Residence and Work Permits

• Residence Permit / Right to Reside in Finland
• Work Permit

Residence Permit / Right to Reside in Finland

EU Nationals

EU and EEA nationals must register their right to reside in Finland at the local police department if their stay exceeds three months. The local police handle the registration, except for Nordic nationals, who are registered at a Register Office under an Inter-Nordic Migration Form and need not register until their stay exceeds six months. A written certificate of registration is given to those who have been registered once the authorities have established whether the requirements for registration are met.

Tampere Police Department (Tampereen poliisilaitos)
Street address: Hatanpään valtatie 16
Tel. 07187 40131 (switchboard)

Licences and Permits for foreigners
Customer service is open:
Mon 8.00-16.45
Tue and Thu-Fri 9-16
Wednesdays and Saturdays closed (please check summer opening times)
Reserve appointment online

Non-EU/EEA Nationals

Foreign nationals need a visa for a stay of less than three months, or a residence permit for a stay of more than three months. Non-EU/EEA nationals apply for a residence permit at the Finnish Embassy/Consulate before arrival in Finland. When applying for a residence permit, a financial statement is required. Students must be able to prove that they have at their disposal at least 500 euros a month or 6000 euros for a year. The statement is requested annually.

For up-to-date information on entry to Finland, please see the website of Finnish Immigration Service (Maahanmuuttovirasto) and their notices:

• Notice to degree students
• Notice to exchange students

Please read also the information given on the website of Finnish Consulate in your country of residence:
Finnish missions abroad by country (Website of Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland)

Health Insurance

In addition to the financial statement, students must attach details of their comprehensive health insurance cover to the application. Comprehensive insurance cover means insurance which includes the types of treatment and costs that are covered by municipal services and the health insurance system. Hence, for studies of less than two years in duration, a student must have private insurance which primarily covers the costs of medical treatment up to 100,000 euros. Where the duration of the studies is two years or more, a student will usually have a home municipality in Finland and is therefore entitled to municipal health care services. In such cases, it is sufficient for the insurance to primarily cover the cost of medicines (in practice the cover extends to doctor’s fees and costs of treatment and examination), up to 30,000 euros. Having valid health insurance cover with a reliable and solvent company or institution is a precondition for obtaining a residence permit.

Extension of Residence Permit

A residence permit for study purposes is usually granted for one year at a time. If your studies last for more than a year, you must apply for an extension. In order to be granted an extension, the student must still be registered at the educational institution as a full-time student and have completed the required courses in the institution's study programme. If the student's study performance is deemed poor, an extension of the residence permit may be denied. The application for an extension is submitted to the police.

Work Permit

EU/EEA Nationals

There are no limitations on how much EU and EEA nationals can work during their stay in Finland.

Non-EU/EEA Nationals

The residence permit (oleskelulupa) is valid for up to one year and it includes a student work permit (työlupa) allowing a stu­dent to work a maximum of 25 hours per week during term-time. During holiday periods (May 1 - September 30 and De­cember 15 - January 15), stu­­dents may work without restrictions. HOWEVER (and this cannot be stressed enough) there are certain variations depending upon the type of student status, e.g. scholarship, private arrangement etc.

For up-to-date information please contact the Tampere Police Department.

Looking for a Job

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to find a job in Finland if you do not speak Finnish. You may have to apply several times before succeeding in finding work. Nowadays, the Internet is the most efficient way of finding information on companies, their operations and vacancies.

You can search for job opportunities at:

Tampere Employment Office
(Tampereen työvoimatoimisto)
Street address: Hämeenkatu 16
Tel. 010 19 4043 (switchboard)

Office hours: Mon-Fri 9.00-15.45
http://www.mol.fi/tampere/
http://www.mol.fi/mol/en/index.jsp

The University of Tampere Career Centre serves as a link between the University graduates and working life:

Contact information:
Street address: Vuolteenkatu 20, 3nd floor (Auttilankulma)
Tel. 050 420 1477
Office hours: Mon-Fri 9.00-15.00
E-mail: rekry@uta.fi
http://www.uta.fi/rekrytointi/english.html

For those who would like to find a job or a traineeship in Finland, we recommend visiting the Studying in Tampere Region (SITR) website where you will find links to many sites with information about working in Finland:

http://www.uta.fi/sitr/working/

The City of Tampere Map Service