Right to work in Finland
If you are not a Finnish citizen, you must prove to your employer that you have the right to work in Finland. Your right to work depends on your nationality and on the country from which you are moving. If you have a residence permit for Finland, you can see your right to work on your residence permit card.
Show your employer either your passport, official travel document or residence permit card. You have the right to keep your passport and residence permit to yourself. Your employer only has the right to see them. The employer will usually take a copy of the grounds for your right to work because, according to law, it must be kept at the workplace.
When the reason for staying in Finland is something other than work
If you already have a residence permit for Finland based on other grounds, such as family ties, you may have the right to work. In this case you will not need a specific residence permit for working. You can check from your residence permit card and your residence permit decision whether you have the right to work in Finland.
Student’s right to work
If you are a citizen of another country with a residence permit for studies, you have the right to work under certain conditions. You can work part-time for up to an average of 30 hours a week. You can work full-time if you are writing your thesis or are completing practical training related to your degree.
Read more on the InfoFinland pages Study in Finland.
Family member’s right to work
If you are a citizen of another country and have received a residence permit based on family ties, you have an unrestricted right to work in Finland for as long as your residence permit is valid.
You can read more about applying for a residence permit for a family member on the InfoFinland pages Family member in Finland and Residence permit for a spouse.
Asylum seeker’s right to work
You have the right to take up gainful work in Finland after three or six months have passed since you submitted your asylum application. The limit is three months if you presented a valid passport or other travel document with the asylum application. If you did not show a valid travel document to the authorities when you submitted your asylum application, you can take up gainful work in Finland after six months have passed from your application. Your right to work will continue until you receive a non-appealable decision to your asylum application. The decision will specify whether you still have a right to work.
Read more about applying for asylum in Finland on the InfoFinland page Asylum in Finland.
Right to work of applicants for temporary protection
You have the right to work and study in Finland immediately after you have applied for temporary protection. Once you receive a residence permit, you are also entitled to receive services intended for unemployed jobseekers from the TE Office (TE-toimisto).
Read more about temporary protection on the InfoFinland page Temporary protection in Finland.
Can the right to work lapse?
Apply for an extension before your residence permit expires. If you apply for an extension after your residence permit expires, your right to work will lapse. Give your employer a copy of the certificate of a pending application (hakemuksen vireilläolotodistus), and also give them a copy of your new residence permit as soon as you receive it.
Read more about applying for a residence permit extension on the InfoFinland page Residence permit extension.
If there is a change in your right of residence or other grounds for your right to work, please inform your employer immediately.
If you do not have a residence permit or are not sure if you have the right to work, you can ask the Finnish Immigration Service (Maahanmuuttovirasto) about it by email. Read the instructions on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service (Maahanmuuttovirasto).
Working in Finland without the right to work is illegal.
Finnish Immigration Service
Right to work in FinlandLink redirects to another websitePosted worker
If an employer in another country has sent you to work in Finland, you are a so-called posted worker (lähetetty työntekijä).
If you have a residence permit for another EU country and not for Finland, you usually need a residence permit to work in Finland. In some situations, you can work without a residence permit. Check your right to work in Finland on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service (Maahanmuuttovirasto). If you have a residence permit for another EU country based on an intra-corporate transfer, i.e. an ICT residence permit (ICT-oleskelulupa), you can come to work in Finland for a maximum of 90 days.