How to Hire Security Guards from Abroad in Finland (2026)

6 min

Reality Check: Is Hiring Security Guards from Abroad Realistic in Finland?

If you manage security operations, commercial properties, or industrial sites in Finland, you are likely aware of the persistent tight labor market for qualified guards, particularly in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Tampere, Turku, and major logistics corridors. However, bringing non-EU workers into Finland directly as security guards is subject to strict regulatory barriers that every site manager and HR lead must understand before starting.

In Finland, security work is strictly regulated by the Private Security Services Act (Yksityisistä turvallisuuspalveluista annettu laki). A security guard (vartija) cannot legally work without a valid guard license (vartijakortti) issued by the Finnish Police (Poliisi). Obtaining this license requires completing mandatory police-approved training, which is conducted almost exclusively in Finnish or Swedish. Furthermore, daily operations require functional Finnish language proficiency (typically level B1 or higher) to interact with police, emergency services, clients, and the public, as well as to write incident reports that stand up in court.

Because foreign security qualifications are not recognized automatically in Finland, hiring a candidate directly from outside the EU who does not already speak Finnish is rare and legally complex. Employers in Finland who recruit internationally for this sector usually focus on two approaches:

Recruiting Finnish-speaking foreign nationals: Candidates who have studied Finnish abroad or lived in Finland on other permits (such as foreign university graduates) and can pass the mandatory local training immediately.
Employer-sponsored training pipelines: Recruiting candidates with strong security or military backgrounds abroad, bringing them to Finland, and putting them through intensive Finnish language and police-approved guard training prior to their first shift.

If you need guards on shift next week, hiring from abroad is not the solution. If you are building a long-term staffing pipeline for growing contract obligations and are willing to sponsor local licensing, international recruitment is a viable path.

The Legal Route: Permits, Police Licensing, and Foreign Qualifications

To employ a non-EU security guard in Finland, you must navigate two separate legal frameworks: immigration clearance through the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) and trade licensing through the Finnish Police (Poliisi).

The primary work visa for security personnel is the Residence Permit for an Employed Person (työntekijän oleskelulupa). This process involves a two-step evaluation:

Step 1: TE Services (TE-palvelut) evaluation: The Employment and Economic Development Office checks local labor availability in your region (the labor market test) and verifies that the employment conditions comply with Finnish law and sector-specific collective agreements.
Step 2: Migri final decision: Migri conducts background and identity checks before granting the residence permit card.

The application is initiated online via Enter Finland. The candidate submits their part, and the employer completes the terms of employment (TYO-lomake) via the Enter Finland for Employers portal. You must confirm current rules and submission procedures directly with Migri (migri.fi) and TE Services (te-palvelut.fi).

Simultaneously, you must handle trade qualification. Experience in a foreign police force or security company does not waive Finnish statutory training requirements. Before issuing a guard license (vartijakortti), the Finnish Police require completion of:

Basic Security Guard Training: Consisting of the temporary security guard course (40 hours) and the full security guard course (additional 80 hours) delivered by an accredited educational institution (such as AEL, Taitotalo, or Luxia).
Police Security Clearance: A background check conducted by the police and the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service (SUPO).

Realistic Timeline: From Job Offer to First Shift

Recruiting a non-EU security guard requires significant lead time. You must plan for several distinct phases before the candidate can legally stand post.

Phase 1: Recruitment and contract signing (3 to 6 weeks): Sourcing candidates, interviewing, verifying language capability, and executing a formal employment contract contingent on visa and licensing approval.
Phase 2: Labor market testing (2 weeks): Posting the job vacancy on Työmarkkinatori (Job Market Finland) to satisfy the TE Services local recruitment search requirement, unless your specific municipality has explicitly waived the test for security staff.
Phase 3: Residence permit processing (2 to 4 months): Processing through Enter Finland. First-time applications for an employed person permit take between 60 and 120 days on average, depending on queue volumes at Migri.
Phase 4: Relocation and local registration (2 weeks): The worker arrives in Finland, registers at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) to receive a Finnish personal identity code, and visits the tax office for a tax card.
Phase 5: Finnish security guard training and licensing (3 to 6 weeks): The worker completes the 40-hour and 80-hour training courses in Finland and receives physical clearance and their vartijakortti from the local police department.

In total, expect a realistic lead time of 5 to 8 months from the day you sign a job offer to the day the worker completes their first independent guard shift.

Pay Standards, Collective Agreements, and Employer Duties

Pay rates and working conditions for security personnel in Finland are strictly governed by the Collective Agreement for the Private Security Sector (Yksityisen turvallisuusalan työehtosopimus), negotiated between the Service Union PAM (Palvelualojen ammattiliitto) and the Finnish Security Contractors Association.

Employers must adhere to statutory pay scales (palkkataulukot), which classify guards into pay grades (Tasot 1 through 5) based on experience, qualifications, and task complexity:

Base monthly salaries: Typically range from approximately €2,000 gross per month for entry-level temporary guards (Taso 1) to €2,600 or more gross per month for experienced site supervisors or specialized response guards (Taso 5).
Shift supplements: Security work relies heavily on non-standard hours. You must pay mandatory collective agreement supplements for evening shifts, night shifts, Saturday hours, and Sunday shifts (which pay double time).
Working hours: Standard full-time work is 37.5 hours per week or based on periodic working time cycles (jaksotyö) typical in 12-hour shift rotations.
Housing obligations: Employers in Finland are not legally required to pay for or provide worker housing. However, given the competitive housing market in cities like Helsinki or Espoo, employers who assist incoming international workers with finding initial rental housing retain staff far more effectively.

It is vital for employers to maintain absolute integrity during recruitment. Under Finnish law and international standards, a legitimate employer never asks a job seeker to pay for their own recruitment, visa fees, or job placement. Charging candidates recruitment fees is illegal, triggers liability under Finnish anti-exploitation and labor trafficking statutes, and leaves the employer vulnerable to severe legal and financial penalties. If an agency offers to supply foreign guards but demands that workers pay for their contracts, decline immediately.

What This Costs You, Roughly

When budgeting for international recruitment to Finland, rely on real direct costs rather than estimates that ignore training and onboarding. Below are the standard line items for hiring a non-EU security guard:

Residence permit employer portal access: €0 (The processing fee is paid by the applicant, typically €490 for an online application, though many employers choose to reimburse this).
Job advertising (Työmarkkinatori): €0.
Mandatory police guard training (40h + 80h courses): €800 to €1,500 per worker (paid to accredited vocational institutes).
Police guard card (vartijakortti) fee: €60 to €90.
Relocation travel support (optional but customary): €400 to €1,200 for initial flights and arrival logistics.
Initial housing setup support (optional): €800 to €1,800 for advance rent guarantees or temporary corporate housing while the worker settles.

Finding Security Staff on Workuro

Workuro is a candidate registry designed to connect European employers directly with workers from non-EU countries who want to relocate. Workuro is not a recruitment agency, does not act as a labor broker, charges no placement or per-hire fees, and takes no commission from either party. Workers create and publish their own profiles on the platform for free.

Because security work in Finland requires specific regulatory and language preparation, search the Workuro registry using direct parameters. Filter profiles by security background, military experience, and language skills, specifically looking for candidates who demonstrate existing conversational Scandinavian or Finnish language abilities or a background in regulated environments.

The Workuro candidate registry is young and continuously growing. You will not find thousands of pre-licensed Finnish security guards residing overseas, but you will find motivated professionals open to direct discussion. When you find suitable candidates, you contact them directly to assess their language readiness, explain your local training pathway, and manage your own recruitment process with full transparency.