• If you are coming to work for less than three months and you come from a country whose citizens are required to have a visa, you should submit your seasonal work visa application to the Finnish diplomatic mission or consulate in your country of origin/residence.

• If you are coming to work for less than three months and you come from a country whose citizens are not required to have a visa, you should submit your request for a seasonal work certificate to the Finnish Immigration Service. You should send your request for a certificate to the Finnish Immigration Service according to the instructions on the application form. Processing fee is EUR 100.

• If you are coming to work for three months to nine months, you should submit your seasonal work permit application to the Finnish diplomatic mission or consulate in your country of origin/residence. Submit your application in the e-service Enter Finland. After you have submitted your application, you have to visit the Finnish diplomatic mission or consulate in your country of origin/residence to prove your identity and have your fingerprints taken. A paper application is submitted to the Finnish diplomatic mission or consulate in your country of origin/residence.

• If your seasonal work will last for 6 – 9 months, your application for a residence permit for seasonal work will be processed in two stages. This means that an Employment and Economic Development Office (TE Office) will first assess whether labour force is available in Finland or within the EU/EEA for the work in question within a reasonable time. Secondly, following this, the Finnish Immigration Service takes its decision.

Processing fee (EUR) for application for residence permit:

– for 3–6 months (no labour market testing) online 350, paper application 550

– for 6–9 months (requires a partial decision) online 400, paper application 600

Request for certificate:

• Colour copies of the passport page containing personal data
• Supplement form TY6_plus, filled in and signed by your employer
• Copy of the payment receipt

Application for residence permit:

• Valid passport (you must present it when you submit the residence permit application)
• Your passport must still be valid for three months after your residence permit for seasonal work has ended.
• Passport photo complying with the photo guidelines issued by the police or a photograph retrieval code you received from a photo shop
• Colour copies of the passport page containing personal data and of all passport pages that contain notes
• Document showing that you are legally staying in the country where you submit the application
• Supplement form TY6_plus, filled in and signed by your employer
• Salmonella certificate (if you are a restaurant worker or your duties include food preparation or packaging)

If your work lasts for more than six months, ask your employer for the following documents and attach them to your application. The documents may not be more than three months old:

• Certificate of paid taxes or certificate of tax debts
• Certificates from an insurance company on the employer’s statutory insurance premiums regarding:
  • TyEL insurance;
  • accident and group life insurance; and
  • unemployment insurance
• Report on recruitment of labour force from the Finnish labour market and the labour market within the EU/EEA

The initial permitted period of residence under this Scheme is 1 year (12 months) and the maximum is 2 years (24 months). You may, for example, spend 24 consecutive months in the State or break the period into two separate lots of 12 months each, separated by time. If you are currently in the State on this permission, transitional arrangements will apply. Please see the policy documentSearch for available translations of the preceding linkEN••• for further details.

The work you do as a volunteer must be a structured activity that is undertaken in an approved sector, including (but not limited to):

• Arts, heritage, culture
• Out of school education and youth services
• Religious and faith-based support activities
• Health support services
• Sport and physical recreation
• Welfare and work for the community good
• For no financial gain by you and for the benefit of society, while also bringing benefits to you as a volunteer

You must be invited to Ireland by an eligible organisation. An eligible organisation may be either:

• A non-governmental, not-for-profit, voluntary or charitable body that is already established and active in the State and listed on the Charities Regulator’s Public Register of Charities or
• A sports organisation that is already established and active in the State and whose national governing body is recognised by Sport Ireland

• Certificate: up to three months
• Residence permit: up to nine months

If you have a valid certificate for seasonal work and the employment ends, you can apply for a new certificate for seasonal work for a new employer.

A new certificate must be applied for before the previous certificate expires. The granting of a new certificate for seasonal work requires, however, that you still have visa-free residence time left.

If you have been working with a certificate for seasonal work and your visa-free residence time has already expired, you can apply for a residence permit for seasonal work in Finland for a new employer.

If you have a valid residence permit for seasonal work, you can apply for extension up to the maximum length of seasonal work (nine months).

It is possible to appeal negative decisions made by the Finnish Immigration Service before an Administrative Court 30 days following the notification. The appeal procedures are indicated in the decision.

A rejection from the Administrative Court can be appealed as a last resort to the Supreme Administrative Court. You will need to apply for leave to appeal.

You are only permitted to work for the employer for whose your seasonal work certificate or residence permit was granted to you.

If the grounds for your residence change and you meet the necessary conditions, you should apply for a new residence permit (for example employment or family ties).

The family members of seasonal workers cannot get residence permits in Finland on the basis of family ties.

You cannot be granted a permanent residence permit or a long-term resident EC residence permit, as seasonal work is always temporary and time-limited.