Finland Opens Working Holiday Scheme to 4 Countries, Lists Full Requirements
- Finland has announced that citizens of only 4 countries qualify for its Working Holiday permit scheme, with strict eligibility criteria attached
- The Finnish Immigration Service outlined different age limits and conditions depending on the applicant's nationality
- Applicants must show proof of sufficient funds of about EUR 2,450 for their first three months in Finland
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Legit.ng as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Finland has confirmed that only four countries qualify for its Working Holiday permit scheme, outlining separate requirements for each eligible nationality.
The Finnish Immigration Service published the full details, making clear that citizens of these countries are the only nationalities currently able to apply for the permit.
Source: UGC
Countries eligible for Finland's Working Holiday permit
The four countries whose citizens can apply for the Holiday permit in Finland are:
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Japan
- Canada
Also, the requirements each qualified country must meet are below:
- Australian citizens must be between 18 and 30 years old and must not have previously been granted a Working Holiday permit in Finland. Their primary reason for visiting must be leisure, with work serving only as a secondary purpose. They are also required to travel without a spouse or child, hold a valid return ticket or the funds to buy one, and demonstrate that they have approximately EUR 2,450 available for their first three months in the country.
- New Zealand citizens face a slightly broader age range of 18 to 35 and must travel without any dependants. In addition to the financial and passport requirements, they must hold valid insurance covering illness and hospital care for the full duration of their stay.
- Japanese applicants fall under the same 18 to 30 age bracket as Australians. Like New Zealand nationals, they must carry health and hospitalisation insurance valid throughout their stay and must not be travelling with dependants. They are also required to confirm that they are in good health and have no criminal record.
- Canadian citizens qualify up to age 35 and must hold a Canadian passport that remains valid beyond their intended stay. Their insurance must cover both hospital care and repatriation to Canada. As with the other nationalities, work must be incidental to the primary holiday purpose, and family members may not accompany them or apply for a residence permit based on family ties.
Finland: What all applicants have in common
Across all four nationalities, the Finnish Immigration Service sets a consistent financial baseline: applicants must have roughly EUR 2,450 (N3,745,315.00) available to cover their first three months. None of the applicants should have held a Finnish Working Holiday permit before, and all must hold valid passports and have either a departure ticket or enough money to purchase one.
According to the federal government, the scheme is designed for young travellers who wish to experience life in Finland while also taking on short-term work during their stay.
In a similar report, Legit.ng published that Australia released the list of 36 occupations eligible for a special Skills in Demand visa exemption.
Ireland Working Holiday Scheme: 10 qualified countries
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously published that Ireland announced 10 countries whose citizens can live and work in the country for up to one year. Applications are handled by Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs, but places are limited, and applicants must not already be in the country.
The scheme offers young people a chance to fund an extended stay through temporary work while experiencing life in Ireland. However, citizens of Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and most other African countries are currently excluded from the programme.
Source: Legit.ng
