Starting work in Finland as a foreign national: rights and first documents

Short answer: establish whether your citizenship or current permit allows you to start work. EU citizens can begin working after arriving in Finland. Other nationals generally need a residence permit allowing employment. A job must already be secured before applying for an employed person's residence permit. Guidance and 2026 amounts checked on 12 November 2026.

Establish the right to work before the first shift

Migri explains that a permit can provide unrestricted employment rights or rights limited, for example, to an occupation or task. Read the permit decision together with the card. A residence permit from another country generally does not permit long-term work in Finland. Migri: working in Finland.

Registration information: Migri's EU and Nordic guidance. Employment rights: Migri.

The employed person's residence permit, TTOL

TTOL is the application for an employed person's residence permit. A job is required before applying, and the permit relates to the occupational field. A first TTOL is applied for abroad. Select the application by the work involved, since different workers use different permit categories. Migri: TTOL.

Migri's page, checked on 12 November 2026. The wage threshold applies to this permit and year. A zero-hours contract does not meet TTOL requirements because no regular minimum working hours have been agreed.

The permit fee, relocation and the first month's accommodation are separate budget items. If the employer offers relocation assistance, ask for its scope to be included in the written agreement.

The employer adds employment terms in Enter Finland

The employee submits their application through Enter Finland. The employer can then complete the employment terms in Enter Finland for Employers; the company's Business ID links it to the application. Employment terms are needed for both first and extended permits. Migri: employment terms.

Agree who will complete the company's part and how you will learn that it is finished. Keep duties, hours and wages consistent between the employment contract and application. If a condition changes during preparation, bring both documents up to date.

Qualifications and wages need separate attention

The Finnish National Agency for Education explains that regulated professions require specified education, a qualification or professional practice rights under law. A person qualified abroad then needs a decision from the competent authority. Agency: regulated professions.

Migri's employment-terms guidance requires full-time pay to meet the applicable collective agreement. Without such an agreement, pay must correspond to comparable duties. The TTOL income threshold and the job's wage conditions therefore apply alongside each other. Migri: wage conditions.

Ask the employer to record the job title and applicable collective agreement. These details connect the offer to the relevant qualification and wage information.

Tax cards and tax numbers

Vero directs incoming workers to obtain a tax card and, where needed, a tax number. A Finnish personal identity code is required for them. Tax treatment depends on factors including length of stay and whether the employer is Finnish or foreign. Vero: working in Finland.

Construction-site and shipyard work involve a tax number and the tax-number register. Select your occupational group in Vero's guidance. The tax card concerns wage taxation; Migri determines employment rights associated with a residence permit.

Keep payroll information separate from the CV sent during recruitment. Provide your identity code, tax-card details and bank information through the channel designated by the employer.

Kela and practical arrival arrangements

Kela assesses eligibility through permanent residence or employment. Employment-based eligibility is narrower than residence-based eligibility. When applying for a benefit you need, also notify Kela of the move if you have not already done so. Kela: situations for arrivals.

If work in Helsinki begins before you find a permanent home, the hotel directory can help compare locations for the first nights. The Helsinki and Tampere restaurant directories can help plan meals around work and apartment-viewing days. Agree where work begins and when keys become available before fixing the accommodation period.

Official sources

Checked on 12 November 2026. Permit fees and the wage threshold in the table apply to 2026.

• Migri: right to work
• Migri: EU registration and Nordic citizens
• Migri: employed person's residence permit
• Migri: employer's terms of employment
• Finnish National Agency for Education: regulated professions
• Vero: working in Finland
• Kela: benefits after moving