Every summer, thousands of foreign workers work on Finnish berry and vegetable plantations and farms. Traditionally, seasonal workers have come to Finland especially from Ukraine.
The majority of seasonal workers come to work in Finland for a short period in the summer. If a seasonal worker comes from a visa-free country, they shall apply for a certificate for seasonal work from the Finnish Immigration Service. It allows them to work in Finland for up to 90 days. A seasonal worker from a country subject to the visa requirement shall apply for a seasonal work visa at a Finnish embassy or consulate. If the seasonal worker’s employment relationship is longer than 90 days, they need a residence permit for seasonal work from the Finnish Immigration Service. EU nationals do not need a separate seasonal work permit.
When processing applications, the Finnish Immigration Service pays particular attention to combating labour exploitation and trafficking in human beings.
“Both the smooth entry into Finland of seasonal workers, as well as the fight against labour exploitation and trafficking in human beings, are essential parts of the processing of seasonal work applications and other work-based permit applications. In recent years, the Finnish Immigration Service has intensified its cooperation with various authorities to combat the exploitation of foreign employees. Our goal is to ensure smooth and safe entry into Finland and good working conditions,” says Selene Roponen, Process Specialist.
Ukrainians still the biggest customer group for certificates for seasonal work
This year, seasonal workers submitted 1,100 requests for a certificate for seasonal work by the end of May. The number has decreased from last year, when seasonal workers had submitted 1,447 requests for certificates by the beginning of June.
In addition, in 2024, seasonal workers applied for 1,196 residence permits for seasonal work in Finland by the beginning of June. This year, the number is slightly higher, and seasonal workers have submitted 1,527 residence permit applications by the end of May.
“This summer, the number of requests submitted for a certificate for seasonal work has been lower compared to previous years. The decline is partly explained by the fact that Ukrainians, who have long formed the largest customer group related to seasonal work, now mainly reside in Finland under residence permits based on temporary protection. As the temporary protection status includes an unrestricted right to work, they do not have to apply for a separate permit for seasonal work,” says Roponen.
However, in 2025, Ukrainians still accounted for 86% of all requests for a seasonal work certificate. This year, the most common nationalities for seasonal workers applying for certificates for seasonal work are Moldovan and Serbian, in addition to Ukrainian. Last year, the most common nationalities were Ukrainian, Moldovan and Kosovan.
Meanwhile, the most common nationalities in residence permits for seasonal work this year are Vietnamese, Thai and Indian. Last year, the most common nationalities at the same time were Vietnamese, Thai and Cambodian.
By the end of May, the Finnish Immigration Service had granted seasonal work permits to 1,906 seasonal workers. The number of negative permits is 89.
“Between January and May, applicants received a positive decision on an application for a seasonal work certificate on average within 10 days. Residence permits for seasonal work were granted on average within 30 days,” says Roponen.
This spring, the most common sectors for seasonal workers are agriculture and forestry. The applications submitted in the autumn focus on the accommodation and catering sector.
This year most wild-berry pickers apply for visa for seasonal work
This year, wild-berry pickers are applying for permits under the Seasonal Workers Act for the first time. The picking of wild produce, such as forest berries, was added to the scope of the Seasonal Workers Act through legislative amendments adopted on 17 February 2025.
The majority of wild-berry pickers apply for a visa for seasonal work issued by Finnish embassies or consulates. Berry pickers only apply for a residence permit for seasonal work if they reside in the country for more than three months.
The issue of a permit entitling its holder to perform seasonal work requires that the berry picking is carried out under an employment relationship. Having an employment relationship was already a requirement for Thai berry pickers last year. Wild-berry pickers arriving through Bangkok had to apply for a residence permit for an employed person, as the Embassy of Finland in Bangkok had suspended the acceptance of Schengen visa applications for wild-berry picking.
Compared to the previous situation, all applicants are now required to have an employment relationship in order to obtain the permit. The amendment aims to safeguard sufficient financial resources for foreign berry pickers and enhance the monitoring of the implementation of their rights.
“The legislative amendment is one of the measures used to combat labour exploitation. The same conditions now apply to the sector as to other industries with a need for seasonal workers. The terms of employment must comply with the collective agreement that applies to the work, and sufficient financial resources must be secured as required under the Seasonal Workers Act,” says Roponen.
In total, approximately 330 applications for residence permits have been submitted by wild-berry pickers and the support and maintenance personnel working at berry pickers’ accommodation bases. Wild-berry pickers have mainly applied for residence permits for seasonal work, while the support and maintenance personnel have applied for residence permits for employed persons. Approximately 120 positive decisions have been granted. The remaining applications are still pending.
“Before granting a permit, the Finnish Immigration Service must ensure that the employer is able to meet their employer obligations. In addition, the Finnish Immigration Service must ensure that employees are provided with sufficient financial resources and appropriate accommodation and that the costs charged from them are reasonable and the terms of their employment relationships comply with the collective agreement,” says Roponen.
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