How to Hire Nurses from Abroad in Finland (2026)

7 min

The Reality of Hiring Foreign Nurses in Finland

Finland faces a severe shortage of healthcare professionals, particularly registered nurses (sairaanhoitaja) and practical nurses (lähihoitaja). Regional wellbeing services counties (hyvinvointialueet) and private healthcare operators across regions like Uusimaa, Pirkanmaa, Varsi-Suomi, and Pohjois-Pohjanmaa actively seek nursing staff to cover structural deficits. However, hiring registered nurses directly from outside the European Union or European Economic Area (EU/EEA) is one of the most heavily regulated recruitment processes in the Finnish labor market.

If you expect to recruit a non-EU nurse and have them work independently on a ward within two months, that is not realistic. The primary obstacle is not the visa; it is professional qualification recognition and language requirements. To practice as a registered nurse in Finland, a professional must hold a license from Valvira (the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health) and demonstrate sufficient proficiency in Finnish or Swedish (typically B1 to B2 level on the CEFR scale).

Because direct recognition of non-EU nursing degrees rarely grants immediate right to practice, most Finnish healthcare employers use alternative pathways:

Initial employment as care assistants: Hiring candidates as care assistants (hoiva-avustaja) or nursing aides while they complete local language training and prepare their qualification files.
Practical nurse bridging: Employing non-EU trained nurses in practical nurse (lähihoitaja) roles while they complete supplementary studies to meet Finnish standards.
Sponsored adaptation programs: Partnering with Finnish educational institutions (ammattikorkeakoulu) to offer top-up degree modules combined with language courses, enabling nurses to qualify for full Valvira registration over 12 to 24 months.

Qualification Recognition with Valvira and the Legal Route

To employ a foreign nurse legally in Finland, you must navigate two separate regulatory tracks: professional licensing through Valvira and residence permits through the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri).

Valvira evaluates whether a foreign degree matches Finnish healthcare education standards. For degrees earned outside the EU/EEA, Valvira issues an individual decision detailing the supplementary education, practical training, or language examinations required before full registration is granted. Employers must verify a candidate's status in the Terveydenhuollon ammattihenkilöiden keskusrekisteri (JulkiTervikki) before placing them in positions reserved for licensed professionals.

For the immigration process, non-EU workers must obtain a residence permit for an employed person (työntekijän oleskelulupa). The legal workflow follows these steps:

Job offer and contract: The employer issues a formal employment contract that meets Finnish labor laws and sector-specific collective agreements.
Online filing via Enter Finland: The candidate submits their residence permit application online. The employer completes the employer side of the application using the Enter Finland for Employers service, detailing working hours, salary, and terms.
Two-stage permit evaluation: The TE Office (Työ- ja elinkeinotoimisto) first issues a partial decision evaluating the terms of employment and regional labor availability. Once approved, Migri makes the final decision on identity, security, and residence eligibility.
Labor market testing considerations: While healthcare roles frequently experience shortages, regional TE offices maintain specific guidelines regarding labor availability checks. Always check current regional exemption lists with Migri and regional TE services.

Realistic Timelines: Offer to First Shift

Planning an international hiring timeline requires accounting for official document processing, language learning, and permit approval. Employers should expect the following realistic schedules:

Valvira qualification assessment: 4 to 9 months. Gathering official syllabus documentation, certified translations, and degree verifications from foreign universities often takes several months before Valvira begins review.
Migri residence permit processing: 1 to 3 months when submitted electronically via Enter Finland for Employers, provided all documentation is complete.
Language acquisition: 6 to 18 months of intensive study to move from zero knowledge to conversational and professional Finnish (B1 level), which is essential for patient safety and workplace integration.
Total timeframe: For a candidate recruited abroad without prior Finnish language skills or local recognition, expect 12 to 24 months before they can operate as a fully licensed registered nurse. If hiring into an assistant role while training, arrival can occur within 3 to 6 months.

Pay Standards, Collective Agreements, and Employer Obligations

Pay rates in Finland are strictly regulated by sector collective agreements (työehtosopimus). Employers cannot negotiate wages below the established minimum scales for a given job category.

In public healthcare (wellbeing services counties), pay is determined by the SOTE-sopimus collective agreement. In private healthcare services, the Terveyspalvelualan työehtosopimus (TPV) applies. Baseline compensation for non-EU staff must align with the role they actually perform:

Registered nurse (sairaanhoitaja): Minimum base salary typically ranges from 2,600 EUR to 3,200 EUR per month for full-time work (38 hours 15 minutes per week), excluding evening, night, and weekend supplements.
Practical nurse (lähihoitaja): Minimum base salary typically ranges from 2,200 EUR to 2,600 EUR per month plus shift allowances.
Care assistant (hoiva-avustaja): Minimum base salary typically ranges from 2,000 EUR to 2,300 EUR per month depending on experience and applicable collective agreement.
Housing obligations: Employers in Finland are not legally required to pay for or provide permanent employee housing. However, given tight housing markets in cities like Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, and Tampere, employers customarily assist foreign recruits by securing initial rental accommodation or providing temporary housing for the first 1 to 3 months.

What This Costs You, Roughly

Budgeting for international nurse recruitment involves several direct and administrative expense lines. These estimates outline the cost breakdown per worker:

Valvira application and registration fees: 1,000 EUR to 2,500 EUR, depending on evaluation complexity and registration stages.
Migri residence permit employer processing: 150 EUR to 490 EUR per application submitted through Enter Finland.
Certified document translation and legalization: 300 EUR to 800 EUR for translating academic records and certificates into Finnish, Swedish, or English.
Language training support: 1,500 EUR to 5,000 EUR per worker for structured online or classroom Finnish/Swedish courses.
Relocation and initial housing support: 1,000 EUR to 3,000 EUR covering initial travel, temporary lodging deposit, and settling-in assistance.

Ethical Recruitment and Candidate Protection

Employers evaluating international recruitment channels must uphold ethical hiring practices. Under Finnish law and international ethical standards (such as the WHO Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel), job seekers must never be charged fees for recruitment, job placement, or permit processing.

Legitimate employers cover all institutional recruitment costs directly. Candidates who are asked by intermediaries or agencies to pay placement fees, pay for job offers, or enter into debt-bondage agreements are being defrauded. Utilizing fraudulent intermediaries creates severe legal and reputational risk for Finnish employers, including exposure to criminal liability under Finnish labor exploitation regulations. Employers must independently verify that candidates have not paid third parties for their placement.

Finding Nurses on the Workuro Registry

Workuro operates a direct candidate registry where healthcare workers abroad publish profiles indicating their interest in moving to Finland. Workuro is not a recruitment agency, does not charge per-hire placement fees, and does not participate in employment negotiations. The employer manages selection, interviewing, qualification checks, and contract signing directly.

Our candidate registry is young and continuously growing. While you will not find thousands of active applicants for every niche immediately, you can search for nurses who are actively learning Finnish or who hold qualifications they want to present to Finnish employers. When browsing candidate profiles, look for individuals who demonstrate clear plans regarding language acquisition and qualification recognition. You can contact candidate profiles directly through the platform to assess their background and discuss employment options for your organization.