--- title: "Finland Hiring Guide 2026 | No Statutory Minimum Wage" description: "Hire in Finland 2026: the pay floor comes from the sector collective agreement, not the law. Trial up to 6 months, leave 5 weeks. Teamed runs all five steps." canonical: https://www.teamed.global/country-hiring-guides/finland/hiring-guide --- Finland · Hiring guide child Served by Teamed vetted partner-entity network in Finland # How do you *hire a Finnish employee* in 2026? Finland sets no minimum wage in law. The pay floor for your hire comes from the sector collective agreement (työehtosopimus) instead. Pick the wrong agreement and you underpay from day one. You also get a trial period of up to 6 months to test the fit. Last reviewed 13 June 2026 · Finland guide ![The Helsinki waterfront on a bright morning, pale neoclassical buildings and the cathedral dome above a calm harbour.](/images/country-guides/finland-hiring-guide.webp) Illustration · Helsinki, Finland Answer.cite this The Finland hire process has five steps. Offer letter, work-authorisation check, written employment contract, social-insurance and tax registration, first payday. Finland has no minimum wage in law. The pay floor comes from the collective agreement that covers your sector. Get the agreement right before you name a salary. Every employee gets a written record of the main terms. The trial period can run up to 6 months. Statutory paid leave is 5 weeks, split between summer and winter. EU and EEA citizens can start work straight away. Other nationals need a residence permit for work before day one. Employers with 30 or more staff must keep a gender equality plan. ## What does the end-to-end Finland hire process look like? Five steps take you from accepted offer to first payslip. Offer letter, work-authorisation check, written contract, statutory registrations, first payday. The work-authorisation check for non-EU nationals happens before the start date. EU and EEA citizens can start without a permit. | Step | What happens | Owner | Timing | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1. Offer letter | Written offer with role, gross salary against the right collective agreement, start date, trial-period terms, and working location | Client / Teamed drafts | Same day after verbal accept | | 2. Work-authorisation check | Confirm EU or EEA citizenship, or verify a valid residence permit for work for other nationals before the start date | Teamed | Before the employee starts | | 3. Written employment contract | Signed contract covering all terms under the Employment Contracts Act 55/2001, including the applicable collective agreement | Teamed (legal employer) | On or before day one | | 4. Statutory registrations | Earnings-related pension (TyEL), accident and unemployment insurance, and reporting to the Incomes Register | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 | | 5. First payday | First payslip issued; tax withheld per the employee tax card, pay reported to the Incomes Register within five days of payment | Teamed | End of first pay period | 1. Issue the offer letter Send a written offer the same day as verbal acceptance. Name the role, the gross salary against the right sector collective agreement, the start date, and the trial period of up to 6 months. 2. Complete the work-authorisation check Confirm EU, EEA, or Swiss citizenship by collecting a passport copy, or verify the residence permit for work for other nationals before the employee starts. Keep copies of all documents. 3. Issue the written employment contract The signed contract must be in place on or before day one and name the applicable collective agreement. Teamed's standard Finland contract covers all Employment Contracts Act 55/2001 requirements. Clients choose commercial terms; Teamed signs as the legal employer. 4. Complete statutory registrations Register the employee for earnings-related pension, accident insurance, and unemployment insurance. Collect the tax card and bank details, and arrange occupational health care. This runs across days one to seven. 5. Issue the first payslip and report pay Run the first payroll at the end of the first pay period. Withhold tax per the employee tax card and report the pay to the Incomes Register within five days of payment. The employee receives their payslip and is on the payroll record. ## What must a Finland offer letter include? The offer letter is not the binding contract. It is the document the candidate decides against. Name the role, reporting line, start date, gross monthly salary, working location, the trial period of up to 6 months, and the collective agreement that sets the pay floor for the sector. Three traps to avoid in Finnish offer letters: - **Quoting a salary without naming the collective agreement.** Finland has no minimum wage in law. The pay floor, holiday bonus, and overtime terms all come from the generally binding (yleissitova) agreement for the sector. Name a number below that floor and the offer is unenforceable on that point. - **Treating the trial period as automatic.** A trial period only applies if you agree it in writing. It can run up to 6 months, and it extends by one month for every 30 calendar days of sick leave or family leave during the trial. Spell it out in the offer. - **Describing a holiday bonus as guaranteed.