Finland - why work abroad?

⇑Why work in this country?

Finland is a country of 5.7 million people with an employment rate just above the EU average: 76.3% of people aged 20–64 have a job (EU: 76.1%).

The labour market has weakened in recent years. Unemployment has gone up every year – from 6.8% in 2022 to 9.7% in 2025, well above the EU average of 6.0%. Youth unemployment (15–24) rose to 21.8%, compared with 15.2% in the EU.

As a citizen of the EU, Liechtenstein or Switzerland you do not need a work permit – if you stay longer than 3 months, you just register your right of residence. Language matters: the public employment service calls Finnish or Swedish “the key to integration”, but some jobs, for example those collected on Work in Finland, can be done in English.

⇑Where the jobs are

Finland’s clearest labour shortage is in health and social services. In June 2025 the government listed these labour shortage occupations (Decree 291/2025, valid until 11 June 2026 – we found no newer list when we checked in October 2026), in which people with a work-based residence permit could change jobs more flexibly:

• doctors – general practitioners, chief physicians and medical specialists,
• nursing – nurses and practical nurses,
• other health professions – dental hygienists, audiologists and speech therapists,
• industry and services – process operators in metal processing, firefighters, funeral service workers.

EURES names health professionals and personal service workers as the groups with the most frequent shortages nationally. Building trades workers (except electricians) appear on both the shortage and the surplus list – it depends on the region. There are more jobseekers than jobs for legal, social and cultural professionals and for science and engineering professionals.

So for graduates the best chances are in health care and social services; in many other fields competition is strong and Finnish or Swedish helps a lot. In Åland, good Swedish is a must.

⇑How to find a job

Since 2025, public employment services in Finland are run by municipal employment service areas, and vacancies are collected on the national portal Job Market Finland. Start here:

• Job Market Finland (Työmarkkinatori) – the national job portal and e-services of the employment authorities, in Finnish, Swedish and English,
• Work in Finland – part of the government’s Talent Boost programme, with jobs where English is enough,
• EURES – the EU job portal, plus EURES advisers in your home country and in Finland,
• public sector: Valtiolle.fi – all open jobs in the state administration, plus internships – and Kuntarekry – municipalities, cities and wellbeing services counties.

Job hunting in Finland takes time and active effort: check the sites regularly, contact employers directly and use your network – Facebook groups and LinkedIn work well. Staffing companies are widely used too. Finnish employers value initiative, punctuality and clear communication.

For step-by-step advice on job search, CVs and interviews in any EU country, see our How to find a job abroad – 10 practical guides.

⇑CV, application and interview

A Finnish application usually contains:

• a CV – no more than two A4 pages, with your most recent job and education first; a photo is optional but quite common these days; name two referees or write that references are available on request; the Europass CV is fine,
• a cover letter – at most one page, explaining why you want the job and why you are suitable for it.

Check in the ad which language the employer expects – many jobs require Finnish or Swedish.

The interview: it is very common to hold it remotely. Prepare your own questions in advance and have copies of your certificates ready.

Diplomas: in jobs without statutory qualification requirements, the employer decides whether your qualifications are suitable. For regulated professions – and to have the level of a higher education degree recognised – contact the Finnish National Agency for Education (Opetushallitus).

⇑Pay and working conditions

• No statutory minimum wage. Minimum pay is set in collective agreements (työehtosopimus) for each sector, and many of them are generally binding – they apply to all employers in the sector, equally to Finnish and foreign employees. Where there is no agreement, pay must be “normal and reasonable” for that kind of work. A holiday bonus (lomaraha) is paid only if the collective agreement provides for it.
• Working time: regular hours may not exceed 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week. Overtime needs your consent and is paid at least 50% extra. Total working time may average at most 48 hours a week over the reference period.
• Holidays: for each month in which you work at least 14 days or 35 hours, you earn 2 or 2.5 days of paid holiday (the holiday year runs from 1 April to 31 March). Summer holidays are usually taken between 2 May and 30 September.
• Payslip: you must always get one, showing gross pay, deductions and net pay.
• Contract: it may be oral, but then the employer must give you a written account of the terms; a written contract is always recommended. A probationary period can last up to 6 months.
• Sick pay: if your job has lasted at least a month, the employer pays you for the day you fell ill and the 9 days after it.

⇑Student jobs and internships

Students from the EU, Liechtenstein and Switzerland can work in Finland without any permit.

• Part-time and summer jobs are normal employment: the sector’s collective agreement applies, and all employees are entitled to paid annual holidays or holiday compensation.
• Tax card: get one before your first payday and give it to your employer – your tax rate depends on your income.
• Internships and traineeships: the state administration advertises internship places on Valtiolle.fi.

Students from outside the EU with a residence permit for studies may work in any field for an average of 30 hours a week (on average 120 hours a month, or 1,560 hours a year). Internships required by the degree do not count towards this limit.

Thinking of studying there first? See Studying in Finland – practical information.

⇑Your first weeks: registration, tax and insurance

1. Register your right of residence with the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) if you stay longer than 3 months: apply online in Enter Finland once you have moved, then visit a service point with your original documents. Fee: €53 (2026). You get a paper registration certificate. (Nordic citizens register with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, DVV, instead.)
2. Personal identity code (henkilötunnus): issued by DVV, and in some cases by Migri or the Tax Administration. At a tax office, bring your passport or ID card and your employment contract – the code is usually issued within 1–3 working days. Contact DVV about registering your address in Finland.
3. Tax card (verokortti): if you stay longer than 6 months you are a resident taxpayer – apply for a tax card and give it to your employer. If you stay 6 months or less, tax at source is usually 35%, but as an EU/EEA citizen you can ask for progressive taxation instead.
4. Kela (social security): if you work in Finland and earn at least €800.02 a month (2026), you can get Kela benefits, such as sickness allowance, from the start of your job. Apply in OmaKela or with form Y 77e; you then get a Kela card for reimbursements of private health care and medicines. Public health care at normal client fees is available if you have a Finnish municipality of residence.
5. Bank account: salaries and other payments are handled electronically in Finland, so you need one.

Problems with your rights as an EU worker? Your Europe Advice and SOLVIT help for free.

⇑From outside the EU

If you are not a citizen of the EU, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you need a residence permit from Migri. The main routes:

• Graduates of Finnish universities can get a residence permit to look for work or start a business for up to 2 years; apply within 5 years after your study or research permit expired. With this permit you can work without restrictions.
• EU Blue Card – for graduates of at least 3-year programmes (or with 5 years of comparable professional experience) with a salary of at least €3,937 a month (2026). It is issued for up to 2 years.
• Specialist permit – for experts with a gross salary of at least €3,937 a month (2026); through the fast-track service you can get it in two weeks.

All the conditions and application steps are explained on migri.fi.

⇑Sources and useful links

• Eurostat – population on 1 January, unemployment by age, employment rate (data for 2025 and 2026),
• EURES – Living and working conditions: Finland, Labour market information: Finland,
• Job Market Finland – coming to Finland from abroad, vacancies,
• Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment – labour shortage sectors (2025),
• Finnish Immigration Service – registration of right of residence, fees 2026, studying in Finland, permit to look for work, EU Blue Card, specialists,
• Finnish Tax Administration – coming to work for a Finnish employer, personal identity codes,
• Kela – benefits when you move to Finland,
• InfoFinland – wages and working hours, holidays and leaves, employment contract,
• Finnish National Agency for Education – recognition of qualifications,
• Your Europe – working abroad.

Updated: October 2026.