The posted worker must have been granted the right to work in Finland if they are a foreign citizen. The grounds for the right to work depend on the citizenship of the posted foreign employee, what work they are to perform in Finland and for how long a period.

• Citizens of the Nordic countries, Member States of the EU, Liechtenstein and Switzerland do not need to apply for a residence permit in order to work in Finland. They have the right to work in Finland on the grounds of their citizenship.
• Posted employees who are not citizens of any of the aforementioned countries generally need a residence permit for an employed person or another kind of residence permit allowing for paid employment.

The Aliens Act lists a number of scenarios where employment in Finland is allowed without a residence permit for an employed person.

Graph Determination of a posted worker’s right to work (pdf) describes the determination of the right to work in different situations. Click on the image to enlarge the graph.

As well as the employer, the obligation to verify foreign workers’ right to gainful employment also applies to the contractor operating in Finland (principal contractor or principal client) in a situation where the foreign employees are contracted or subcontracted or agency workers in the employ of a foreign employer.

Further information

• The right to work in Finland
• The Finnish Immigration service: Working in Finland

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