Degree completed in Finland
If you have studied and completed a degree in Finland,
- you may apply for a new residence permit on the basis of work immediately after you have found a job; or
- apply for a residence permit for seeking work if you are not yet employed.
Residence permit on the basis of work to a person who has completed a degree in Finland
If your residence permit for studies is still valid and you have found a job, you may apply for an extended permit on the basis of work.
If you have completed a degree in Finland several years ago and have left Finland since then, you may still apply for a residence permit on the basis of work as a person who has completed a degree in Finland. There are no time limits for submitting a residence permit application on the basis of work after receiving a degree.
You can only get a residence permit if your employment contract complies with the collective agreement of the sector in which you are going to work. If there is no collective agreement in your sector, your employment contract must have the same the terms and conditions that, in the Finnish labour market, are applied to workers who have similar duties.
Work must be your main reason for staying in Finland. Attach your degree certificate and your employment contract or a binding job offer to your application.
After you have been granted a residence permit for work, you have a general right to work regardless of what you studied.
If you already worked when you had a valid residence permit for studies and you apply for an extended permit before your residence permit expires, you may continue working or start working in a new job while you wait for a decision on your extended permit application. In this case, you may work without restrictions (for example full time). Your right to work is no longer limited like it was when you were a student. If you receive a negative decision on your residence permit application, you are not allowed to continue working even if you appeal the decision.
The application fee, its requirements and the necessary attachments to this application are listed on the application’s own page:
Residence permit application for employment of another kind, OLE_TY5
You can apply for an extended permit using the same application you used for your previous residence permit.
Residence permit to look for work or start a business
If you have studied and completed a degree in Finland but you have not yet found a job that would begin before your residence permit for studies expires, you can apply for an extended permit to look for work or to start a business.
Please notice that you can get an extended permit to look for work or to start a business only if you have a residence permit on the basis of studies. You must apply before your residence permit for studies expires.
Attach your degree certificate and a clarification of your income to your application. The income requirement is the same as it is for a residence permit for studies.
You can get a residence permit to look for work or to start a business only once, for a maximum of one year.
When you find employment, apply for a residence permit on the basis of work. If you start a business, apply for a residence permit for an entrepreneur. You can start working immediately after you have found a job or started a business.