Work in Finland

If you do not have the right to work in Finland, apply for a residence permit on the basis of your work. If you are staying in Finland with, for example, a tourist visa, this usually does not entitle you to work in Finland. 

Follow these steps: 

1. Find out from the Application FinderOpens in a new window. of the Finnish Immigration Service what the right residence permit is.
2. Apply for a residence permit in the Enter Finland serviceOpens in a new window..
3. Book an appointment from the Finnish Immigration ServiceOpens in a new window.. You must visit the Finnish Immigration Service in person to prove your identity. You will need a valid passport for this.

Familiarise yourself with the exceptions in which you have a right to work without a residence permitOpens in a new window.. There are special cases for certain professions and if your work lasts less than 90 days.

Your family member needs the following documents:

• a valid passport or an official identity card with a photograph 
• original certificates of family relations. You can submit the certificates in Finnish, Swedish or English. If the certificate is in some other language, have it translated.
• If you submit a certificate of your child's guardianship, the document must be legalised. Read the instructions for legalisationOpens in a new window..

Your family member needs the following documents:

• a valid passport or an official identity card with a photograph 
• original certificates of family relations You can submit the certificates in Finnish, Swedish or English. If the certificate is in some other language, have it translated.
• If you submit a certificate of guardianship, the document must be legalised. Read the instructions for legalisationOpens in a new window..

In addition, your family member must have the certificate of registration of the right to residence of an EU citizen, which they can obtain in Finland from the Finnish Immigration Service. Therefore, make an appointment for the registration of family relations in such a way that your family member will visit the Finnish Immigration Service before visiting the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

Your family member needs the following documents: 

• a valid passport
• a residence permit card
• The original, legalised and translated certificates of family relations. Remember to check if the certificates must be legalised or translated. Read the instructions for legalisationOpens in a new window..

You can have documents and certificates translated:

• By an authorised translator in Finland. For more information about authorised translators, go to the website of the Finnish National Agency for Education (the information is in Finnish)Opens in a new window.. You do not need to legalise the translation. 
• By an official translatorOpens in a new window. in another EU Member State. You do not need to legalise the translation. 
• A standard form, which you can use as a translation aid, can be attached to a public document issued by an EU Member State. You can request more information on the standard forms from the authorities of the country from which you obtain the certificate. You do not need to legalise the standard form.
• You can also order the translation from a translator that is not authorised or does not have any official status. In such cases, the translation must be legalised. Read the instructions for legalisationOpens in a new window..

If your underage child moves to Finland, you can manage your child’s matters if your guardianship has been registered. For example, healthcare, day-care centres and schools give information about the child only to the official guardians. 

If your spouse moves to Finland, it is advisable to also register your marriage in Finland.

TE Services help and support you in

• seeking a job
• getting a clearer idea of your career alternatives
• adapting to Finland
• learning Finnish.

Your spouse will be eligible for an unemployment benefit only if they have registered as a jobseeker.

Your spouse will need a residence permit before registering in the TE Office, if they are not a citizen of an EU Member State, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland.

Your spouse can receive unemployment benefit for 3–6 months from the country in which they last worked when they are a citizen of an EU Member State, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland. In that case, they have to fill in the U2 form with the employment authorities of their country of origin and bring it with them to the TE Office in Finland.

The local Employment and Economic Development Office (TE Office) usually grants the right to unemployment benefits if a person is:

• capable of working
• registered as an unemployed jobseeker with the TE Office
• ready to work full-time
• ready to participate in courses offered.

Once a person has been granted the right to unemployment benefit, they can apply for the benefit from Kela or an unemployment fund.

Read about applying for unemployment benefit in more detail on Kela’s websiteOpens in a new window..

Usually, you can only join an unemployment fund when you are in an employment relationship. However, if your spouse moves to Finland from another EU country in which they have worked, they can also join an unemployment fund when unemployed. In this case, their previous work in another EU country may affect the amount of their unemployment benefit.

Typically, you must register with a Finnish unemployment fund within one month of moving to Finland or when your previous job has ended.

Read more about joining an unemployment fund from the Federation of Unemployment Funds in Finland (TYJ) siteOpens in a new window..

Some European countries belong to both the customs territory and the fiscal territory of the EU. Some countries belong to only one of them. A list of the countries in the customs and fiscal territory of the EU can be found on the website of the Finnish CustomsOpens in a new window.. 

If you are not sure whether you should clear your removal goods through the customs, ask Customs for advice. 

You do not need to clear your removal goods through the customs.

Usually, you also do not need to pay any customs duties or tax on your removal goods.

You must clear your removal goods through the customs.

Whether you have to pay customs duty and tax on your removal goods depends on the case. You usually have to pay duties and tax if 

• you have lived outside the EU for less than 12 months
• durables such as a computer, a television and furniture have been in your use for more than 6 months before moving
• you bring your removal goods to be used for some other purpose than the purpose for which they were used in your previous place of residence 
• you do not clear your goods through the customs within 12 months of your move.

Also pay attention to: 

• Customs requires you to provide certificates proving that the conditions for exemption from customs duty and taxes are met. These include, for example, a long-term residence outside the EU. 
• If you decide to sell, rent out or pawn your removal goods before 12 months have passed from your move to Finland, you have to pay the customs duties and taxes on them. 
• There are certain items you cannot import to Finland when you move here. These include such things as alcohol and tobacco products and some tools which are used by professionals.

Read about clearing removal goods in more detail on the website of the Finnish CustomsOpens in a new window..

• Read about bringing a vehicle to Finland in more detail on the website of the Finnish Customs.Opens in a new window.
• Transfer permit on the website of Traficom.Opens in a new window.
• Car tax on the website of the Tax Administration. Opens in a new window.
• Information on the use of a car before the first registration is available on the Traficom website.Opens in a new window.
• Registration inspection on the website of Traficom.Opens in a new window.