Working without a residence permit
There are certain jobs in which you may work without a residence permit. In such cases, the work may last for a maximum of 90 days. If you intend to continue working after 90 days, you must apply for a residence permit.
Your residence in Finland must be legal.
Your residence in Finland is legal without a residence permit in the following cases:
- You have a valid visa.
- You hold a Schengen residence permit granted by another country.
- You are not required to have a visa to Finland due to your citizenship.
When can I work without a residence permit?
You do not need a residence permit if:
- your residence in Finland is legal;
- you have been invited to work in Finland or you have signed a contract to work in Finland;
- you will work for a maximum of 90 days; and
you will be working as:
- an interpreter, a teacher, a specialist or a referee; or
- a professional artist, a professional coach, a professional athlete, or are a member of an assistance or support team for such a person.
You may also perform these tasks without a residence permit if you work lasts 90 days or less:
- You are a product demonstrator or a film worker, and your employer does not have an office in Finland.
- You are a sailor and you work on a ship listed in the Register of Merchant Vessels or, if you were hired outside Finland, on a ship that primarily operates between foreign ports.
- You are an employee of a company that operates in another EU/EEA country, and you come to Finland to perform temporary acquisition or subcontracting tasks as specified in the regulations concerning the freedom to provide services. You must also have permits that allow you to reside and work in said country, and these permits have to be valid when you finish your work in Finland.
- You are a member of the personnel for a vehicle owned or controlled by a foreign party, and
- you drive a vehicle whose task is to transport across the border a load that is to be delivered to or retrieved from a certain destination, or
- operation in Finland is related to regular service between municipalities, at least one of which is located abroad, and
- you do not reside in Finland.
- You are the leader of a tourist group travelling to Finland from abroad, and your employer or contractor does not have an office in Finland. As the leader of the tourist group, you arrive in Finland together with the group and also leave the country together with the group.
If you intend to continue working even after the period of 90 days, you need to apply for a residence permit. If you do not have a residence permit when the time limit of 90 days expires, your right to work will end. In this case, you can continue working only after you have been granted a residence permit.
If you are an asylum seeker, read more about an asylum seeker’s right to work.
