Finland

Country: Finland

No statutory minimum wage – minimum pay is set in collective agreements, many of them generally binding for a whole sector. Unemployment is high, but health and social services are short of staff, from nurses and practical nurses to doctors. Find out where to look, how to apply and how to get your personal identity code, tax card and Kela card.

  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.


published: 2014-09-04
last modification: 2026-10-03

Common questions about job applications and interviews

Key figures: Eurostat (population on 1 January 2026; unemployment and employment rates 2025; minimum wages July 2026); for the United Kingdom – Office for National Statistics; for Liechtenstein – national statistics. Country information: EURES – Living and working conditions, public employment services and the official government websites listed under each country. Rules, thresholds and amounts can change – check the official sources before you move. Updated: October 2026.

StudentNews Group Websites for students and future students — in Poland since 2007, across Europe since 2014. Over 50 websites and millions of users a year (Google Analytics). Studies in Europe Universities in Europe Bachelor’s Master’s Doctorate MBA Study guide Work abroad Travel For partners Advertising and cooperation Reach (online report) Contact advertising@studentnews.eu © 2003–2026 Grupa StudentNews.pl sp. z o.o., Modlnica, Poland
Privacy Policy