VisaFinland seasonal workers must match the permit to the full contract length
Current guidance explains the 90-day certificate limit, longer seasonal residence route, employer evidence and separate healthcare application.
Official source date: 2026-10-29
Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
The full employment period determines the route
Finland seasonal recruits should choose immigration permission using the complete employment relationship, not only the first weeks of a contract. Migri guidance distinguishes the certificate for eligible visa-free workers, the seasonal visa for visa-required short visits and the residence permit for seasonal work exceeding 90 days. This is current recruitment guidance checked on 29 October 2026, not an announcement of a newly created winter-work visa.
The seasonal certificate page says the certificate is for visa-free nationals arriving for no more than 90 days and does not extend the underlying 90-in-180-day visa-free allowance. Someone whose total seasonal employment exceeds 90 days should apply for a residence permit rather than divide the contract into a short certificate request and an assumed automatic continuation. Use that specific certificate resource to compare the full dates before submission.
A visa exemption does not authorize starting the job
The certificate instructions say work cannot begin before the certificate is granted and that work is restricted to the employers named on it. They list EUR200 for an electronic certificate application and EUR300 for a paper application. A traveller eligible to enter without a visa still needs the seasonal work permission; paying for the application is not the same as receiving it.
Migri visiting-Finland guidance separately directs visa-required workers with seasonal employment under three months to apply for a seasonal visa through a Finnish mission. Nationality therefore affects the short-stay application channel, while the work duration affects whether the residence route is needed. An illustrative recruit should first establish the visa requirement for the passport, then the complete contract period, rather than choose the cheapest application before checking the route.
Employers must confirm real terms and suitable housing
Migri employer guidance says seasonal work must be tied to a season in the covered agriculture, forestry or tourism sectors; not every temporary job qualifies. It limits seasonal permission to nine months in a 12-month period. The worker needs an employment relationship and terms meeting the applicable collective agreement and Finnish law. Use the employer resource to check that the actual role and contract fit the scheme.
The employer must supplement the application with the terms of employment, through Enter Finland for Employers or the signed TY6_plus form where the online channel is unavailable. Where accommodation is provided, the employer must ensure appropriate conditions. Salary evidence must support the worker throughout the permit period; the residence guidance specifies at least EUR1,463 gross monthly in 2026 where no collective agreement applies. That figure should not be used to override a higher applicable contractual or collective minimum.
The residence application has additional costs and documents
The seasonal residence-permit resource lists first-permit fees of EUR530 electronically or EUR630 on paper, and extended-permit fees of EUR230 electronically or EUR430 on paper. These are separate from the certificate fees. It requires a passport valid three months beyond the permit period, relevant passport-page copies, a recent compliant photograph and evidence of lawful stay in the country of application.
Migri says the first residence application is normally made abroad before arrival, while identifying specified circumstances for continuing directly after a valid seasonal certificate or visa. A current seasonal residence holder seeking continuation must address the extension before expiry. The page also says family members cannot receive residence permits on the basis of family ties to a seasonal worker. Confirm the actual continuing-work right rather than assume a pending application covers every gap or new employer.
Healthcare entitlement requires a separate decision
Kela explains that a seasonal worker may qualify to use public healthcare for the same client charge as local residents, but must apply for entitlement. Its named seasonal-worker form is SV139e. A Finnish personal identity code is not required for the application, and an employer or another representative can act with power of attorney. Use the Kela resource for that healthcare decision rather than assume the immigration permit automatically settles coverage.
If Kela grants entitlement, the worker receives a certificate to show when using public services. Keep that decision separate from the visa, work certificate or residence card. Before travel, confirm the full work dates, named employer, wage and housing evidence and apply through the appropriate route. Before starting work or continuing after a permission expires, verify the actual work right; no job-start guarantee or individual processing deadline is inferred from a submitted application.
