Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)

Migri makes the permit decisions in Finnish immigration, asylum, refugee status and citizenship matters. For a health professional from outside the EU it is the authority that grants the residence permit you need to work. Migri is separate from the Finnish Supervisory Agency (LVV, formerly Valvira), which decides your right to practise. Migri's own guidance notes that health care professionals need permission from LVV to practise their profession.

• Residence permit for an employed person (TTOL). The pay must meet the collective agreement and be at least EUR 1,600 gross a month. Evening and night supplements do not count, and fringe benefits can make up at most half.
• Specialist permit. For expert roles paying at least EUR 3,937 gross a month in 2026. A first permit lasts up to two years.
• EU Blue Card. Also EUR 3,937 gross a month in 2026; see EU Blue Card.

With a TTOL permit you cannot start work until the permit is granted, and you can only work in the field it names.

1. Get a job offer and check where you are with LVV.
2. Apply online in Enter Finland and pay the fee by card or Finnish online banking.
3. Prove your identity at a Finnish mission or visa application centre.
4. Your employer fills in the terms of employment in Enter Finland.

Specialists and Blue Card applicants can use the fast track, which aims for a decision within two weeks. You must prove your identity within five working days and the employer must add the terms within two working days. It covers first permits applied for from abroad only.

From 1 January 2026 Migri charges EUR 750 for a first TTOL permit applied for online and EUR 950 on paper; an extended permit costs EUR 230 online or EUR 430 on paper. Migri publishes current average processing times on its website. When a permit is granted, you are usually registered in the Population Information System and receive a henkilötunnus.

Nurses and most other professions trained outside the EU or EEA usually complete additional studies set by LVV in Finland, while doctors complete an internship and examinations on limited licences. Each stage may need a different residence permit, depending on whether you are studying or working and on the pay. Migri says a lower salary than the specialist threshold means applying under the permit for an employed person. Check both the permit type and your LVV status before you sign a contract.

• Applying for a specialist permit from inside Finland, which Migri says may lead to a negative decision.
• Counting supplements towards the EUR 1,600.
• Assuming the permit gives the right to practise. Your right to practise appears in JulkiTerhikki only once LVV grants it.

See our Finland guide.