Seasonal workers' visa

You normally need a residence permit to be allowed to work in Finland. However, for seasonal work you do not need a residence permit but a visa.

Seasonal work done in Finland will be governed by the Seasonal Work Act based on the new EU Directive on seasonal workers. The Seasonal Work Act does not apply to picking of wild berries because this does not involve an employment relationship. The picking of wild berries takes place by virtue of the Act on the Legal Status of Foreigners Collecting Natural Products (487/2021). The Employment and Economic Development Office of North Ostrobothnia follows the fulfilment of the conditions specified in sections 5 and 7 of the Act, which entered into force on 14 June 2021, applying to operators in the natural products sector.

Seasonal work refers to work in agriculture and tourism that is done at certain times of the year.  Examples of seasonal work include work in forestry, plant production and festivals.

A visa for seasonal work in Finland is applied for at a mission of Finland. It cannot be applied for at a mission of any other Schengen state.  The visa is intended for seasonal work in Finland only. The visa can be granted for up to 90 days.

The regular processing times set out in the Visa Code apply to the processing of seasonal visas. A permit for engaging in seasonal work is granted for working for one or more designated employers. A visa granted for seasonal work contains the additional information “Kausityö” and its validity period starts on the date when the employment relationship starts.

You can find instructions on how to apply a visa on Finland Abroad website.

If the seasonal work exceeds 90 days, apply for a seasonal work permit from the Finnish Immigration Service. (Link to another website.)