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
Apply for a residence permit by submitting an application that suits your situation. Submit the application in the e-service Enter Finland or on paper.
You need to submit the application yourself. Your employer cannot apply for a residence permit on your behalf. However, your employer may supplement your application. Read more on the page For employers.
After you have filled in your application, you must visit a Finnish mission (embassy or consulate) abroad or a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service in Finland:
- If you have applied through the e-service, visit the Finnish Immigration Service to prove your identity, have your fingerprints taken and show the originals of the documents that you have attached to your application. If you submit your application through the e-service, pay for it there or at the time you visit a Finnish mission or a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service.
- If you have filled in a paper application, bring it with you. Have your fingerprints taken, prove your identity and show the originals of the documents that you have attached to your application. If you submit your application on paper, pay for it at a Finnish mission (embassy or consulate) or a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service.
The processing time of your application depends on the grounds on which you applied. You can find the expected processing times here. Please note that the expected processing time is an estimation, and the actual processing time can be either longer or shorter than the estimate. You can read more about the expected processing times here.
You can follow the processing of your application with the help of our chatbot Kamu. In addition, you will usually receive automated messages at the different processing stages of your application.
If we notice that something is missing from your application or if we need additional information from you, we will contact you. In some cases, we may ask you for additional information in writing or in an interview.
If you are applying for a residence permit for an employed person, an Employment and Economic Development Office (TE Office) will make a partial decision on your application. If you are applying for a residence permit for a self-employed person, a Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre) will make a partial decision on your application. The Finnish Immigration Service will process your application only after this.
If you submit your application abroad, you cannot come to Finland to wait for a decision while the application is being processed.
If you nonetheless come to Finland while your application is still pending and you wish to wait for a decision in Finland, you must cancel your first application and submit a new residence permit application in Finland. We will charge you a new processing fee for the new application. If you do not submit a new application after you have arrived in Finland, you must leave the country before your visa or visa-free period expires.
If you are in Finland when you apply for a residence permit, you are allowed to wait for the decision in the country even if your visa or visa-free period expires.
If you need to supplement your application, you can do so in one of the following ways:
- in the e-service on the "Send additional information" page if you have submitted your application online
- by post
- by email
Read more on the page Notify us of changes.
You may cancel your application at any time during its processing. Read more on the page Cancelling an application.
If you have applied for a residence permit through the e-service Enter Finland, you will get an e-mail or a text message when a decision has been made. You will also see it in your user account in the e-service.
If you submitted your residence permit application on paper:
- If you submitted your application abroad, you will be informed of the decision by the Finnish mission (embassy or consulate) that you have selected in your application as your service point.
- If you submitted your application in Finland, you will be informed about the decision by the police, or the Finnish Immigration Service will inform you about will inform you about it by post.
Some decisions will be sent by post with an advice of delivery. Read more about collecting your letter on the Advice of delivery page.
Your employer will also be informed of the decision.
If you get a positive decision, you will get a residence permit card.
If you applied for a residence permit in Finland and receive a negative decision, you may be refused entry to Finland.
If you are not satisfied with the decision, you have the right to appeal against the decision to an Administrative Court. Instructions on how to appeal will be attached to the decision.
The majority of decisions made by the Administrative Courts are subject to a fee. Contact an Administrative Court to find out more about court fees.