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Work in Finland   

If you plan to work in Finland, you will usually need a residence permit that is granted by Finland. In most cases, you are not allowed to start working before you have a valid residence permit.

The right to work associated with a residence permit may be unrestricted, meaning that you are allowed to work in any field without restrictions. With some permits, the right to work may be restricted in some way. 

Check your residence permit card and the residence permit decision given to you to find out whether you have the right to work in Finland.

Due to certain amendments to the Aliens Act made on 15 April 2022 and 23 February 2023, the legal provision printed on your residence permit card regarding the grounds for your right to work is not necessarily in accordance with current legislation on the right to work. You do not need to apply for a new residence permit card because of this. Instead, you can use the following table to check which new legal provisions correspond to the old provisions: Table of correspondence between old and new legal provisions on the right to work (pdf).

Restricted right to work

The grounds for your residence permit will determine the amount of work you are allowed to do, the professional field in which you may work or the employer for whom you may work, as well as the tasks that you are allowed to perform. In some of the roles listed below you can only work for a restricted period of time. If the duration of your work exceeds the time limit set for that particular type of work, you need to apply for a residence permit for an employed person.

Unrestricted right to work

EU citizens working in Finland

If you are a citizen of an EU Member State or Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you are allowed to start working immediately after arriving in Finland. You do not need a residence permit in Finland. However, if you are staying in Finland for over three months at a time, you need to register your right of residence.

Entrepreneurship

Read here what to do in different situations when you wish to engage in business activities:

Working when you have a residence permit granted by a country other than Finland

In general, you are not allowed to work in Finland for long periods with a residence permit issued by some other country than Finland. You can read more on the page Right to work without a residence permit.

If you have a residence permit granted by an EU Member State other than Finland on the basis of intra-corporate transfer (ICT permit), you are allowed to work in Finland for a maximum of 90 days. In that case, the host entity in Finland must submit a mobility notification for short-term mobility. You can read more on the page Mobility notification for persons with ICT residence permit

If you have either a residence permit, a right of residence or a D visa granted by an EU Member State other than Finland or by Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland for at least one year, you cannot be granted a permit for seasonal work in Finland.

Remote work in Finland

You are allowed to work remotely for a foreign employer when you are staying in Finland legally. 

You cannot be granted a residence permit on the basis of remote work. A residence permit on the basis of work is only granted for such work that requires you to reside in Finland. Working remotely for a foreign employer does not in itself constitute grounds for a work-based residence permit.

For information about taxation, visit the website of the Finnish Tax Administration (vero.fi).