If you want to work or start a business in Finland, you’ll definitely require a residency permit. If you are applying for a residence permit on the basis of occupation, residence permit application you should determine by the type of trade you conduct or the type of business you run. So there are the following types of residence permits depending upon the applicants:
- You can apply for a work permit if you have graduated with a degree in Finland. Also, you have a legal residence permit for your studies;
- In case, you have been given a residence permit for another reason, it may include the permission to work. In such case, you won’t normally require a separate work permit. For this purpose, examine your decision on your residence permit to see if you have the freedom to work;
- You do not require a residence permit in Finland if you are a citizen of an EU member state, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland. Regardless, you must register your right of residency.
When registering for a residence permit to be employed in Finland, you should be aware that different categories of jobs require different types of residence permits.
If your job does not require a particular residence permit, you must apply for a residence permit for an employed individual. Your application will be considered in part by an Employment and Economic Development Office.
Salary criteria
If you are registering a residence permit to be employed in Finland your salary must be:
- Reasonable for your job;
- Enough to keep you afloat for the duration of your residency permit’s expiration.
Residence permit and your job
We are going to discuss it from each perspective:
- If your residence permit is dependent on your work:
If your residence permit is dependent on your work, it may only allow you to work for a specific employer or in a specific industry.
- If you have a residence permit for a specific field of employment:
In this case, you are normally allowed to change jobs as long as your work permit has not ended. Moreover, your new job must be in the same sector.
- If you have a residence permit for a particular project:
If you have been given a residence permit for a particular project, you are permitted to undertake the activity for another company/employer-provided.
- If you want to change your area of work
In case, your current residence permit only enables you to work for one employer or if you want to change your area of work. You must apply for a new residence permit.
- If your job ends
The grounds of your residence permit will no longer exist if your residence permit was granted for work and your job ends. Unless you have sought a residence permit on another basis, you must depart Finland after your residence permit expires.
Family reunification
If you have been given a work-related residence permit, your family can normally apply for a residence permit regarding family links.
Application procedure
If you are applying for your first residence permit based on your employment, then you will have to follow these steps:
Application submission
The basic information about is:
- Submit an application for a residence permit that is appropriate for your position;
- Submit your application online through the Enter Finland e-service or on paper;
- You must submit your application on your own;
- A residence permit cannot be applied to your account by your employer. Your company, on the other hand, may elect to support your application.
After completing your application, you must attend a Finnish mission (embassy or consulate) abroad or a Finnish Immigration Service service location in Finland. Further information about it is:
- If you applied through e-service
Then go to the Finnish Immigration Service to verify your identification, get your fingerprints taken, and show the originals of the documentation you linked to your application. You can expect to be paid for it when you visit a Finnish mission or a Finnish Immigration Service service site.
- If you have submitted a paper application
Bring your paper application with you to the embassy. Take your fingerprints and confirm your identification. Moreover, present the originals of the documentation you’ve included with your application. You can expect to be paid for it when you visit a Finnish mission or a Finnish Immigration Service service site.
Application procession
This section covers all the information about the application procession.
- Time required for the processing of an application:
The period of time it takes to process your application is determined by the reasons for which you applied. The estimated processing time is only a prediction; the actual processing time may be longer or shorter than the prediction.
- If your application is incomplete
The authorities will contact you if they will discover that something is missing from your application or if they want extra details from you. In some situations, they may request extra information from you in the form of a written questionnaire or an interview.
- Application for a residence permit for an employment individual
In this case, on your application, and Employment and Economic Development Office (TE Office) will end up making a final decision.
- Application for a residence permit for a self-employed individual
In this case, a final decision on your application will be made by an ELY Centre for Economic Development, Transportation, and the Environment. Only then will your application be reviewed by the Finnish Immigration Service.
- If you have submitted your application from another state
You will not be able to come to Finland to wait for a decision if you submit your application from another state.
If you still want to wait for a decision in Finland while your application is still unresolved, you must cancel your original application and submit a new residence permit application in Finland. For the new application, the authorities will charge you a new payment. You must depart Finland before your visa period ends if you do not submit a new application after landing in Finland.
- Application submission from Finland
If you apply for a residence permit while being in Finland, you are allowed to stay in the country until the decision is made. Regardless of your visa or visa-free period has expired.
If your application requires further information
If your application requires further information, you can do so in one of the following ways:
- If you have submitted your application online, go to the “Send extra information” page in the e-service;
- Via post;
- Via email.
Application cancellation
You have the option to cancel your application at any point while it is being reviewed.
Application’s verification and its notification
There is detail about both ways online and paper application.
- If you have submitted the application through e-service
When a decision is made on your application for a residence permit through the e-service Enter Finland, you will receive an e-mail or a text message. It will also be visible in your e-service user account.
- If you have submitted a paper application
There will be the possibilities given below:
- If you applied from outside Finland, the decision will be notified to you by the Finnish mission (embassy or consulate) that you designated as your processing center in your application.
- If you submitted your application in Finland, the police will notify you of the decision, or the Finnish Immigration Service will notify you by post.
- If your application is approved
You will be given a residence permit card if you got a positive decision.
- If your application is rejected
You may be denied entry to Finland if you requested a residence permit in Finland and received a negative decision.
Review of the decision
If you disagree with the decision, you have the right to take it to an Administrative Court for review. The guidelines about the protest will be there in the decision.
The Administrative Courts charge a fee for the majority of their decisions. To learn more about legal expenses, contact an Administrative Court.