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Chapter section: 5 / 5

Termination of employment and residence permits based on work

If you become unemployed or are laid off, register as a jobseeker no later than your first day of unemployment or layoff.

Last updated: March 27, 2026

If your residence permit is based on work and your employment ends, then you must find a new job. A temporary residence permit may be cancelled if the conditions for issuing the permit fail to arise or no longer apply.

The residence permit will not be cancelled immediately when your employment ends, but only after a protection period has expired. This protection period is either 3 or 6 months, depending on how long you have lived in Finland and on the grounds for issuing your permit.

This means that you may spend either 3 or 6 months of the time remaining before your residence permit expires looking for a new job. You must leave Finland on or before the expiry date of your residence permit if you fail to find a new job during the protection period and you have no other grounds for remaining in Finland.

If you do have some grounds other than work for remaining in Finland, then you should apply for a new residence permit based on those grounds.

You may usually get a new job only in the field for which your residence permit was originally issued. You must generally apply for a new residence permit if you change your field of work.

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Finnish Immigration Service: End of employment

Unemployment benefit for foreigners

You should register as a jobseeker no later than on the first day of any furlough or unemployment.

As a citizen of an EU or EEA country or of Switzerland, as a family member of such a citizen, or as the holder of a residence permit, you may be entitled to benefits in the event of unemployment or furlough. Ask your unemployment fund or Kela for further details of eligibility for unemployment benefit.

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Termination of employment > Unemployment
Job market Finland: Unemployment security for immigrants
Kela: Benefits for unemployed and jobseekers in Finland