Working in Finland from Brazil: Visa, Permit, Costs (2026)

Moving from Brazil to Finland to work in a trade is a life-changing step. Finland offers safe working conditions, high living standards, and strong labor protections. However, it is essential to understand that Finland does not offer an open job seeker visa for manual trade workers from outside the European Union. You must secure a binding job offer from a Finnish employer before you can apply for a work permit. If you do not have a confirmed job offer or conversational English skills, Finland can be a difficult market to access, and a country like Portugal may offer an easier initial transition for Brazilian citizens. But if a Finnish employer wants to hire you, the legal pathway is clear and well-structured.

This guide explains the exact route a Brazilian trade worker must follow to move to Finland legally in 2026. You will learn about the official permit name, document legalisation in Brazil, real costs, and how to protect yourself from recruitment scams.

The residence permit route for Brazilian workers

To work in Finland as a skilled or manual worker from Brazil, you need a specific residence permit. The official pathway for most trade roles is the Residence Permit for an Employed Person, known in Finnish as työntekijän oleskelulupa. This permit covers occupations such as welders, drivers, construction workers, caregivers, cooks, and warehouse staff. If you are going for short-term agricultural or farm work lasting under nine months, you would instead apply for a Seasonal Work Permit.

The application process follows a strict order, and the worker initiates the main application after the employer completes their part:

• Step 1: Job offer and binding contract. Your employer in Finland must offer you a written employment contract that meets Finnish labor laws and minimum salary thresholds for your sector.
• Step 2: Employer section in Enter Finland. The Finnish employer starts the process by filling in the employment terms in the official Finnish immigration portal, called Enter Finland for Employers.
• Step 3: Worker application. Once your employer submits their details, you submit your formal application online through the main Enter Finland portal for applicants.
• Step 4: TE-Office evaluation. The Finnish Employment and Economic Development Office (TE-Office) checks if a qualified local or EU worker is available for the job and verifies that wages match industry standards.
• Step 5: Final decision by Migri. The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) makes the final decision on your residence permit card.

Where to submit your application in Brazil

Even though you complete your application online via Enter Finland, you must verify your identity in person before your application can be processed. As a Brazilian resident, you must present your original documents and record your biometric data (fingerprints and photograph).

You can complete your identity verification at the nearest Finland embassy or visa application centre serving Brazil:

• Embassy of Finland in Brasília: Located in the national capital, the embassy handles official residence permit identity verifications by appointment.
• VFS Global Application Centre in São Paulo: Finland partners with VFS Global to operate an authorized visa and permit application centre in São Paulo, where Brazilian applicants can submit biometrics and present original documents.

Do not travel to an appointment until you have submitted your online application in Enter Finland and booked an official time slot. Always verify the current appointment location on the official Migri or Finnish Embassy website.

Required documents and the apostille process

Finland requires strict verification of all official Brazilian documents. Any document issued by a Brazilian authority must be legalised using the Hague Apostille (Apostila de Haia) and translated into English, Finnish, or Swedish by a certified sworn translator (tradutor juramentado).

You must prepare the following core documents:

• Valid Brazilian passport: Must be valid for at least three months beyond your intended stay, though having at least two years of validity is recommended.
• Signed employment contract: Must show your position, working hours, exact salary, and job location in Finland.
• Police clearance certificate: Issued online by the Brazilian Federal Police (Certidão de Antecedentes Criminais da Polícia Federal). This document must receive a Hague Apostille at a Brazilian notary office (cartório) and be translated by a sworn translator.
• Proof of qualifications or experience: Professional certificates, technical diplomas, or work history records (such as your Carteira de Trabalho) proving you are qualified for the trade.
• Health insurance: While covered by Finnish public health insurance once your employment and residence are registered, you need private travel health insurance covering medical care and repatriation for your initial travel period.
• Biometric photos: Passport photo meeting Finnish immigration specifications.

Official fees and local costs in Brazil

Moving from Brazil to Finland involves both official government fees paid to Finland and local preparation costs paid in Brazil. Here is a breakdown of what you should expect to spend.

Official Finnish application fee:

• Electronic application fee: Set by the Finnish Immigration Service, approximately 500 EUR to 740 EUR depending on the exact permit category and whether you apply online. Electronic filing is cheaper than paper filing.
• Processing time: Processing typically takes approximately 1 to 3 months when filed online with complete documentation.

