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Frequently asked questions: Employment

Application requirements

I wish to move to Finland to work in paid employment. I am not an EU national or a person with an equivalent nationality. What do I need to do?

To move to Finland on the basis of employment, you must first get a job in Finland. After you have found a place to work, you will need a residence permit on the basis of work issued by Finland. Apply for your first residence permit outside Finland and visit a Finnish embassy or consulate to prove your identity. You must wait for the decision outside Finland. 

If you are not sure which application you should use, use the Application Finder to find out.

May I apply for a residence permit for an employed person if I find a suitable job while visiting Finland?

No, you cannot. You must apply for a first residence permit outside Finland before arriving in Finland. If you apply for a residence permit while in Finland, you will usually get a negative decision.

I’ve applied for a residence permit for an employed person but I no longer have the same employer. What should I do?

If your new job is in the same field of employment for which you have applied for a residence permit for an employed person, you can supplement your application and change the employer in your application if we have not issued a decision on your application yet. All documents and all changes of which you have informed us will be taken into account when we decide your application.

If we have already made a decision on your application, you can no longer supplement your application or change the details in it. If your new job will be in the same field of employment for which you have been issued with a residence permit, you do not have to apply for a new residence permit for an employed person. For more information, see the page Changing jobs.

If your new job is in some other field of employment, you must apply for a new residence permit for an employed person. Your right to work in the new field of employment begins after you have been granted a new residence permit.

If your new job is in a field of employment that is included in the list of national labour shortage sectors, you do not have to apply for a new residence permit for an employed person if you have a valid residence permit for an employed person. See the list of national labour shortage sectors in the online service Labour Force Barometer (tyovoimabarometri.fi/tyolupalinjaus).

Application procedure

I own shares of a public limited company (oy) in Finland. I wish to apply for a residence permit. Which permit do I need?

A residence permit will not be granted on the grounds that you own shares; you also have to work in the company, and the work must be performed in Finland. If you are not sure what application form you should use, use the Application Finder to find out.

Can I and my family member submit our applications at the same time? Will the applications be processed together?

Your family member can submit his or her application at the same time as you submit your application. Your applications are not necessarily processed at the same time. You can speed up the processing by making sure that both you and your family member include all the necessary information and attachments in your applications.

Right to work

Am I allowed to work while waiting for a decision on my application for a residence permit on the basis of employment?

You do not have the right to work while your first application for a residence permit on the basis of employment is still being processed.

Work for which a residence permit is not required is an exception to this rule. Note, however, that you will be allowed to work in this way without a residence permit only until the expiry of your visa or exemption from visa.

If you have already been granted a residence permit on the basis of employment or some other residence permit on the basis of which you are entitled to work, you may continue the work that you are entitled to do in the same field during the processing of your extended permit on condition that you have applied for an extended permit before the expiry of your previous permit.

May I work elsewhere within the Schengen area with a residence permit for an employed person issued by Finland?

If you have a Finnish residence permit, you may travel to other countries in the Schengen area for a short period of time, but you are not allowed to take paid employment there. If you wish to live or work in another country in the Schengen area, you need to contact the authorities of that country to determine the type of permit required.

Regardless of the type of residence permit (A, B or P) or the reasons why it was granted, a Finnish residence permit allows you to visit other countries in the Schengen area for no more than 90 days at a time. This is the longest total consecutive time you may spend outside Finland in other Schengen countries, not just in one country.

I have a permanent residence permit issued by another Schengen country. Does this allow me to live and work in Finland?

A residence permit issued by another Schengen country allows you to travel to Finland for a period of no more than 90 days at a time. If you do not have a residence permit issued by Finland, you may not stay any longer than that, and you may not take paid employment.

Work for which a residence permit is not required is an exception to this rule.

May I change from one occupational sector to another while my residence permit for an employed person is valid?

Your residence permit for an employed person entitles you to work in any or several occupations of your choosing. For more information, see Changing jobs.

May I work in sectors other than the ones listed in my residence permit for an employed person? 

