Permits needed for foreign citizens

In order to work and establish a business in FInland foreign employees and entrepreneurs need permits.

Citizens from EU/EEA member states

If you are a citizen of another EU member state, Liechtenstein or Switzerland you do not need a residence permit to move to Finland. But within 3 months you need to register your residence permit with Migri (Finnish Immigration Service). If you plan to stay in Finland for more than a year, you need to register with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV).

The process of establishing a company is the same for you as for a Finnish citizen, whereas your place of residence may matter in certain situations.

Non-EU citizens

If you are a citizen of a non-EU country and move to Finland to become an entrepreneur you need either an 1. entrepreneur residence permit 2. employee residence permit or a 3. startup residence permit. These are all applicable via Migri (Finnish Immigration Agency). When you have been granted a residence permit for at least 1 year, you need to register with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), via which you will get registered a home municipality and a Finnish personal id-number.

The process of establishing a company is the same for you as for a Finnish citizen, whereas your place of residence may matter in certain situations.

Persons residing permanently outside the European Economic Area (EEA)

If you are planning to establish a Finnish company or work in a management role in a Finnish company, but live permanently outside the European Economic Area (EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway), you will need to apply for permission from the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH).

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