Guide: working in Finland

This guide will point you in the right direction if you are looking for information on job hunting in Finland, the Finnish unemployment security system and unemployment funds, trade unions, social security in different work situations, sickness allowance and rehabilitation, employees’ rights and obligations and employment taxation.

Also take a look at Guide: moving to Finland, which contains general advice on moving to Finland.

Nordic citizens do not need a residence or employment permit in Finland. There are certain conditions, however, for citizens of non-Nordic EU and EEA countries and other countries. Read more in the section Right of residence and right to work in Finland.

If you come to Finland to work, your employer can generally independently assess the validity of a foreign qualification when selecting employees, but to work in certain occupations you need to have your qualification professionally recognised and have the right to practise the profession. Read more in the section Professional recognition in Finland of qualifications completed in other countries.

You can find information on employment contracts, collective agreements and other matters related to terms of employment on the page Employees’ rights and obligations in Finland. You can find information on the trade unions that monitor employees’ rights on the page Unemployment funds and trade unions in Finland.

You can look for a job in Finland in advance from abroad or after arriving in Finland. Read more on the page Job hunting in Finland.

You can also come to Finland as an unemployed jobseeker and get unemployment allowance, but for this you must register as an unemployed jobseeker in your country of departure in good time before you move. Find out more on the page on unemployment security in your country.

If you are getting Finnish unemployment benefit and you are interested in going to another Nordic country to look for work, find out more on the page Unemployment benefits in Finland.

In Finland, unemployment allowance is paid from two different systems. If you become unemployed and you are a member of an unemployment fund, you can get earnings-related unemployment allowance. If you are not a member of an unemployment fund, you can get basic unemployment allowance from the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela). If you are not entitled to unemployment allowance, you can get labour market subsidy. Read more on the pages Unemployment benefits in Finland and Unemployment funds and trade unions in Finland.

For questions about employment and social security, the links below will point you in the right direction.

Are you entitled to social security benefits?

If you move to Finland to work, you are usually entitled to Finnish social security  from the time you start working. There are several exceptions to this rule, however. Read more on the page Which country's social security system are you covered by? 

If you are a posted worker, you can find information on the page Posted workers in Finland. If you are a researcher or grant recipient, you can find information on social security on the page Researchers and grant recipients in Finland.

What social security benefits do you get as an employee?

You can find information on social security in Finland and the right to healthcare services and sickness allowance and rehabilitation on the pages listed below.

As a rule, taxes are paid to the country where you work or get your income. If you live in a different country, your income may also affect your taxation in your country of residence. Therefore income must be declared for taxation both in your country of residence and country of employment.

Read more on the page Taxation in Finland or the Nordic tax portal NordiskeTax.