Skip to Content

Coming to Finland for work

If you plan to work or be an entrepreneur in Finland, you will usually need a residence permit. If you work without a residence permit, you may be punished by a fine. Find out more about situations in which you do not need a residence permit.

If you are applying for a residence permit on the basis of employment, the residence permit application you should use depends on the kind of work you do or the kind of business you own. If you have completed a degree in Finland and you have a valid residence permit for studies, you may apply for a residence permit for seeking work.

If you have already been granted a residence permit on other grounds, it may include a right to work. If your residence permit includes the right to work, you will usually not need a separate permit for work. Look at your residence permit decision to find out whether you have the right to work. Read more on the page Right to work.

If you are a citizen of an EU Member State, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you do not need a residence permit for Finland. You must nonetheless register your right of residence.

Your residence permit depends on your work

When you are applying for a residence permit in order to work in Finland, you should notice that there are specific residence permit applications for certain types of work. Read more about the requirements, and find out what you should do, on the page of each application. If you are not sure what application form you should use, use the Application Finder to find out.

If there is no specific residence permit application for your work, you must apply for a residence permit for an employed person. An Employment and Economic Development Office will make a partial decision on your application.

By using the fast-track service, you can get a residence permit in two weeks

You can fast-track your residence permit application, if you are coming to Finland to work  

  • as a specialist
  • as a specialist or manager  with an ICT residence permit 
  • in top or middle management of a company
  • with an EU Blue Card  
  • as a start-up entrepreneur.

Even your spouse and children can apply at the same time and fast-track their applications. 

Fast-track applications can be submitted only in the online service Enter Finland. For more information, see the page Fast track.

Your salary must be high enough to support you

If you apply for a residence permit in order to work in Finland, you must get an appropriate salary for your work. This salary must be enough to support you for the entire time your residence permit is valid. Read more on the page Income requirement.

Changing jobs and end of employment

If your residence permit is based on work, it may only give you the right to work for a certain employer or in a certain field of work. If you have been granted a residence permit for a certain field of work, you are usually permitted to change jobs freely if your residence permit has not expired and your new job is in the same field. If you have been granted a residence permit for a specific task, you are free to perform this task in the service of another employer.

If your residence permit only allows you to work for a certain employer or if you wish to change your field of work, you need to apply for a new residence permit. Read more on the page Changing jobs.

If your residence permit was granted for work and your employment ends, the grounds of your residence permit no longer exist. You need to leave Finland when your residence permit expires at the latest, unless you have applied for a residence permit on some other ground.

Family members

If you have been granted a residence permit for work, your family may usually apply for a residence permit on the basis of family ties. Read the application page to find out if your family members may get residence permits on the basis of family ties.

Working in Finland if you have a residence permit in another country

You cannot usually work in Finland with a residence permit granted to you in another country, especially if you plan to work for more than 90 days. In some cases, however, you only need to have a residence permit or a visa granted by another Schengen country. It is also possible that you may be allowed to stay in Finland without a visa. Read more on the page Work without residence permit.

Application process when you are applying for your first residence permit on the basis of work

Residence permit for an employed person (TTOL)

1. The employee has found a job in Finland.

2. The employee submits an application in the e-service Enter Finland or fills in a paper form.

Enterfinland.fi »

The employee visits a Finnish mission abroad or a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service in Finland to prove his or her identity.

4. The application is processed in two stages:

An Employment and Economic Development Office makes a partial decision. After this, the Finnish Immigration Service processes the application and makes a decision.

5a. Negative decision:

The employee is informed of the decision. The employer is also informed of the decision. The employee may appeal the decision to an administrative court.

5b. Positive decision:

The employee is informed of the decision through the e-service or the Finnish mission. The employer is also informed of the decision. The employee can start working.

6. The employee may later apply for an extended permit.

Employed person, other residence permit (for example specialist, top or middle management of a company, researcher)

1. The employee has found a job in Finland.

2. The employee submits an application in the e-service Enter Finland or fills in a paper form.

Enterfinland.fi »

3. The employee visits a Finnish mission abroad or a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service in Finland to prove his or her identity.

4. The Finnish Immigration Service processes the application and makes a decision.

5a. Negative decision:

The employee is informed of the decision. The employer is also informed of the decision. The employee may appeal the decision to an administrative court.

5b. Positive decision:

The employee is informed of the decision. The employer is also informed of the decision. The employee may appeal the decision to an administrative court.

6. The employee may later apply for an extended permit.