Informative Materials – Finland

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1 Informative Materials – Finland
1.1 Education paths leading to professional caregiving in Finland
1.2 Recognition of skills and qualifications acquired through non-formal and informal learning
1.3 Information for foreigners who want to become or work as formal caregivers in Finland
1.4 Employment conditions in Finland; recognition procedures for the purpose of work; language requirements; employment regulations
1.5 Specific training for people who come from specific countries to Finland (as low-skilled foreigners)
1.6 Information on earning
1.7 Job offers
1.8 Link to relevant websites in country
1.9 Useful materials
1.10 References

Education paths leading to professional caregiving in Finland

Elderly care professional is a licensed profession in Finland. Only licensed professionals are allowed to practice the profession in question. The EQF required for practicing caregiving is level 4 or 5.

As there is a high demand for healthcare workers, there are numerous professional institutes in Finland that prepare international students for specialization in this field in both Finnish and English. Therefore, each student can choose one of these institutes and proceed to obtain acceptance.

It should be noted that students can only select one course from each educational institution. If you have chosen the practical nurse program for migration to Finland, three professional institutes in different cities in Finland can accept you as a foreign student. For more information concerning this course, visit:

All you need to know about nursing and rehabilitation courses in Finland

Recognition of skills and qualifications acquired through non-formal and informal learning

Upon application, Valvira grants licensing to practice the profession in question to social welfare professionals trained in Finland and abroad, and, once granted, enters the right to practice the profession in the central register for social welfare professionals (Suosikki).

If you have work experience or another similar qualification, it may be possible to shorten your training programme.

Individuals with prior nursing or caregiving experience may have a very short duration of the study (less than 1 year). As a result, these individuals can quickly find their desired job position after completing the program and obtaining their degree.

The whole procedure for the official recognition is available here

Information for foreigners who want to become or work as formal caregivers in Finland

Foreigners who want to become professional caregivers in Finland may also ask for the legal recognition of their title obtained in the country of origin.

For this purpose, you should submit your request to the Finnish National Agency for Education [ENIC-NARIC Finland] here:

Finland – ENIC-NARIC

If you come from an EU country and have a qualification from your home country corresponding to the social and health care assistant programme, nursing or similar, your authorisation can be transferred to Finland.

Your application for Finnish authorisation should be sent to the

Finnish national agency for education.

Here you can find details for the procedure.

Employment conditions in Finland; recognition procedures for the purpose of work; language requirements; employment regulations

For general employment conditions information regarding EU citizens in Finland, you can see the following official link of the European Commission.

Nationals of EU Member States do not need a residence permit to stay in Finland. However, they must register their right of residence in Finland if they stay for more than three months. Registration is done at the Finnish Immigration Service.

For the right of residence of an EU citizen to be registered, they must have a good reason for residing in the country and/or adequate funds. A good reason might be work, study or family ties in Finland.

Language requirements: to perform their tasks correctly and cooperate with employers, families, other professionals and, of course, seniors, aspirant foreigners, caregivers need to have an adequate command of the Finnish language.

The National Welfare and Health Supervising Authority (Valvira) grants the right to practice as a licensed professional upon application. Valvira maintains information on all registered nurses and registers all people with professional practice rights in the Terhikki-register. A person who works as a healthcare practitioner without a license in Finland may be fined or imprisoned.

Furthermore, all medical and healthcare workers in Finland must communicate effectively in Finnish or Swedish.

Useful resources here: Studying Finnish

Specific training for people who come from specific countries to Finland (as low-skilled foreigners)

There are no specific trainings for low-skilled foreigners who come to Finland

Information on earning

A Caregiver working in Helsinki, for example, will earn around 2,500 EUR gross per month, and this can range from the lowest average salary of about 1,300 EUR to the highest average salary of 3,820 EUR.

So, Average Monthly Salary, 2,500 EUR

Lowest Monthly Salary, 1,888 EUR

Highest Monthly Salary, 6,171 EUR

Healthcare Assistant salaries will vary a lot based on your experience, location, skills, and gender. Keep reading below to research more data on each of these areas.

Job offers

At the following link, you can start to look for some job opportunities as a caregiver:

International Recruitment – Finncare

Useful resources here

Link to relevant websites in country

Finland – ENIC-NARIC

Useful materials

I want to come to Finland | Maahanmuuttovirasto

References