Finland Opens 2025 Seasonal Work Application Portal
The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) has officially opened its 2025 seasonal work application portal, inviting foreign nationals — including Nigerians — to apply for short-term employment opportunities in agriculture, forestry, and tourism. The announcement has generated widespread attention in Nigeria following reports of a “₦2.2 million minimum wage” offer, a claim that Finnish authorities have since clarified. According to Migri, foreigners may apply for a seasonal work visa or residence permit depending on the duration of their employment. Jobs lasting up to 90 days require a visa or seasonal work certificate, while contracts of three to nine months require a residence permit for seasonal work. All permits are tied to specific employers, and applicants must first secure a valid job offer before applying through official Finnish channels. Salary requirements have been at the center of the debate. While several Nigerian outlets reported a flat minimum of €2,700 (₦2.2m), Finnish regulations show that seasonal workers’ wages must align with collective agreements in their respective industries. Where no such agreement exists, the official income threshold for 2025 is €1,430 per month. For other categories of work-based permits, the requirements are higher, with the general employment permit set at €1,600 monthly and the EU Blue Card at €3,827. This year’s application process comes with significant reforms. In February, Finland amended its Seasonal Workers Act to formally include wild-berry pickers, who must now have contracts with Finnish employers before applying for permits. The government granted around 2,600 seasonal visas for berry pickers in summer 2025, while also rejecting cases that did not meet new conditions. Officials stressed that tourist visas will no longer be accepted for such work. Further updates, taking effect from June 2025, expand protections for foreign workers. Permit holders who lose their jobs prematurely will have a grace period of up to three months — six months for specialists — to find new employment. Employers are now legally required to notify Migri within 14 days if a foreign worker’s contract is terminated. Finland, like many EU nations, faces labor shortages in seasonal and shortage-list sectors such as agriculture, tourism, and healthcare. The new framework seeks to attract workers through legal pathways while safeguarding them from exploitation. For Nigerian applicants, officials advise caution against fraudulent recruitment agencies, urging them to apply only through verified employers and official portals such as Migri and EnterFinland. With the 2025 portal now open, thousands of foreign nationals are expected to file applications ahead of peak summer demand. However, the much-circulated “₦2.2 million monthly wage” should be understood not as a universal fixed minimum but as a conversion of Finland’s €1,430 permit income floor — the baseline for assessment where no collective agreement applies.