Local costs paid in Brazil (in Brazilian Real and Euro equivalents):

• Document apostilles (Cartório): Approximately R$ 40 to R$ 150 per document. For a standard set of 3 to 4 documents, plan for approximately R$ 200 to R$ 600 (approx. 35 EUR to 100 EUR).
• Sworn translations (Tradutor Juramentado): Approximately R$ 100 to R$ 250 per page. Expect total translation costs of approximately R$ 500 to R$ 1,500 (approx. 85 EUR to 250 EUR).
• Travel to identity verification: Flight or bus travel to Brasília or São Paulo for your biometrics appointment, costing approximately R$ 300 to R$ 1,500 depending on where you live in Brazil.
• One-way flight ticket to Finland: Flight from Brazil (usually departing from São Paulo GRU or Rio de Janeiro GIG) to Helsinki (HEL), costing approximately R$ 4,000 to R$ 8,000 (approx. 650 EUR to 1,300 EUR).

Trades currently hired in Finland

Finland faces targeted labor shortages in specific technical and hands-on trades. Employers actively recruit qualified foreign workers in these areas:

• Welders and metal fabricators: Finnish shipyards, manufacturing plants, and heavy machinery industries frequently hire experienced MIG, TIG, and ARC welders with technical certifications.
• Healthcare and eldercare assistants: Practical nurses and caregivers are urgently needed across Finland to support an aging population, though basic language learning is required.
• Construction workers and carpenters: Building contractors regularly seek skilled concrete workers, formwork carpenters, and general construction staff for commercial and residential projects.

Protecting yourself from recruitment scams

Under Finnish labor laws and European Union regulations, no recruitment agency or employer is permitted to charge a job seeker a fee in exchange for a job offer or employment contract. The Finnish employer is responsible for paying recruitment costs and advertising fees.

Be very cautious if an agency in Brazil or online asks you to pay for a guaranteed work visa, a job contract, or an administration fee. Scammers often target Brazilian trade workers by creating fake Finnish job offers and demanding payment via wire transfer. Never send money for a job position. You only pay official government fees directly to Migri through the Enter Finland system and local third-party services like cartórios and sworn translators.

Myths vs facts

• Myth: You can travel to Finland as a tourist and easily start working legally on the spot.
  Fact: Brazilian tourists can enter the Schengen zone for up to 90 days without a visa, but it is strictly illegal to work on a tourist status in Finland. You must hold an approved residence permit before you begin working.
• Myth: You must speak fluent Finnish before you can get a work permit in Finland.
  Fact: While basic Finnish helps in daily life, many technical trades like welding, construction, and agriculture operate in English, and language ability is not a strict legal requirement for the initial permit decision.
• Myth: The Finnish employer can deduct the residence permit fee from your monthly wage.
  Fact: Your official salary must meet collective bargaining agreements, and employers cannot make unauthorized deductions from your pay for recruitment or application expenses.
• Myth: A Brazilian police clearance is accepted in Finland without any special stamps.
  Fact: Finnish authorities will reject Brazilian public documents unless they bear a valid Hague Apostille issued by an authorized Brazilian cartório.

Before you sign

• Verify contract details: Ensure your contract lists exact hourly wages, weekly working hours, overtime rates, and location of work in clear English or Portuguese.
• Check minimum salary requirements: Confirm that your offered pay meets the minimum wage defined by the Finnish collective agreement (ehtosopimus) for your specific trade.
• Confirm who pays for accommodation: Ask if the employer provides or assists with housing, and clarify how much rent will be deducted or charged monthly.
• Check document readiness: Obtain your clean Federal Police clearance certificate and get your trade diplomas apostilled at a local cartório.
• Prepare for cold weather gear: Factor in the initial cost of purchasing cold-weather work clothing if your employer does not provide specialized winter equipment.

Build your Workuro profile today

If you are a Brazilian welder, driver, caregiver, construction worker, or trade specialist ready to find legal work in Finland, make sure your professional details are clear and accurate. Include your exact trade certificates, your years of hands-on experience, your level of English or Finnish language ability, and confirm that your passport and background documents are ready for apostille verification.

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