** The holiday bonus (lomaraha) is a collective-agreement term, not a right set by law. Describe it as the agreement provides, not as a fixed promise. Teamed's standard Finland offer letter names the correct sector agreement and aligns with the Employment Contracts Act 55/2001. Clients choose commercial elements. Teamed holds the legal-employer position and issues the final contract. ## Finland work-authorisation checks for new hires EU and EEA citizens, and Swiss nationals, can start work in Finland without a permit. Other nationals need a residence permit for work before their first day. Employing someone without the right permit is an offence under the Aliens Act. The check happens before the start date, never after. ### EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens There is no separate work-authorisation step for EU and EEA citizens or Swiss nationals. They can start work straight away. If they stay longer than three months, they register their right of residence with the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri), but this does not block the start date. The employer keeps a copy of the passport or national ID as a standard identity record. ### Other nationals Most non-EU nationals need a residence permit for an employed person before they start. The employee applies, and the employer supplies the terms of employment and confirmation the pay meets the sector collective agreement. The Finnish Immigration Service decides the application. A specialist or EU Blue Card route exists for higher-skilled roles. Processing times vary, so start early and confirm the permit is in hand before day one. Finlex · Employment Contracts Act (Työsopimuslaki 55/2001) The Employment Contracts Act governs the employment relationship in Finland. It sets the written-terms requirement, the trial period, notice periods, and the rules on ending a contract. It applies from the first day of work. Source: [Finlex: Employment Contracts Act (Työsopimuslaki 55/2001)](https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/2001/20010055) ### Ongoing permit renewals Residence permits for work are time-limited. Employers track expiry dates and start renewal well ahead of the deadline. Teamed monitors each permit and alerts the employee and client before the renewal date so no lapse occurs. ## The Finland written employment contract: what must it contain? Finland requires the employer to give the employee a written record of the main terms of work. The Employment Contracts Act sets what it must cover. Best practice is a signed written contract on or before day one. It is the binding document. The offer letter is not. What a Finland written employment contract must cover under the Employment Contracts Act 55/2001: - Names and home addresses of the employer and the employee - Start date of employment - Whether the contract is permanent or fixed-term, and the reason for a fixed term - Any trial period and its length (up to 6 months) - Place of work - Job title or main duties - The collective agreement that applies to the work - Pay and how it is determined, plus the pay period - Working hours (the regular week is 40 hours) - Annual leave, which is at least 5 weeks by law - Notice period, or how it is determined Finland does not have a single named statement like the UK's Section 1 statement. The duty is that the employee receives the main terms in writing, and the collective agreement is named. Teamed's standard Finland contract satisfies the Employment Contracts Act 55/2001. Clients choose commercial terms; Teamed signs as the legal employer. Key source: [Employment Contracts Act 55/2001](https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/2001/20010055) via Finlex. ## Onboarding admin in the first week Days 1 to 7 cover the signed contract, the tax card, pension and insurance registration, and the first Incomes Register report. Teamed handles the statutory registrations. The client handles the operational side. | Onboarding task | Who does it | Day | | --- | --- | --- | | Written employment contract signed | Employee and Teamed | Day 0 or 1 | | Work-authorisation check completed | Teamed | Day 0 (before start for non-EU nationals) | | Tax card (verokortti) collected from the employee | Employee submits to Teamed | Day 1 | | Earnings-related pension (TyEL) registration | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 | | Accident and unemployment insurance set up | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 | | Bank account details collected for payroll | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 | | Occupational health care arranged | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 | | Equipment and system access | Client | Days 0 to 1 | | Manager introduction and first-week plan | Client | Days 0 to 7 | | 30-60-90 day plan documented | Client (manager) | Days 1 to 14 | ## How does Teamed handle Finland employment for you? Teamed becomes your legal [employer of record](/lp/employer-of-record) in Finland for [**from $599 per employee per month**](/pricing), with **zero FX mark-up** in any currency. The Employment Contracts Act, the right sector collective agreement, TyEL pension, and Incomes Register reporting all run on **one platform**. **Real HR and legal experts** handle your Finland