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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. A residence permit for an employed person is granted for the field of employment to which your job belongs. You must have confirmed employment before you can apply for this permit.

  • Expected processing times:

    Processing times

  • Electronic application fee

    First permit 590 € / extended permit 170 €

  • Paper application fee

    First permit 750 € / extended permit 430 €

A residence permit for an employed person is not granted to so called light entrepreneurs (who work through an invoicing service company). For more information, see the page Business activities of residence permit holders.

A residence permit for an employed person may be subject to 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. Read more on the page Labour market test.

If you apply for this permit as a first residence permit, you must submit the application abroad. Applications for an extended permit can only be submitted in Finland. Read more on the pages First residence permit and Extended permit.

If your employer has obtained employer certification, you can apply for a D visa at the same time as you apply for a residence permit. The D visa allows you to travel to Finland immediately after you have been issued with a residence permit and a D visa sticker has been attached to your passport. Read more about the D visa.

Your spouse and children can apply for a D visa if they are applying for a residence permit on the basis of family ties. Read more on the page Moving to Finland to be with a family member.

See our answers to frequently asked questions: Frequently asked questions: Employment.

This is what you should do

See our step-by-step guide Residence permit for an employed person (pdf) for an overview of the permit process and the requirements for the permit.

Prepare:

Fill in the application:

Right to work

  • You cannot start working before you get a residence permit for an employed person.
  • You can only work in the field of employment to which your job belongs and for which you have been granted a residence permit. You may have several jobs in the same field of employment.
  • When you hold a residence permit for an employed person, you may also find employment in a national labour shortage sector (tyovoimabarometri.fi). The list of national labour shortage sectors is updated yearly. 
    • When you hold a valid residence permit for an employed person and find employment in a national labour shortage sector, you do not need to apply for a new residence permit for an employed person to work in the new sector. If the list of national labour shortage sectors changes during your protection period, you are allowed to find employment in sectors that are on the list and in sectors that have been on the list during your unemployment period. Your right to work will continue in your valid employment relationship for as long as your residence permit is valid.
  • If you apply for an extended permit, check if you have the right to work while your application is being processed. Read more on the page Working while your extended permit application is being processed

For more information, see:

Residence permit application for an employed person (TTOL), OLE_TY1

Fill in an electronic application

Extended permit for an employed person (TTOL), OLE_TY1

Fill in an electronic application

Prepare for your life in Finland

Processing situation: residence permit for an employed person 

There are backlogs in the processing of applications. We are sorry for any inconvenience.

The data on this page will be updated regularly until the backlogs are cleared.

On 30 November 2025, there are 3,176 applications for a residence permit for an employed person that are being processed or waiting for processing.

We will process all applications as quickly as possible. Requests to expedite will not speed up the processing of an application.

If we need additional information for the application and the processing fee has already been paid, we may ask the applicant or the employer for additional information already before the applicant proves his or her identity.

First residence permits

Between 17 November and 30 November 31.7% of the decisions on first residence permits for employed persons were issued within 14 days or less, 5.3% within 15–30 days and 63.0% within 30 or more days of the applicant proving his or her identity.

Since the beginning of 2025, a total of 5,174 applications for a first residence permit for an employed person have been submitted.

So far in 2025, we have made a decision on 5,425 applications for a first residence permit for an employed person. There have been 3,146 positive decisions.

Extended permits

Between 17 November and 30 November 23.5% of the decisions on first residence permits for employed persons were issued within 14 days or less, 5.6% within 15–30 days and 70.9% within 30 or more days of the applicant proving his or her identity.

Since the beginning of 2025, a total of 8,879 applications for an extended permit for an employed person have been submitted.

So far in 2025, we have made a decision on 8,875 applications for an extended permit for an employed person. There have been 7,158 positive decisions.