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Licensing of a social worker (trained in Finland)

  • Professional qualification
  • Nationwide
  • Public service

Social worker is a licensed profession in Finland. Only licensed professionals are allowed to practise the profession in question. Upon application, Valvira grants licences to practice the profession in question to both those social welfare professionals who obtained their degree in Finland as well as those who obtained it abroad, and registers the granted professional practice rights to the centr ...

Do the following

Complete and send the application either through electronic services or by post.

Option A

Instructions for electronic applications

You can apply for licensing through electronic services, when you have completed a degree and obtained a degree certificate. Please note that you cannot submit a licensing application before graduation.

Electronic applications also require the following:

  1. A Finnish personal identity code
  2. Online banking codes
  3. An e-mail address
  4. A telephone number

When submitting your application through electronic services, you will not have to include a degree certificate as an attachment, as the system will obtain the information related to your degree from the Virta system. Moreover, you will not have to submit an extract from the Population Information System, or a copy of your passport or ID card.

Option B

Instructions for applications submitted on paper:

  1. an extract from the Population Information System, or an officially certified copy of your passport or ID card
  2. a copy of degree certificate provided by the university/educational institution or a copy of degree certificate officially certified by the local register office

Valvira requests that you provide all the documents as officially certified copies in order to speed up the processing of your application. If the attached document is an ordinary photocopy, Valvira is under the obligation to confirm its authenticity by contacting the granting body, which may significantly delay the processing time.

Further information: suosikki@valvira.fi

To whom and on what terms

In order to be granted the right, you must have completed a master’s degree and the social work studies that are in line with the university’s degree requirements, or to have completed other education that, at the time of graduation, qualified you to work as a social worker.

If you do not have a Finnish personal identity code at the time of applying, you must notify Valvira as soon as you receive it.


Deadline

Apply for the licensing well in advance before starting to practise the profession in Finland. You have no right to work in Finland without a licence granted by Valvira.

Processing time

On average, we aim at processing the applications submitted by applicants trained in Finland within 30 working days from the date of receipt of the application. Should the need arise for further information to be requested in connection with the application, the processing time will usually lengthen.

Period of validity

The licensing is valid for an indefinite term.

Background information

Asetus Sosiaali- ja terveysalan lupa- ja valvontaviraston maksullisista suoritteista

Asetus Sosiaali- ja terveysalan lupa- ja valvontaviraston maksullisten suoritteiden muuttamisesta

The service is provided by

National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health

Responsible for the service

National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health
Text edited by: National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health
Updated: 14/4/2023