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If you are applying for an extended permit or renewing your residence permit card or residence card, it is possible for you to avoid visiting a service point to prove your identity. Read more about the requirements: migri.fi/en/identification. Watch our ”Proving your identity without visiting a service point” guide video.
Working in Finland
This form is for you if you are applying for a residence permit for an employed person. You are coming to Finland to work for a Finnish employer or other employer operating in Finland and you have signed an employment contract or accepted a binding job offer.
If you are already residing in Finland with a residence permit on some other grounds, such as studies or family, apply for an extended permit on the basis of employment.
A residence permit for an employed person requires labour market testing: under the Aliens Act, when the availability of labour force is assessed, the employer must establish if there is available labour force for the work in question in Finland or within the EU/EEA within a reasonable time.
If you are an entrepreneur, apply for a residence permit for an entrepreneur.
If you have completed a degree in Finland, apply for a residence permit for person with a degree completed in Finland.
Get ready
Make sure that you have all the necessary attachments and information before you begin. Have the attachments translated and legalised, if necessary. The processing of your application may take longer if any attachments are missing from your application.
Fill in the application and choose your service point
Fill in the application form and add the required documents. After you have submitted your application in Enter Finland, your employer must add your terms of employment and other required documents to your application using Enter Finland for Employers.
Choose your service point.
- If you are abroad, you must prove your identity at a Finnish mission (embassy or consulate).
- If you are in Finland, you must prove your identity at a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service.
- Book an appointment beforehand by using the appointment system of the Finnish Immigration Service.
Finnish missions and the service points of the Finnish Immigration Service may be busy. Therefore, you should book an appointment as soon as possible after submitting your application. For more information, see migri.fi/identification.
Pay and submit the application
The processing of an application is subject to a fee. We recommend paying the processing fee as soon as possible with the most common credit cards or with Finnish online banking credentials. You can also pay the processing fee when you visit a Finnish mission or the Finnish Immigration Service to prove your identity.
Your employer can pay the processing fee on your behalf in Enter Finland for Employers.
Visit the selected authority to prove your identity
After submitting your application, visit a Finnish mission (embassy or consulate) or a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service
- to prove your identity
- to present the original copies of the documents that you attached to your application, and
- to have your fingerprints taken.
Remember to bring your passport photo with you. Passport photo guidelines can be found on website of the Finnish Police.
Follow the processing
You can follow the status of your application on your Enter Finland account, ask chatbot Kamu to find out where your application stands in the processing queue, or use the Processing Time Checker.
The application will be processed in two stages:
- An Employment and Economic Development Office makes a partial decision on the application. The Employment and Economic Development Office will decide, among other things, whether you have sufficient financial resources and whether the employment is temporary or continuous. If any attachments from the employer are missing from the application, the Employment and Economic Development Office will ask for additional information.
- When the partial decision has been made, the Finnish Immigration Service will process the application and make its decision. In some cases, the applicant may be heard before the decision is made, either in writing or at an interview.
If you do not meet the general requirements for obtaining a residence permit, the TE Office does not make a partial decision. Read more about the general requirements for issuing residence permits.
If any additional information is needed for your application, you or your employer will be sent a request for it via Enter Finland. When a decision has been made, you will receive a notification that you can read the decision in Enter Finland.