Business activities of residence permit holders
When you hold a valid residence permit issued by Finland, you are allowed to engage in business activities as an entrepreneur, a freelancer or as a light entrepreneur ('kevytyrittäjä’). Your residence permit may have been issued on any grounds but you must continue to meet the permit requirements even if you engage in business activities.
Entrepreneurs in Finland
You are an entrepreneur if you are:
- a private trader or sole trader ('elinkeinonharjoittaja' or ‘toiminimiyrittäjä’ in Finnish)
- an entrepreneur in a limited liability company (you own at least 30 per cent of the company’s shares and are a member of the Board of Directors or work as the company's managing director)
- a partner in a general partnership
- a general partner (not a silent partner) in a limited partnership
- a member of a cooperative in which the members are liable for the cooperative's debts without upper limit if the cooperative is declared bankrupt or placed in liquidation and the cooperative lacks assets.
If the basis for your residence in Finland is entrepreneurship and you have a Business ID, you can apply for a residence permit for an entrepreneur.
Freelance work and light entrepreneurship in Finland
There is no separate residence permit for freelancers or light entrepreneurs (‘kevytyrittäjät’) in Finland. You must get a residence permit on some other grounds in order to do freelance work.
On this page, we use the terms 'freelancers' and 'light entrepreneurs' to refer to persons who do not have an employment relationship and are self-employed without their own company.
Freelancers are self-employed persons who receive assignments from several contractors.
- You are a light entrepreneur ('kevytyrittäjä') if you have outsourced billing and other financial management to an invoicing service company (Ukko or Free, for example) without establishing a company yourself.
- You are a platform worker if you are self-employed and work like an entrepreneur by providing services or selling products to your own customers though a platform company (Foodora, Freska, Uber, Wolt, for example).
Freelance work or working as a light entrepreneur ('kevytyrittäjä') through an invoicing service company is allowed if you hold a valid residence permit issued by Finland. Make sure you continue to meet the permit requirements for the residence permit that has been granted to you. If you are a student, for example, your studies must advance. If you hold a residence permit for an employed person, your employment relationship must continue.
Examples of residence permit holders' business activities
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You are allowed to engage in business activities. However, the grounds on which you were granted a residence permit must still remain the same as when the permit was granted.
If you hold a residence permit for an employed person or a residence permit for a specialist, for example, you must continue to be employed and do the type of work for which your permit was issued.
You are allowed to engage in business activities. However, your studies or your research must advance.
You are allowed to engage in business activities.
You are allowed to engage in business activities. The family relationship on which your permit is based must continue.
If you hold a residence permit on the basis of international protection, you are allowed to engage in business activities. In other words, you are allowed to start a business or do freelance work or work as a light entrepreneur (‘kevytyrittäjä’).
If you hold a residence permit on the basis of temporary protection, you are allowed to do freelance work or work as a light entrepreneur.
Read more about asylum seekers’ right to work.
You are allowed to engage in business activities. Remember to register your right of residence if you are an EU citizen and are residing in Finland for over 90 days.
If you live in another EU Member State in which you hold a residence permit and in which you have a place of residence and you are not moving to Finland, you are allowed to visit Finland and do freelance work or work as a light entrepreneur (‘kevytyrittäjä’). Holders of an EU Blue Card issued by another Member State may come to Finland to carry out temporary business activity for 90 days during a period of 180 days.
You must apply for a licence with the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (prh.fi) if you do not have a residence permit in another EU Member State but wish to do freelance work or work as a light entrepreneur (‘kevytyrittäjä’) in Finland.
In all cases, make sure that you have the right to visit and stay in Finland. You may need a visa, or a residence permit issued by another EU Member State, for example.
Continuing business activities when applying for an extended permit
Apply for an extended permit when your current residence permit is going to expire and you wish to continue your stay in Finland. An extended permit may be issued for up to 4 years. The Finnish Immigration Service can grant you an extended permit if you still meet the requirements for the permit that was granted to you. Alternatively, you can apply for an extended permit on new grounds. Read more on the page Extended permit.
When you hold a continuous residence permit (an A permit)
If you apply for an extended permit before your current residence permit expires, you may continue your business activities even if you do not receive a decision on extended permit before the expiration of your current permit.
If you apply for an extended permit too late but you have been granted a municipality of residence, you may continue your business activities. However, your right to work will pause because you submitted the application too late. This means that you are not allowed to work in paid employment.
When you hold a temporary residence permit (a B permit) and do not have a municipality of residence
If you apply for an extended permit before your current residence permit expires, you may continue your business activities even if you do not receive a decision on extended permit before the expiration of your current permit.
You are not allowed to continue your business activities if you apply for an extended permit too late (that is, after your current permit already has expired).
Examples of situations affecting your right to engage in business activities in Finland:
- When you receive a negative decision and must leave Finland:
- You are allowed to engage in business activities until the deportation matter becomes enforceable. Read more on the page Deportation and denial of admittance or stay.
- When you hold a temporary residence permit but do not have a municipality of residence and you have applied for an extended permit too late and the new permit has not yet been issued:
- Your right to work and your right to engage in business activities is interrupted.
- When you hold a temporary residence permit but do not have a municipality of residence and you have applied for an extended permit in time but the new permit has not yet been issued:
- You have a place of residence in Finland even though a municipality of residence cannot yet be registered for you. You are allowed to continue engaging in business activities during the processing.
Read more about business activities:
- Frequently asked questions
- Part-time entrepreneurship and light entrepreneurship (suomi.fi)
- Self-employment (suomi.fi)