When you hold a residence permit for an employed person, you are only allowed to work in sectors that are mentioned on your residence permit card. However, there is an exception to the rule: If you have a valid residence permit for an employed person, you may also find employment in a national labour shortage sector (tyovoimabarometri.fi) even if the sectors are not mentioned on your residence permit card.

I have a residence permit for an employed person but became unemployed. In which sectors am I allowed to work if the list of sectors with national shortage of labour changes during my unemployment? 

The list of national labour shortage sectors is updated yearly. 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.

Am I allowed to study if I have a residence permit for an employed person?

Yes. All Finnish residence permits entitle you to study in Finland. Please note, however, that if the purpose of your residence in Finland changes from employment to studying, for example, you must apply for a new residence permit for studies.

Pursuing a trade or business

I have completed a degree in Finland. Can I do freelance work?

You are free to engage in business activities and do freelance work if you hold a residence permit for a person with a degree or qualification completed in Finland.

Can I do freelance work or be a light entrepreneur with my residence permit?

Yes, that is allowed. However, make sure that you continue to meet the permit requirements.

What’s the difference between the right to work and the right to pursue a trade?

The right to work concerns the right to work in paid employment in an employment relationship. The right to pursue a trade concerns the right to engage in business activities without an employment relationship and to be self-employed. 

Residence permits are granted for different purposes, and the right to work may differ between permits. 

Regarding students, for example, the right to work permits students to work for up to 30 hours per week. Residence permits issued on the basis of work may be issued for work in a certain sector. Family members may work without restrictions. 

All residence permits granted by Finland allow the permit holder to pursue a trade even though the right to work may differ from permit to permit. However, the original requirements for the permit must still be met. The holder of a residence permit for studies, for example, must still continue to study.

Other experts

I am entering Finland as a lecturer. I am not an EU national or a person with an equivalent nationality. Do I need to apply for a residence permit for an employed person?

If you are entering Finland as a lecturer on the basis of an invitation or agreement, you do not need a residence permit for an employed person.

However, you must have a valid visa or be a citizen of a visa-exempt country. You may work for no more than 90 days, until your visa or visa exemption period expires.

If you are entering Finland for an assignment lasting more than 90 days, you must apply for a residence permit which is granted separately for lecturing. If you are not sure what application form you should use, use the Application Finder to find out.

Remote work

I am going to work in Finland for a foreign company. Can I apply for a residence permit on the basis of work? 

If the company does not require you to reside in Finland, you cannot be granted a residence permit on the basis of work. A residence permit on the basis of work is only granted for such work that requires the employee to reside in Finland. Working remotely for a foreign company does not on its own constitute grounds for a residence permit on the basis of work. 

Check the grounds on which you can apply for a residence permit in Finland on the basis of work. 

If I reside in Finland and work remotely for a foreign company, can the income requirement be met?

No, it cannot, if you plan to apply for a residence permit on the basis of work. Working remotely for a foreign company does not on its own constitute grounds for a residence permit on the basis of work, so you will have to apply for a residence permit on some other grounds. 

Check the grounds for applying for a residence permit in Finland on the basis of work. If you apply for a residence permit on the basis of work, you will need to be paid a sufficient salary for the job for which you applied for a residence permit during the entire time your residence permit is valid. The income from remote work is not taken into account in the application. 

As regards other residence permits, the situation is considered case by case. Other grounds for residence permits are, for example, family ties, studies and remigration. Read more about the grounds for applying for a residence permit.

I have a valid residence permit in Finland. Am I allowed to work remotely for a foreign company when staying in Finland with a residence permit? The company does not have business activities in Finland.

You are allowed to work remotely for a foreign company when staying in Finland with a residence permit. However, you cannot be granted a residence permit on the basis of remote work. Visit the website of the Tax Administration to check on issues related to taxation.

Amendments to Aliens Act

I have been granted a residence permit for employment but my employment relationship has ended. Will the Finnish Immigration Service know that my employment relationship has ended? What will happen with my residence permit?

