Look for work in Finland

In the European Union's EURES portal, you will find

• information about looking for work in Europe in your own language
• the contact details of the EURES advisers in your own country.

Go to the EURES portal.Opens in a new window. 

The InfoFinland website offers information about looking for work in Finland in 12 different languages.Opens in a new window.

You can take part in the Finland Works recruitment events online. Information about upcoming recruitment events is published on the European Job Days website.Opens in a new window.

You can get unemployment benefit for 3–6 months from the country in which you have worked last. In that case, you have to fill in the U2 form with the employment authorities of the country of origin and bring it with you to the employment service`s local office in Finland.

To get the unemployment benefit, you have to register as a jobseeker with the employment services in Finland.

You will find additional information about transferring your unemployment benefit and the U2 form in the EU’s Your Europe portal.Opens in a new window.

The E-services at Job Market FinlandOpens in a new window. requires strong electronic identification. The electronic identification tokens of some European countries can be used for identification in Finnish electronic services.

If this is not possible with your country's identification tokens, you will need a Finnish identification token, such as online banking IDs or a mobile certificate. In practice, you can only get a Finnish identification token when you are already in Finland.

Read about identification with different identification tokens in more detailOpens in a new window..

If you would like to travel to Finland to look for work and you do not have a residence permit, you will need a visa. A visa is an entry permit issued for a short and temporary visit of up to 90 days.

Check the website of the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs to see whether you need a visa and what conditions are required for you to be issued one.Opens in a new window.

You will find country-specific instructions, document requirements and online visa-application form on the Finlandvisa.fiOpens in a new window.

You can apply for a visa from 

• the nearest Finnish diplomatic missionOpens in a new window.
• a diplomatic mission of another Schengen country that has an agreement with Finland.Opens in a new window.

You are however not allowed to start working before you have a valid residence permit.

There are some special cases in which you can work in Finland without a residence permit. For example, you do not necessarily need a residence permit if you work in Finland for a maximum of 90 days as

• an interpreter
• a teacher
• a specialist
• a sports judge or referee
• a professional artist
• a professional coach 
• a professional athlete
• a product demonstrator 
• a film worker
• a sailor
• the driver of a vehicle related to transport between countries
• the tour leader for a package tour to Finland

Check the more specific definitions of exceptional cases on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service.Opens in a new window.

The right to work indicated in your residence permit defines how you can work in Finland:

• If you have received a residence permit based on family ties, you have an unlimited right to work. In this case, you can work in Finland without restrictions.
• If you have fled the war in Ukraine and have received a residence permit based on temporary protection, you have an unlimited right to work. In this case, you can work in Finland without restrictions. Read more in UkrainianOpens in a new window..
• On the other hand, if you have received the residence permit based on studies, you have a limited right to work. In this case, you can only do a limited amount of work.

Read about the right to work indicated in the residence permits in more detail on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service.Opens in a new window. 

Employment services provide you with help and support in jobseeking and in adapting to life in Finland. You must register as a jobseeker at the employment services. to receive unemployment benefits. 

However, if you are not a citizen of an EU Member State, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you must have a residence permit and the right to work in Finland to register as a user of the employment services.

Read how Job Market Finland web service can help you to find a job.Opens in a new window.

The InfoFinland website offers information about looking for work in Finland in 12 different languagesOpens in a new window..