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As a foreigner in Finland

General conditions for receiving earnings-related daily allowance

If you become unemployed in Finland, you can apply for unemployment benefits from Kela or an unemployment fund. The difference between these is that Kela pays basic social security, the amount of which is 37,21 € a day. Unemployment funds pay earnings-related unemployment allowance based on factors prior to unemployment, the amount of which is on average 2–3 times more than the basic security paid by Kela.

To be entitled to earnings-related daily allowance, you must have been a member of our fund for 26 weeks and meet the working condition (työssäoloehto). Our membership is not limited to a specific profession or field, and everyone in paid employment can become a member. If you are self-employed, you can join an unemployment fund intended for self-employed persons.

The working condition is met when you have worked for 26 weeks with at least 18 hours a week and you are paid wages in accordance with the collective agreement. We will check your eligibility for earnings-related daily allowance after you have sent us your application.

Your right to unemployment security in Finland is based on the fact that you live permanently in Finland. Unlike many other benefits, the right to earnings-related unemployment allowance is based on work, so the right to work in Finland is a prerequisite for becoming a member of an unemployment fund and receiving earnings-related daily allowance.

Residence permit and right to work in Finland

Citizens of EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland do not need a residence permit or visa in Finland. If you are a citizen of one of these countries, you can begin working as soon as you arrive in Finland.

If your stay in Finland lasts longer than three months, your stay must be registered with the Finnish Immigration Service. Nordic citizens can register their stay with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. Citizens of countries other than those listed above need a residence permit with a right to work in order to work in Finland.

The right to work included in a residence permit can be unlimited, meaning that once you have received a residence permit, you can look for work in any field without restrictions. There may also be restrictions on the right to work, such as how much you are permitted to work or the fields and tasks you are allowed to work in. You can become a member of our fund regardless of your profession or duties, so these restrictions usually make no difference when joining our fund. If your right to work is limited to a specific employer, you cannot register as a jobseeker with the employment services or receive unemployment benefits.

You are usually not permitted to begin working until you have been granted a residence permit and the related right to work. It makes no difference whether the residence permit is temporary or permanent in terms of your membership of an unemployment fund and for the purposes of receiving earnings-related daily allowance. However, you cannot receive labour market support with a temporary residence permit.

Applying for asylum and working

As an asylum seeker, your right to work begins three to six months after submitting your asylum application. You do not need to apply for a right to work separately. Once your asylum application has been processed, the decision will determine whether your right to work is continued. If you receive a positive decision on your asylum application, the decision will indicate whether your right to work is restricted or unrestricted. If the decision is negative, your right to work ends when the decision becomes enforceable.

As an asylum seeker, you cannot register as an unemployed jobseeker with the employment services before your asylum application has been processed. In other words, you cannot receive earnings-related daily allowance until your asylum application has been processed and you have been granted a residence permit. However, you can join our fund on your first day of work, and can begin meeting the weeks of work required for the working condition already while your asylum application is being processed.

If you have found a permanent job in Finland as an asylum seeker, you can apply for a separate work-based residence permit.

Temporary protection for refugees from Ukraine

EU countries have decided to grant temporary protection to those fleeing the war in Ukraine. The decision is valid until 4 March 2024.

Any extension of the temporary protection will be decided by the Council of Europe. A temporary protection permit differs from other asylum and residence permit processes in that an applicant for temporary protection can start working immediately after submitting the application.

A person under temporary protection can join our fund on their first day at work and can receive earnings-related daily allowance if they become unemployed, provided that they have met the working condition (työssäoloehto). As the name implies, temporary protection is not permanent, so it is worth evaluating whether membership in an unemployment fund is beneficial in your situation. Temporary protection does not prevent you from applying for asylum in Finland or from starting the residence permit process.

General requirements for receiving earnings-related daily allowance

  • A person in paid employment can become a member of an unemployment fund for wage and salary earners. Self-employed persons can join an unemployment fund for the self-employed. The date when you join the fund must be a working day.
  • To be eligible for earnings-related daily allowance, you must meet the working condition (työssäoloehto). The length of the working condition is usually 26 weeks. In order for a week to count towards the working condition, you must have worked for at least 18 hours during the week and received a salary or wages in accordance with the collective agreement.
  • When you become unemployed, you must register as an unemployed jobseeker with the employment services.
  • In order to receive earnings-related daily allowance, you must meet the general eligibility requirements for unemployment benefits. The payment of daily allowance can be prevented, for example, by full-time studies or self-employment, additional compensation paid by the employer and suspension periods imposed by the employment services.

EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland

  • Citizens of EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland do not need a residence permit or visa in Finland. If your stay in Finland lasts longer than three months, your stay must be registered with the Finnish Immigration Service.
  • Nordic citizens must report their stay to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.
  • You can begin working immediately after arriving in Finland and join an unemployment fund on the first day of work.

Citizens of other countries

  • Citizens of countries other than those listed above need a residence permit and a right to work in order to be allowed to work in Finland.
  • The residence permit can be temporary or permanent. The right to work included with the residence permit may be unrestricted or contain restrictions related to the employer, duties or duration of work.
  • The restrictions usually do not affect unemployment security. However, restrictions related to the employer may prevent you from registering as a jobseeker with the employment services.
  • You can usually begin working only after you have been granted a residence permit and the right to work. You can become a member of an unemployment fund on your first day of work.

Asylum seekers

  • As an asylum seeker, your right to work usually begins three to six months after submitting your asylum application.
  • The Finnish Immigration Service may grant you asylum, subsidiary protection or a residence permit on other grounds. The decision on your application also indicates whether you have a right to work and any applicable restrictions.
  • A negative decision usually means that your right to work ends when the asylum decision becomes enforceable.
  • An asylum seeker can become a member of an unemployment fund on their first day of work and work towards meeting the working condition even if the asylum application is still being processed.

Temporary protection for refugees from Ukraine

  • EU countries have decided to grant temporary protection to those fleeing the war in Ukraine. The Council of Europe’s decision is currently valid until 4 March 2024.
  • The temporary protection permit does not contain any restrictions on working. You can begin working immediately after applying for temporary protection.
  • If a person who has applied for or is granted temporary protection receives reception allowance (vastaanottoraha), he or she is not entitled to unemployment benefits.
  • A person under temporary protection can join an unemployment fund on their first day of work and receive earnings-related daily allowance, provided that they have met the working condition (työssäoloehto).

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