Job hunting in Finland

You can look for a job in Finland or in advance from abroad. 

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. Read more below in the section Coming to Finland as an unemployed jobseeker.

You can find more general information on working in Finland and related topics on the page Working in Finland. You can find information on making an employment contract on the page Employees’ rights and obligations in Finland.

You can register as a jobseeker by visiting an Employment and Economic Development Services (TE Services) office. If you have Finnish electronic authentication, you can also register as a jobseeker online.

It is worthwhile checking the services of Job Market Finland. The service includes many services for jobseekers, such as advice and various training courses and coaching. There is also a link to the Vacancies search service with all the vacancies listed with TE Services.

Many companies and organisations also advertise job vacancies on their own websites and networks and possibly also via recruitment agencies. Jobs in public administration are advertised on the Valtiolle.fi website.

You can also search for job vacancies in newspapers and on newspapers’ websites. You can read the major daily newspapers in municipal libraries’ reading rooms. 

Your own networks can also provide support in finding a job. A large number of new jobs are so-called hidden vacancies and are filled without being advertised.

EURES (European Employment Services) is the European Commission’s jobs network, covering the EU countries, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. On the EURES website you can browse job vacancies advertised with the employment services in the system.

The site also provides contact details for EURES advisers in the various countries. Your local EURES adviser can help with questions related to working in Finland. 

Also take a look at the hints and tips under the heading Find a job in Finland. Companies post adverts in Swedish and English if these are working languages needed in the job.

Unemployed jobseekers who have become unemployed in an EU or EEA country can come to Finland to look for work on unemployment benefits from their country of departure for a maximum of three months. For this, form PD U2 or E303 is needed from the country of departure and you must also be registered as a jobseeker with TE Services.

Contact the authority that pays unemployment allowance in good time before you leave to look for a job and check the particular requirements, time limits and possible processing waiting times at your unemployment fund. You can find out more on the page on unemployment benefits in your country of departure and from Job Market Finland.

If you are a jobseeker and you find work in Finland, you are covered by the social security conditions for employees. As a rule, you must resign from your unemployment fund in your previous country of employment and from then on pay unemployment contributions in Finland.

If as a jobseeker you do not find work in Finland within three months of your date of departure and you do not want to lose your unemployment benefits, you must return to your home country.