Work in Finland

When you move away from Finland permanently and, at the same time, cease working in Finland, 

• verify the amount of taxes for the year of the relocation from the Tax Administration’s tax return. You will receive it from the Tax Administration in March or April.
• report your income for the year when you leave on a Finnish tax return 
• report the change of address and the new foreign bank account for the payment of any tax refunds in MyTax or on paper form already before you move away from Finland. You can also submit a foreign bank account number.

If you were supposed to work over 6 months in Finland but move abroad already earlier, you must adjust your taxation. 

Contact the Finnish Tax Administration's International tax matters advisory service.

You will find the phone number and service times from the website Call us (vero.fi)Opens in a new window..

If you are moving from Finland to another location in the customs and tax territory of the EU, you do not need to lodge any declarations with Finnish Customs. 

If your removal goods include products subject to restrictions, Customs may ask you to present those goods and the related permits.

Moving from Finland to elsewhere in the EU.Opens in a new window.

If you are moving to a location outside the customs and tax territory of the EU:

• lodge an export declaration on your goods with Customs.
• if you are planning to move back to Finland at a later date, obtain an account on the export of the goods (certification of exit).

Make a general list of your removal goods for the export declaration if you have a car or other vehicles, they must also be declared.

You can find instructions for completing an export declaration from the Customs’ website: Moving from Finland to a non-EU country.Opens in a new window.

The following reasons affect whether Kela will continue to pay you benefits: 

• how long you intend to stay abroad
• which country are you moving to  
• why are you abroad

If you move abroad temporarily you are usually entitled to Kela benefits. A temporary move usually means less than 6 months.

Kela's benefits end on the day of the move if at least one of the following applies to you:

• you move permanently from Finland 
• you move from Finland for at least 6 months
• you move to a country other than an EU country, Norway, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, or the United Kingdom
• you start working in another country.

Read more about being entitled to Kela benefits if you move abroad from Finland.Opens in a new window.

If you are looking for work in another EU or EEA country, you can still receive unemployment benefits from Finland.

You can also transfer your unemployment benefit to another EU or EEA country for a period of three months if you

• are entitled to basic allowance or earnings-related allowance
• have been an unemployed jobseeker for at least four weeks before you left the country.

For more information, contact Kela or your unemployment fund.