hires, from the first offer letter through every pension, insurance, and Incomes Register filing. **An actual person**, not a chatbot or a pooled queue, picks the correct collective agreement so the pay floor is right from day one. There is **no setup fee** and **no exit fee**. Employer cost **passes through at cost, itemised** on every invoice. EOR payroll, contractor onboarding, and entity setup all live on **one platform**. A Finland contractor who converts to direct employment keeps their record. Run the [Crossover Calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/crossover-calculator) to see when your Finland headcount is ready to graduate to your own entity. Start from [the Finland hiring overview](/country-hiring-guides/finland); each guide here takes one layer of Finnish employment law. Key sources: [Employment Contracts Act 55/2001 (Finlex)](https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/2001/20010055), [Annual Holidays Act 162/2005](https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/2005/20050162), and [Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment](https://tem.fi/en/employment-contracts-and-working-time). ## Frequently asked questions Does Finland have a minimum wage? No. Finland sets no minimum wage in law. The pay floor comes from the generally binding (yleissitova) collective agreement that covers the sector, which also sets terms such as the holiday bonus and overtime. The employer must apply the agreement for the work being done. Naming the wrong agreement, or none, is the most common pay mistake foreign employers make in Finland. How long can a trial period last in Finland? A trial period can run up to 6 months under the Employment Contracts Act 55/2001. It only applies if both sides agree it in writing. The period extends by one month for every 30 calendar days the employee is absent on sick leave or family leave during the trial. During the trial, either side can end the contract without the usual notice, provided the reason is not improper. What notice period applies after the trial ends? Employer notice scales with length of service: 14 days up to one year, 1 month for one to four years, 2 months for four to eight years, 4 months for eight to twelve years, and 6 months beyond twelve years. An employee gives 14 days up to five years of service, and 1 month after that. A collective agreement can set different figures. How much annual leave does a Finland employee get? Statutory paid annual leave is 5 weeks, set by the Annual Holidays Act 162/2005. It splits into a summer holiday and a shorter winter holiday. Leave accrues at two or two and a half days per month depending on length of service. Many collective agreements add a holiday bonus (lomaraha) on top, but that bonus is an agreement term, not a right set by law. Do I need a work permit to hire someone in Finland? EU and EEA citizens, and Swiss nationals, can start work in Finland without a permit. Most other nationals need a residence permit for an employed person before their first day, decided by the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri). The employee applies and the employer supplies the terms of employment, including confirmation that pay meets the sector collective agreement. Start the process early, because processing times vary. Does Finland require a gender equality plan? Yes, for larger employers. An employer that regularly has 30 or more employees must prepare a gender equality plan, including a pay survey, and review it every two years. Family-leave notice is also formal: an employee gives 2 months advance notice for maternity, paternity, parental, or childcare leave. Teamed Legal Operations Finland trips up foreign employers on the pay floor. There is no minimum wage in law, so the right number sits inside the sector collective agreement. Name the agreement before you name the salary, and the trial period of up to six months gives you room to confirm the fit. A note from Tom Price-Daniel In Finland there is no minimum wage in law. The pay floor lives in the sector collective agreement, and picking the wrong one underpays from day one. The trial period runs up to six months and extends for sick or family leave taken during it. Statutory leave is five weeks. The written terms must be in place on day one. Tom Price-Daniel · Co-founder, Teamed ## Related Finland guides - [Hiring in Finland, overview](/country-hiring-guides/finland)parent - [Finland termination and severance](/country-hiring-guides/finland/termination-and-severance)sibling - [Finland tax and payroll](/country-hiring-guides/finland/tax-and-payroll)sibling - [Finland employer cost breakdown](/country-hiring-guides/finland/cost-breakdown)sibling - [Germany hiring guide](/country-hiring-guides/germany/hiring-guide)sibling - [Employer of Record overview](/lp/employer-of-record)core - [Crossover Calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/crossover-calculator)tool - [Talk to an expert](https://www.teamed.global/contact)CTA A note on this page. This is a guide, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules change and vary by jurisdiction. Verify current requirements with the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri), or speak to a qualified professional, before relying on any specific framework.