Work Visa for Finland

You must have a valid Finland work visa for Indians to work and stay in Finland for more than 90 days.

You also can not work in Finland when visiting the country on a tourist visa. This means you must apply for a job and get your work visa approved while in India before moving to Finland. Here are some basic requirements you must have to be eligible for a Finnish work visa:

You must have a valid Indian passport.

You must have the right educational and professional qualifications for the job.

You must have a valid job offer and confirmed employment from an employer in Finland.

You must meet the minimum income requirements for the residence permit you are applying for. It is reviewed by the Finnish Immigration Service and is renewed every year.

You must present proof that you can support yourself in Finland with the salary you receive from your employer throughout the duration of your stay.

The company you work for must have business operations in Finland. Residence permits are not granted on the basis of remote work, even if you are allowed to work remotely for foreign companies when staying in Finland on a residence permit.

You must not hold a criminal record.

You must not be subject to any travel bans within the Schengen Region.

The employer must be certified by the Finnish Immigration Service and must be included on their list of certified employers.

The employees’ terms of employment must comply with the Finnish legislation and the applicable collective agreement.

Employers must provide information on all foreign employees and the tasks they work for inspection by occupational safety and health authorities. This information must be available at the workplace.

Residence permits in Finland are issued under two categories: For a fixed term (temporary or continuous) or they are permanent.

• Fixed Term Temporary permits are valid for 1 year, renewable yearly.

• Fixed-term continuous permits (aka, Extended Permits) are valid for 4 years and renewable every 4 years.

• A permanent residency permit is valid indefinitely.

Your type of residence permit will also be indicated by a letter on your residence permit card: Continuous residence (A), Temporary residence (B) and Permanent residence (P).

The first work permit regardless of type, is always issued on a fixed period – usually one year. If you wish to work and live in Finland after this duration, you must apply for an extended permit.

We recommend applying for a renewal or extended permit 3 months before your current Finland work permit for Indians expires. You will also need an extended permit if you are changing jobs while your residence permit is still valid.

You can continue to work in Finland while your application for an extended permit is being processed, only if you apply for one before your current permit expires. If you apply for one after expiry, you may not be able to continue working if you fall under certain categories.

Right of Residence Vs. Right to Work: You should also note the right of residence and the right to work in Finland are two separate things. For example, Indian nationals who have the right to work in Finland usually have the right to residence, but not the other way around.

In other words, your residence permit may allow you to live in Finland but not to work within the country. Therefore, to work and reside in Finland, your residence permit must state you have the right to live AND work in Finland. It should state:

• Your duration of stay and validity.

• What type of work you are allowed to do.

• How many hours a week you are allowed to work.

Your “Right to Work” conditions will vary depending on your residence permit type.

An Employed Person Residence Permit may be subject to labour market testing. This means the employer must establish if a worker already in Finland could fill the vacancy.

These testing parameters will vary depending on the skill shortage within the country. In other words, the higher the labour shortage in a particular sector, the more flexible the terms of the labour market test.

Finland offers more than 20 residence permits that are issued based on work. To get a more in-depth explanation of these residence permits, you can visit the Finnish Immigration Service website.

All documents must be in English and legalised if necessary before submitting them.

For online applications, we recommend you use a PDF file format for all documents, but the website also accepts PNG, JPG, TXT, GIF and RTF.

The maximum file size should be 4MB.

Here is a general list of documents you must submit with your permit application.

A valid Indian passport with colour copies of the passport pages that contain personal information and other pages that contain any notes.

Copies of old passports.

Passport-sized photo that is compliant with Finland’s photo guidelines in PDF format.

Any document that provides proof of citizenship in your country of residence. E.g. Aadhar card, voter ID, etc.

Relevant higher education degree(s) and certifications (For highly skilled workers/specialists).

If you are already in Finland and are applying for your first residency permit, Form MP_1.

Medical insurance or a travel insurance plan with medical coverage.

An updated CV listing all your educational and professional accomplishments.

Valid employment contract and/or offer letter.

If You Work in a Trade or Pursue Business Activities in Finland:

Active contracts with clients.

If you have no active contracts: An explanation of how you will earn income pursuing your trade/business activities in Finland.

Useful Links:

Passport Photo Appendix for Residence Permit Application

Form MP_1

Additional Documents for Specific Work Visa for Finland from India

Entrepreneur:

Business ID by registering your company with the Trade Register maintained by the Finnish Patent and Registration Office

Start-Up Entrepreneur:

An eligibility Statement from Business Finland. Only one person from your start-up team needs to apply – it can be shared with the rest of the team.

EU Blue Card:

If you already have a valid EU Blue Card from another EU Member country, a copy of the card.

Research Work Completed in Finland:

Certificate of a doctoral degree or,

Confirmation from your research organisation on your completion of the research activity.

Degree Completed in Finland:

Degree certificate.

Or a document on the degree/studies you have completed if you apply 1 month before graduation.

Residence Permit to Look For Work or to Start a Business (For Students and Researchers):

Degree certificate.

Financial documents proving you can support your stay in Finland.

Intra-Corporate Transferee: ICT Permit and Mobile ICT Permit:

For Specialists and Managers:

Document proving that the companies you are transferring from and to are part of the same organisation/enterprise.

Assignment letter or secondment contract stating the terms of your employment and your transfer to the company in Finland.

