Job hunting in Finland

You can search for jobs in Finland either directly through employers or through various job search services, such as Job Market Finland and the international EURES portal. You can apply for jobs both while already living in Finland and from abroad before moving to the country. 

Under certain conditions, you can also come to Finland as an unemployed jobseeker and get unemployment allowance from your country of departure, but for this you must register as an unemployed jobseeker in your country of departure in good time before you come to Finland. Read more below in the section Coming to Finland as an unemployed jobseeker.

It is advisable to prepare for your job search well in advance, for example by checking the necessary residence and work permit requirements and the right to practice your profession. You can find general information on work-related matters, such as the permits required in Finland, on the page Guide: 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 on the TE Services online service. If you do not have a Finnish electronic identifier or are not a citizen of an EU or EEA country or Switzerland, you can register as a jobseeker at a TE Office or TE Services helpdesk. Read more on Job Market Finland.

On the Job Market Finland website, you can find all the vacancies listed with TE Services, as well as services for jobseekers, such as counselling and coaching. Read more on Job Market Finland.

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

It is also a good idea to use your own networks to support your job search. A large number of new jobs are “hidden vacancies” and are filled without being advertised.

EURES (European Employment Services) is a European employment network covering the EU countries, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. On the EURES website you can browse job vacancies advertised with the employment services of the countries in the system. Read more on the EURES website.

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

Also take a look at the hints and tips at the top under the heading How do you apply for jobs when you are in Finland? Companies also 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 get a job 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 you do not get a job 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.