Getting a residence permit to work in Finland
If a person intends to work in Finland, he or she needs a residence permit based on employment, which is granted by the state of Finland. To move to Finland on the basis of work, a person has to first get a job in Finland. After a person has found a place to work, he or she will need a residence permit for an employed person issued by Finland. In most situations working in Finland with a permit granted by another country is not allowed, especially if the duration of the job is longer than 90 days.
In some cases it is sufficient that a person has a residence permit or a visa granted by another Schengen member country. In these situations the right to work and be employed in Finland is restricted to certain jobs, and it applies only for a maximum of 90 days, but no longer than a person´s visa is valid.
For a person´s first residence permit, before arriving to Finland, the application should be submitted to a Finnish embassy abroad. However, if a person is visiting Finland and has found a place to work, he or she may apply for a residence permit by submitting a special application to the local police. The local police delivers the submitted application to the Finnish Immigration Service which will process and consider the application. While person´s first application for a residence permit on the basis of employment is still being processed a person does not have the right to work in Finland.
Which other permits include a right to work?
If a person has another type of a residence permit granted by the state of Finland, he or she may have the right to work in Finland without a separate permit. It is said in the residence permit and the residence permit decision whether a person has the right to work in Finland or not.
If a person has been granted a residence permit on the grounds of being a victim of human trafficking, that person has the right to work in Finland without any limitations.
Schengen member states
Finland belongs to Schengen member states that have jointly agreed about the rules concerning the movement of third-country nationals in their territories.
Schengen member states have jointly agreed which countries’ citizens are required to have a visa for entry into their territories. This means that one has the right to move freely in the Schengen area when having a visa to one of the Schengen countries.
The other Schengen member states are Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
If the person is a citizen on the EU, Iceland, the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland he or she will not require a residence permit for Finland.
Business visitors
There is no such a category as business visitor officially in Finland. However, when applying a visa for business visit purposes the required supporting documents include:
- Reference letter from the employer (original on official paper with contact information).
- Invitation letter from a Finnish company, specifying the nature of the business (must be either original letter written down on official paper including contact information or sent by a recognizable e-mail address).
Whether or not a visa is required for entering Finland and other Schengen countries depends on the citizenship of the person in question.
Those foreign nationals that do not need a visa, can enter Finland and other Schengen countries, provided that they have a valid passport or other travel document accepted by Finland.
If you are entering Finland to work as any of the following, you will not need a residence permit for an employed person. A person will, however, need a residence permit. The permit is granted separately for each case mentioned below.
- a specialist
- a researcher
- an employee for a religious or non-profit association
- an athlete, coach or trainer, or sports judge or referee
- a traineeship or a transfer within a company for no longer than a year
- a person who has completed a degree or qualification in Finland
- work in the top or middle management for a company
- a visiting teacher, lecturer, instructor, consult, or research worker, and the duration of your job is no longer than one year
- an employee for a religious or non-profit association
- work in the field of science, culture, or arts (does not apply to musicians playing in restaurants)
- work in an international organization or in a position related to official co-operation between states
- work in the field of mass media, and your employer does not have an office in Finland
- tasks that involve the studying of markets, preparation of a company’s location in Finland, negotiation for or acquisition of orders, supervision of the delivery of orders, or the performance of other similar tasks, and your employer does not have an office in Finland
- tasks that are part of the delivery contract for an individual machine, device, production line, or expert system that has been imported to or is to be exported from Finland, as long as the job takes no longer than six months
Please don´t hesitate to ask us if you have any questions regarding about getting a visa or a residency permit in Finland.
To find out more about immigration and residency, please contact our English speaking lawyers at info@gencs.eu.
T: +371 67 240 090
F: +371 67 240 091