months

The decision will be made by the Finnish Immigration Service, without a partial decision from the Employment and Economic Office.

Working without a residence permit

In certain situations you may work in Finland without a residence permit. Read more from the page Right to work without a residence permit.