Applying for a residence permit as an employee

Initiation of an application

Only you, as an employee, can only initiate an application for an employee’s residence permit. You can apply for the residence permit electronically via the Enter Finland online service or by submitting a paper application to a Finnish diplomatic mission abroad. If you are in Finland, you can submit a paper application at the Finnish Immigration Service’s service point.

If you apply through Enter Finland, you must visit a Finnish diplomatic mission or the Finnish Immigration Service's service point to prove your identity and present the original copies of the appendices to the application.

The application for a residence permit must be accompanied by the Terms of Employment form and the appendices requested on the form.

If you are applying for an extension permit to an employee’s  residence permit in the Enter Finland service, and you have used strong identification to log in, you do not need to prove your identity.

The Finnish Immigration Service is responsible for related to residence permits for employed persons.

As of 1 January 2025, the Finnish Immigration Service is responsible for all matters related to residence permits for employed persons. The Finnish Immigration Service also receives notifications of employees recruited from outside the EU/EEA area as of 1 January 2025. 

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TE Office’s work permit services will be transferred to the Finnish Immigration Service as of 1 January 2025