Residence permit application for an employed person (TTOL)

Apply for a residence permit with this application if you are coming to Finland to work for a Finnish employer or other employer operating in Finland and you have signed a contract of employment or accepted a binding job offer. A residence permit for an employed person is connected with labour market testing, which means that the employer must establish if there is available labour force within a reasonable time in Finland or within the EU/EEA for the work in question.

Expected processing time for electronic application

First permit 1–4 months / extended permit 4 months
Expected processing time for paper application

First permit 2–4 months / extended permit 4 months
Electronic application fee

First permit 400 € / extended permit 190 €
Paper application fee

First permit 600 € / extended permit 190 €

Residence permit for an employed person

This is what you should do

1

Make sure you meet the requirements for the residence permit you are applying for.

2

Make sure you have all the attachments needed. If necessary, have them translated and legalised. The processing time may be longer if you have not filled in your application sufficiently.

3

Fill in your application.

4

Pay for your application in the e-service Enter Finland, at a Finnish mission (embassy or consulate) or at a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service.

5

If you are abroad, visit a Finnish mission (embassy or consulate). If you are already in Finland, book an appointment at a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service.

6

Wait for a decision. The Finnish Immigration Service will contact you if necessary.

7

Read what happens after you have applied. Check the estimated processing time of your application here.

8

You should wait for the residence permit in the same country or locality where you submitted your application and proved your identity.

General requirements for entry into Finland

Make sure you meet the general requirements for entry into Finland before you submit an application.

Requirements

You must also meet the following requirements:

You must have confirmed employment before you may apply for a residence permit for an employed person. If you have been offered work by an employer, the employer needs to confirm that you will really be hired. This is usually done in the form of an employment contract. Your employer must confirm this information by filling in the form TEM 054 and signing it.

Please note that an application for a residence permit for an employed person is processed in two stages. First, an Employment and Economic Development Office (TE Office) will assess whether you have sufficient means of support, whether your work will be temporary or continuous, and whether labour force is available within a reasonable time in Finland or within the EU/EEA for the work in question. Secondly, following this, the Finnish Immigration Service makes its decision.The processing time at the TE Office is 3–6 months, depending on which TE Office is processing the application. Check the current overall processing time with our Processing Time Checker.

Right to work

You cannot start working before you get a residence permit for an employed person.
You can only work in the professional field to which your job belongs and for which you have been granted a residence permit. You may have several jobs in the same professional field.
If you apply for an extended permit, check if you have the right to work while your application is being processed.

General attachments

Valid passport (you must present it when you submit the residence permit application)
Passport photo complying with the photo guidelines issued by the police or a photograph retrieval code you received from a photo shop, OLEL_PK
Colour copies of the passport page containing personal data and of all passport pages that contain notes
Document showing that you are legally staying in the country where you submit the application
Form MP_1 (if you already are in Finland and apply for your first residence permit)

Income requirement

You must have secure means of support

If you apply for a residence permit in order to work in Finland, you need to be able to earn your living in Finland through gainful employment throughout the time your residence permit is valid. The minimum salary from gainful employment is reviewed annually. Specialists and EU Blue Card holders are required to earn a higher salary. If your work is other than gainful employment (au pair, volunteering, Working holiday), your income requirement is defined separately.
Read more on the page Income requirement.

Ask your employer for the following documents and attach them to your application

(If you need more information about matters that concern your employer, contact the Employment and Economic Development Offices (TE Offices) for advice):

Appendix to worker’s residence permit application (TEM 0.54), filled in by the employer
Certificate of paid taxes or certificate of tax debts (no more than 3 months old)
Certificates from the insurance company on employer’s statutory insurance premiums regarding
- TyEL insurance;
- accident and group life insurance; and
- unemployment insurance (no more than 3 months old).
Report on the number of employees in the company (also the share of full-time and part-time employees)
Report on recruitment of labour force from the Finnish labour market and the labour market within the EU/EEA.

Application-specific attachments

Salmonella certificate (if you are a restaurant worker or your duties include food preparation or packaging)
Tuberculosis certificate (if your duties include taking care of children below school age)

Also include the following attachments to your extended permit application

A certificate confirmed by an accountant of salaries paid to you each month during the validity of your previous permit and a certificate of other possible benefits or compensation you have received (the salary certificate must include at least the following information: the name of the payer and the payee, the amount of salary or compensation for labour or service, as well as the amount of tax withholding, pension contribution and unemployment insurance in euros).
Copy of your Hygiene Passport (if you handle unpackaged, perishable food in your work).