Finland Immigration Services

Newland Chase offers full support with all aspects of corporate immigration to Finland. Please find an overview of the typical corporate immigration processes below. Every situation is unique, so please do get in touch, either through your usual Newland Chase contact or using the details on the right hand side of the page. Our immigration experts will be glad to discuss your needs in greater detail.

Immigration Summary

Nationals from outside the European Economic Area (EEA)/Switzerland/Nordics who will be working in Finland will generally require a Residence Permit Based on Employment. A labour market test may apply.

The applicant may be hired directly in Finland or be sent on assignment. If the employment is fixed term, the residence permit will typically be granted for one year, renewable in increments of one year (B permit). If the employment in Finland is based on an indefinite employment contract, a continuous residence permit (A permit) may be granted, initial validity is also typically one year, but renewals can be granted in increments of four years.

For applicants qualifying as Foreign Special Experts (must have salary above a certain level and advanced educational and experience based qualifications), the need to test the local labour market is waived. Applicants qualifying as Special Experts may arrive without a residence permit and work in Finland for up to three months for a Finnish sponsoring entity.

The Blue Card is an EU-wide (with some exceptions) immigration process for highly-skilled employees with a local job offer in the destination country and a salary at least 1.5 times the average gross annual salary for the specific job to be done. The Blue Card offers some concrete benefits to the applicant, but is still an unusual application in Finland, where most employers still opt for the Foreign Special Experts procedure.

The Intra-Corporate Transfer Permit (EU Directive 2014/66) is only applicable to assignees falling into management/specialist or trainee categories sent to Finland for over 90 days from outside the EU and has a maximum total duration of stay of three years for managers/specialists and one year for trainees, after which time the assignee must exit Finland. The applicant must have been employed by the sending company for a minimum of three months.

ICT permits under Directive 2014/66 allow mobility within EU member states - i.e. work permission is not required for EU ICT permit holders to work in other member states for less than 90 days and a streamlined Mobile ICT permit application may be applicable if working in other member states for longer than 90 days.

Some Temporary Assignments for work-related activities are permitted on a Schengen C Visa or visa waiver stay for non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals assigned from outside the EEA to Finland for a temporary period provided the applicant is within the specified category and the stay in country is no longer than 90 days within a 180 day period or the applicant qualifies as a Special Expert.

Assignment from within the EEA is for a non-EU/EEA/Swiss national who is employed and contracted by a home entity in the EEA country and sent on short-term assignment (up to 90 days within a 180 day period) as a service provider to Finland, in which case they do not need a Finnish work and residence permit.

Nordic nationals on assignment to or employed in Finland do not need work or residence permits. However, a registration should be completed if the stay will be for longer than 180 days.

EU/EEA/Swiss nationals on assignment to or employed in Finland do not need a work or residence permit. However, a registration should be completed if the stay will be for longer than 90 days.