Residence permit holders must always have grounds for their residence permit. If you have been granted a residence permit on the basis of work, we recommend that you try to find a new job as soon as possible. You can also apply for a residence permit on new grounds if you have some other grounds for residing in Finland.

Your employer must notify the Finnish Immigration Service of the ending of your employment relationship. Based on the notification, the Finnish Immigration Service may start considering the withdrawal of your residence permit.

What does the protection period of 3 or 6 months mean?

Protection period means that if you have been granted a work-based residence permit and you become unemployed, you will have either 3 or 6 months to find a new job. After the protection period, we may withdraw your residence permit if you do not have any new grounds for residing in Finland.

You will have 6 months to find a new job if you have one of the following permits: 

You will have three months to find a new job if you have had, for example, one of the following work-based residence permits for less than two years: 

Read more from the page End of employment.

I have a residence permit for an employed person. If I lose my job, do I have to leave Finland after 3 months of unemployment?

If you become unemployed, you can find a new job that is covered by your current residence permit during the time your permit is valid. However, you are allowed to keep looking for a new job for a maximum of 3 months if you have lived in Finland for less than 2 years. If you have held a residence permit for an employed person for at least 2 years, you will have 6 months to find a new job.

If you cannot find a new job during the protection period and you do not have any other grounds for residing in Finland, your permit may be withdrawn. In that case, you will have to leave Finland. 

Why is there a 6-month protection period only for some permits?

For some residence permits, the protection period is 6 months because people who live in Finland with these permits may have longer periods of unemployment than people with other permits. The difference is partly because in certain fields, finding new employment may take longer and the recruitment processes are more complex.

Am I allowed to stay in Finland and look for work even after my residence permit expires?

If your residence permit expires and you have not applied for a new permit, you must leave Finland.

Why are the provisions on a 3-month or 6-month protection period issued?

The work-based residence permits are meant to enable employment in Finland. The purpose of the protection period provisions is to tie the work-based residence permits more closely to being employed and to improve the control and monitoring of residence permits.

Another purpose of the protection periods is to ensure by means of legislation that employees whose employment relationship ends have a clear and secure status. A work-based residence permit may be withdrawn if the employee becomes unemployed, but there is no legislation on when the withdrawal must happen. An employee would have either 3 or 6 months to find a new job, depending on the grounds for his or her residence permit and on the validity period of the permit. 

How will the right to work with a residence permit for an employed person be expanded?

At the moment, the residence permit for an employed person only allows its holder to work in a sector for which the permit has originally been issued. It has been possible to change employers within the same sector without needing to apply for a new permit. After the legislative amendments have entered into force, a person who resides in Finland and holds a residence permit for an employed person may find employment also in one of the national labour shortage sectors. If the residence permit is still valid, a new permit is not needed for taking on a new job in those sectors.

I have signed a non-compete agreement and my employment relationship has ended. Is the protection period of 3 or 6 months applied to me?

If you have signed a non-compete agreement and your employment relationship ends earlier than it is supposed to, the protection period of 3 or 6 months begins after your non-compete agreement has ended.

I’ve had a residence permit for an employed person for less than 2 years. I became unemployed on 1 February 2025. Does the protection period of 3 months apply to me?

The legislative amendments concerning protection periods entered into force on 11 June 2025. A protection period is applied to all permits granted on the basis of work. In your case, the protection period has ended on 1 May 2025. If you have not found a new job, the Finnish Immigration Service may start to consider the withdrawal of your residence permit. If you do not have a valid residence permit or other legal right of residence in Finland, you must leave the country.

I’ve had a residence permit for an employed person for less than 2 years. I became unemployed on 30 April 2025. Does the protection period of 3 months apply to me?

The legislative amendments concerning protection periods entered into force on 11 June 2025. A protection period is applied to all permits granted on the basis of work.

In your case, the three-month period has started on 30 April 2025. The Finnish Immigration Service may start to consider the withdrawal of your residence permit after 30 July 2025. If you do not have a valid residence permit or other legal right of residence in Finland, you must leave the country.