For Trainees

Academic degree(s)

Employment contract stating you have a working contract with the host and Finland company.

Traineeship contract stating the duration of your transfer.

Voluntary Work:

Contact details of the organisation overseeing the voluntary work. E.g. organisation’s name, contact details and contact person’s name and contact details.

A signed agreement between you and the organisation overseeing the voluntary work.

Au Pair

Certifications of studies in the Swedish or Finnish language or a document stating your interest in Finnish culture.

Health and accident insurance or a travel insurance policy that covers both for the duration of your stay.

Health certificate or valid vaccination certificates stating that you do not have any infectious diseases

A written agreement between you and your host family stating:

Finances – pocket money of at least 280 euros per month

Courses you will attend

Accommodation rights and free time and free days.

How your au pair duties will be spread out over the week for the allotted 25 hours.

You must apply for your Finland work permit yourself if you have received a valid job offer from an employer operating in Finland. This entire process can be done online through the Enter Finland website, or it can be done in person.

Here is a step-by-step explanation of both application processes:

Online Application Process

Visit the Enter Finland website.

Click on the residence permit you wish to apply for. If you are unsure which one applies to you, you can use the Application Finder.

You must first create a user account using either your email ID or your Finnish baking credentials (if you already reside in Finland).

Click the ‘Create an Account Using Your Email Address’ option and enter your details. Your mobile number and email address should be the ones that are currently in use.

Upon registration and verification of your new account, log in and select the residence permit that applies to you.

Fill in the application form, upload the required documents and submit your application.

Notify your employer after submission, as they must enter your terms of employment and other documents.

Next, choose your service point (nearest Finnish Embassy/Consulate) and book an appointment.

Pay the application fees. This can be done through the website or in person when you visit the Embassy or consulate in person to verify your identity. Your employer can also pay the fee on your behalf.

Show up to your appointment with a printout of your application form, the application payment receipt and the originals and copies of all the documents you uploaded to the website.

You will be notified of your application approval through Enter Finland when a decision has been made.

Ensure you print out your approval or download and save it, as it will only be stored on the site for 1 year.

Useful Links:

Booking an Appointment at a Service Point

Offline Application Process

You can also apply for a Finland work permit for Indians in person by visiting an Embassy or consulate.

The application form can be downloaded and printed from the Finnish Immigration Service website.

You must present your filled and signed application form with the required original documents and their copies and pay the fees in cash.

The decision may be sent to you by post, or you will be invited to visit the Embassy in person to hear their decision.

Additional Notes on the Finland Work Visa Process From India:

The application process for extended permits is the same as the one provided above.

You only need to visit an Embassy for your first permit application to prove your identity. This is not necessary for extended permit applications if you used strong identification, like bank credentials, during your initial application.

You can also apply for a D Visa while you apply for your residency permit or pay the D visa fees when you visit the Embassy to prove your identity. It will let you travel to Finland 1 - 2 weeks earlier. It is only issued for certain residency permits or certified employers.

If your D visa sticker has been approved, your permit card will be delivered to you in Finland.

You can also verify your identity at a VFS Global application centre if there are no embassies or consulates near you.

Since they are an external provider, you will not receive a personal identity code as you will not be automatically registered in the Population Information System.

You can ask to be registered by contacting the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

To get your permit within 2 weeks, you can apply using the fast-track option available on the website. This option is only applicable to some residence permits.

You must prove your identity within 5 days at an Embassy/Consulate or VFS service centre after submitting your application.

You can track your application status through the Finalnd Immigration Services website or the VFS Global website using your application reference number. To ensure there are no delays, always submit any and all documents on time.

Consulate General of Finland, Mumbai

** Embassy of Finland, New Delhi **

Honorary Consulate of Finland, Bangalore

** Honorary Consulate of Finland, Chennai**

Honorary Consulate of Finland, Kolkata

Border authorities may ask you to present proof of your ability to meet all your residence permit requirements. For example, they may ask if you have enough funds to support your stay in Finland.

If you were not issued a personal identity code with your residence permit, you must visit the Digital and Population Data Services Agency in person. You must bring your passport, employment contract and the filled and signed registration form.

Travel Anywhere, starting at Just ₹40.82/- Per Day!

Travel insurance coverage is mandated when travelling to any country within the Schengen region. This means you will need travelling insurance to cover the duration of your stay in Finland.

At Tata AIG, we offer several international travel insurance plans that you can choose from when travelling to Finland from India. Our policies also include flight cancellation insurance to account for any last-minute change of plans.

Feel free to browse through our travel insurance policies and pick one that feels right for you!

Does Finland offer visa-on-arrival for Indians?

No, Indian nationals must apply for a visa before visiting Finland. This is mandatory regardless of how long you intend to visit or stay in Finland.

Who does not need a Finland residence permit to live in Finland?

Generally, short-term employees who plan to work in Finland for less than 3 months and asylum seekers do not need a residence permit to live and work in Finland.

Short-term employees here can include seasonal workers, those who work in the tourism industry, sailors, etc.

Can I study in Finland if I have a residence permit for an employed person?

Yes. All Finnish residence permits allow you to study in Finland. However, if your purpose for staying in Finland changes from employment to study, i.e. you become a full-time student. You must apply for a new residence permit for studies.