On this page, you will find information about employing workers from outside Finland and instructions related to the process.
If your employee is not a citizen of an EU or EEA country, he or she must apply for a residence permit. Citizens of EU and EEA countries may work without restrictions, but they must register their right of residence. For more information, see the page Registering an EU citizen's right of residence. See also the info video on the registration of the right of residence of EU citizens (youtube.com).
Speed up the processing of your employee's application by using Enter Finland for Employers
Enter Finland is the online service of the Finnish Immigration Service. You can manage almost all permit and citizenship matters with the Finnish Immigration Service using the online service Enter Finland. As Enter Finland for Employers uses automation, your employee will usually get a decision more quickly if you use the service.
Use Enter Finland for Employers to fill in the terms of employment as soon as you have received a message from the Finnish Immigration Service. We can then start to process your employee’s application already before the employee has proved his or her identity and you will receive the decision faster.
Employers have a key role in their employees’ residence permit processes
In almost all cases, the employer must fill in the terms of employment for the employee’s residence permit application. Fill in the terms of employment as soon as you have received a message from the Finnish Immigration Service. This will speed up the processing of the application. For more information, see the page Filling in the terms of employment.
- Employer’s role and obligations
- Enter Finland for Employers
- Fast track: Instructions for employers
- For employers of seasonal workers
- For employers: If you are hiring an employee from Ukraine
- Labour market test
- Employer certification
- Processing situation: residence permit for an employed person
- Useful links for employers
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Is your employee applying for a first residence permit for an employed person?
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Instruction package for employers »
The instructions (pdf) provide item-by-item information on the path for moving to Finland for foreign workers from the employer’s perspective.