Why and how is Finland restricting cross-border traffic?

The purpose of the restrictions and recommendations in force during the coronavirus epidemic is to slow down and prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Finland, to safeguard the resource capacity and resilience of our healthcare system throughout the country, and to protect people, especially those who are the most at risk. More information on border traffic is available in the Border Guard guidelines . The Government is closely monitoring the development of the disease and is prepared to change the decisions on border traffic if necessary.

Will visa and residence permit applications be processed?

Finland’s missions abroad keep their own websites and social media channels updated on current information on the impact of the coronavirus situation on the processing of visa and residence permit applications. https://um.fi/finland-abroad

Will travel for work be permitted?

Holders of a Finnish residence permit may enter the country. Other information on work-related travel across internal and external borders is available in the Border Guard guidelines .

If my foreign employee is from a non-EU country and their travel to work is considered essential travel, what should I as the employer do?

In situations where restrictions have been imposed on external border traffic from third countries, it is the employer’s responsibility to provide a justification for the essential travel of an employee arriving in Finland from outside the EU. Tasks that are critical for the security of supply or for a specific sector, and that must be carried out without delay, are deemed essential. Based on the authorities’ assessment, a list has been prepared of tasks that are essential for the security of supply or critical for a specific sector. A list prepared by the authorities of tasks essential for the security of supply or critical for a specific sector The employer will fill in the form Employer’s justification for the necessity of an employee entering the country during the state of emergency and give it to the employee. An employee attempting to enter Finland will present this form in addition to other documents required for crossing the border. Form: Employer’s justification for the necessity of an employee entering the country during the state of emergency (FI/EN) It is the employer’s duty to ensure that the person entering the country has a valid residence permit or visa entitling to work, if the work to be carried out so requires. The sector-specific list of necessary traffic prepared jointly by the ministries, the National Emergency Supply Agency, the Finnish Immigration Service and the Border Guard does not constitute an advance ruling on who will be admitted into the country, but the border control authority will take it into account when assessing the necessity of traffic.

Is entry into Finland permitted to those who have been granted a work-based residence permit?

The main rule is to restrict unnecessary travel. According to the Border Guard’s guidelines, third-country nationals who have been granted a residence permit may enter Finland starting from 1 May 2020. Residence permits for seasonal workers are not included in this category. They are treated as their own special group. To be allowed to enter Finland, a third-country national with a residence permit for seasonal work entering Finland for the first must be included in the seasonal worker quota of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

If the applicant for a residence permit or visa withdraws the application, will the processing fee be reimbursed?

No. The current legislation does not allow reimbursement of the application processing fee.

If the authority decides not to process applications, will the processing fee be reimbursed?

No. The current legislation does not allow reimbursement of the application processing fee.

If foreign workers granted their first residence permit in Finland are laid off because of the coronavirus, how will it affect their chance of getting extended permits?

The residence permit will remain in effect for the duration of the layoff. An extended permit may be granted on condition that the employee has had secure means of subsistence while the previous permit was in effect. More information on working and unemployment benefits while laid off is available the websites of Kela and the TE Office. More information on the Finnish Immigration Service’s website

How does the coronavirus outbreak affect the residence permits of immigrant entrepreneurs?

The emergency conditions do not affect immigrants with valid residence permits. The Finnish Immigration Service and the TE Offices and ELY Centres that make partial decisions are now prioritising work-based residence permit applications considered essential for security of supply or the activities of specific sectors. Applications for extended permits will also be processed. At the moment, the Centre for Economic Development in Uusimaa (ELY Centre) where partial decisions regarding residence permits for entrepreneurs are centrally processed, only processes permits for entrepreneurs who work as health care professionals, care workers for the elderly, in goods transport, or in other duties considered essential (for example for the security of supply). Applications for extended permits will also be processed. Granting of residence permits for entrepreneurs is always based on an overall consideration of each individual case, which involves the ELY Centre making an assessment of the conditions for profitable business and income security. The effects of the coronavirus on business activities will be taken into account when a partial decision is made. In the assessment, more weight may be given to accounting information for a period before the acute impact of the coronavirus on business activities. Future outlook will also be assessed.

Questions and answers: Corona and worker mobility

The purpose of the restrictions and recommendations in force during the coronavirus epidemic is to slow down and prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Finland, to safeguard the resource capacity and resilience of our healthcare system throughout the country, and to protect people, especially those who are the most at risk.

More information on border traffic is available in the Border Guard guidelines.

The Government is closely monitoring the development of the disease and is prepared to change the decisions on border traffic if necessary.

Updated 27.1.2021 at 13.13
In situations where restrictions have been imposed on external border traffic from third countries, it is the employer’s responsibility to provide a justification for the essential travel of an employee arriving in Finland from outside the EU. Tasks that are critical for the security of supply or for a specific sector, and that must be carried out without delay, are deemed essential. Based on the authorities’ assessment, a list has been prepared of tasks that are essential for the security of supply or critical for a specific sector.

A list prepared by the authorities of tasks essential for the security of supply or critical for a specific sector

The employer will fill in the form Employer’s justification for the necessity of an employee entering the country during the state of emergency and give it to the employee. An employee attempting to enter Finland will present this form in addition to other documents required for crossing the border.

Form: Employer’s justification for the necessity of an employee entering the country during the state of emergency (FI/EN)

It is the employer’s duty to ensure that the person entering the country has a valid residence permit or visa entitling to work, if the work to be carried out so requires.

The sector-specific list of necessary traffic prepared jointly by the ministries, the National Emergency Supply Agency, the Finnish Immigration Service and the Border Guard does not constitute an advance ruling on who will be admitted into the country, but the border control authority will take it into account when assessing the necessity of traffic.

Updated 11.2.2021 at 9.37
The main rule is to restrict unnecessary travel. According to the Border Guard’s guidelines, third-country nationals who have been granted a residence permit may enter Finland starting from 1 May 2020. Residence permits for seasonal workers are not included in this category. They are treated as their own special group. To be allowed to enter Finland, a third-country national with a residence permit for seasonal work entering Finland for the first must be included in the seasonal worker quota of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
The residence permit will remain in effect for the duration of the layoff. An extended permit may be granted on condition that the employee has had secure means of subsistence while the previous permit was in effect. More information on working and unemployment benefits while laid off is available the websites of Kela and the TE Office.

More information on the Finnish Immigration Service’s website
The emergency conditions do not affect immigrants with valid residence permits. The Finnish Immigration Service and the TE Offices and ELY Centres that make partial decisions are now prioritising work-based residence permit applications considered essential for security of supply or the activities of specific sectors. Applications for extended permits will also be processed.

At the moment, the Centre for Economic Development in Uusimaa (ELY Centre) where partial decisions regarding residence permits for entrepreneurs are centrally processed, only processes permits for entrepreneurs who work as health care professionals, care workers for the elderly, in goods transport, or in other duties considered essential (for example for the security of supply). Applications for extended permits will also be processed. Granting of residence permits for entrepreneurs is always based on an overall consideration of each individual case, which involves the ELY Centre making an assessment of the conditions for profitable business and income security. The effects of the coronavirus on business activities will be taken into account when a partial decision is made. In the assessment, more weight may be given to accounting information for a period before the acute impact of the coronavirus on business activities. Future outlook will also be assessed.