Employers

An employee can apply for a tax card at International House Helsinki or the Helsinki Area Tax Office. From 1 March 2022 onwards to get an individual tax number, required for working at a construction site in Finland, the employee must visit the Helsinki Area Tax Office located at Hämeentie 15.

You can learn more about getting a tax card here and more information about getting an individual tax number is available here.

Appointments both for International House Helsinki and Helsinki Area Tax Office can be booked online or by phone 029 497 050.

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) enters data into the Finnish Population Information System and can issue an employee's Finnish personal identity code. Your employee can get their Finnish personal identity code at International House Helsinki.

The employee may also have received their Finnish personal identity code earlier from the Finnish Immigration Service when they applied for a residence permit or registered their residence as an EU citizen.

An employee can also request a personal identity code for tax purposes from the Finnish Tax Administration when applying for a tax card or an individual tax number.

However, the employee is not automatically registered as a resident of a specific municipality when they receive a personal identity code without visiting a DVV service point.

There are many things to take care of when moving to and settling in the Helsinki region. For general information and guidance IHH has a chat service where your employee can ask questions about life in the Helsinki capital region.

The cities of Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa provide information about what first steps your international employees need to take before and upon their arrival to the capital region. In addition, infoFinland.fi offers a detailed arrival checklist for all international newcomers.

Please direct your employee to visit the International House Helsinki service point after arriving in the Helsinki region. At International House Helsinki they can apply for a tax card, get a Finnish personal identity code and register their municipality of residence . They can also apply for social security coverage under the Finnish social security system and even get general information and guidance about life in the capital region .

Employers are obliged to ensure that their employee has all of the required permits to reside and work in Finland.

Information regarding the principal terms and conditions of employment must be provided to the Employment and Economic Development Office (TE Office) when the person hired is either a non-EU citizen or an EU/EEA Citizen. The information must be submitted immediately (within a week). This is required in all cases regardless of the type of residence permit the employee possesses. 

Employers can either submit a copy of the job contract or TEM054 form (an appendix to the residence permit application of an employed person). The employer can also make the notification electronically through Enter Finland's Employer site.

An employer must inform the shop steward (luottamusmies), the elected representative (luottamusvaltuutettu), and the occupational safety and health representative (työsuojeluvaltuutettu) at the workplace about the name of the foreign employee (other than EU citizen) and the applicable collective agreement.

In addition, the employer has an obligation to collect and store information regarding the foreign employee, such as personal data and the grounds for the foreign employee’s right to work.

This information must be stored for the duration of their employment and for four years after the termination of their employment. In addition, it must be readily available for the occupational safety and health authorities’ inspection on demand. Employers should store a copy of the employee’s passport and residence permit card.

All the same, laws, collective agreements, and obligations apply to foreign employees than to Finnish employees.

Citizens of EU/EEA countries do not need a residence permit to live or work in Finland. They can reside and work freely in Finland for up to three months, after which they must register their right of residence at the Finnish Immigration Service office. If your new employee is an EU/EEA citizen, they can do this at International House Helsinki. Citizens of Nordic countries are exceptions, and they can register at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

Citizens of non-EU countries usually need a residence permit. There are different categories of residence permits, and the right to work depends on the type of the permit. Some work is allowed without a residence permit for a restricted period (usually no longer than 90 days). Please visit the Finnish Immigration Service’s website for further information regarding different categories of residence permits.

The Spouse Program, is an initiative of the City of Helsinki, run in close collaboration with Espoo and Vantaa. It is open to international spouses living in Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa.

It provides international spouses with social, professional, and cultural support and offers them a supportive community of like-minded internationals.

The Spouse Program is free to join and regularly hosts events on a wide range of topics designed to help spouses feel at home in the capital region.

The Newcomer’s Guide is a new comprehensive guidebook developed by the cities of Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa. It is the ultimate English language resource for those moving to, living, working, and studying in the capital region.

The guide is divided into four main parts, moving, living, work & study, and leisure time. It provides readers with a wide range of materials, including information about the various public authority services newcomers need to visit upon arrival, where to study Finnish or Swedish, and advice for housing options. The Newcomer’s Guide even has information about local cultural activities and customs.

IHH provides an education guidance service that helps families residing in Helsinki with queries about daycare, pre-primary and primary education services, and playground and club activities. Customers can ask, for example, advice on application processes and receive consultation on different daycare and school options in the capital region.

The service is available in Finnish and English. You can contact the education guidance service by email, eduguidance@hel.fi. You can ask questions as well as book a personal telephone appointment or an online meeting by email.

IHH’s also has a guide to early childhood education on our website and you can find more information about options for basic education in Helsinki here.