Farm jobs in Finland attract thousands of foreign workers every summer, mainly to pick strawberries, work in greenhouses and harvest vegetables. The work is legal, regulated and paid according to collective agreements, but it is also short, physically hard and far less lucrative than many recruiters claim once housing and food have been deducted.
If you are from outside the EU, you need a seasonal work visa or permit tied to a named employer before you travel. The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) handles the process, the employer must provide a signed contract and suitable accommodation, and nobody is allowed to charge you for the job itself.
What kinds of farm jobs are available in Finland?
Finland’s growing season is short and intense, thanks to long summer daylight. Most seasonal jobs fall between May and September, with greenhouse work running longer.
- Strawberry and other berry farms: planting in May, picking from mid-June to August. The Suonenjoki area in North Savo is the best-known strawberry region, with many farms across Savo, Ostrobothnia and the south-west.
- Greenhouses: tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, salads and flowers, concentrated around Närpes on the west coast. Contracts can run up to the nine-month maximum.
- Open-field vegetables: peas, carrots, cabbage, lettuce and potatoes, from planting to autumn harvest.
- Wild berry picking: bilberries, lingonberries and cloudberries in the forests of eastern and northern Finland from July to September.
Wild berry picking deserves a special note. For years, pickers from Asia came on tourist visas as supposedly independent collectors, a model that led to serious exploitation and human trafficking prosecutions. Finland has since tightened the rules so that non-EU pickers are expected to come under an employment relationship with proper permits. If anyone offers you wild berry work on a tourist visa, walk away.
Which visa or permit do you need for seasonal work?
Finland applies the EU Seasonal Workers Directive. What you apply for depends on how long you will work and whether your nationality needs a visa to enter the Schengen area.
| Length of work | What you need | Where you apply |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 90 days, visa-required nationality | Seasonal work visa | Finnish embassy or visa centre in your region |
| Up to 90 days, visa-exempt nationality | Seasonal work certificate | Migri, online through Enter Finland |
| More than 90 days, up to 9 months | Residence permit for seasonal work | Migri, online, with an identity check at a Finnish mission |
| EU/EEA and Swiss citizens | No permit | Register your right of residence if staying over 3 months |
All three authorisations are employer-specific at the point of application, and you can work for a maximum of nine months in any twelve-month period. You cannot convert a seasonal permit into a permanent stay, and family members cannot join you on this route. Fees, processing times and forms are listed on the Finnish Immigration Service website, migri.fi; at the time of writing the seasonal work visa costs the same as a standard Schengen visa and the residence permit costs more, so check the current fee list before you apply.
What the employer must provide
- A signed employment contract or binding job offer stating the work, the period, the working hours and the pay under the applicable collective agreement.
- An assurance that your accommodation meets Finnish health and safety standards, and the rent if you are charged for it.
- Details supplied to Migri through the Enter Finland for Employers service.
Migri can refuse applications where the employer has previously neglected obligations such as wages or taxes, so a contract from such a farm is worthless.
How much do farm workers earn in Finland?
Finland has no statutory national minimum wage. Instead, minimum pay comes from generally binding collective agreements: the Collective Agreement for Rural Industries for farms, and the horticulture agreement for greenhouses and nurseries. Every employer in the sector must follow them.
As of 2026, the lowest pay grades in these agreements work out at roughly €10 to €12 an hour, with higher rates for experienced workers and supplements for overtime and Sunday work. Exact tables change with each bargaining round, so ask the employer which agreement and pay grade apply and compare it with the summaries published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration at tyosuojelu.fi.
Berry farms commonly pay piece rates per kilo. That is legal only if a worker of normal speed earns at least the agreed hourly minimum; the agreement sets a guaranteed floor. If your payslip shows less than the hourly minimum for the hours you worked, the employer is breaking the law.
What is a realistic monthly income?
| Item | Typical monthly amount |
|---|---|
| Gross pay (about 160–180 hours) | €1,700–€2,200 |
| Tax at source or withholding | Varies widely; see below |
| Accommodation deduction | €150–€350 |
| Food (self-catered) | €200–€300 |
| Realistic amount left to save | €800–€1,300 |
These are illustrative ranges, not promises. Weather can stop picking for days, and a poor harvest reduces hours. Over a three-month season most workers take home a few thousand euros, not the fortune sometimes advertised.
How are seasonal workers taxed?
If you stay in Finland for six months or less, you are normally taxed at source at a flat 35 per cent, after a deduction of €510 a month (or €17 a day) that your employer applies if you hold a tax-at-source card. You can instead ask the Finnish Tax Administration for progressive taxation, which is usually cheaper on farm wages. You will also pay small social insurance contributions. Apply for your tax card as soon as you arrive; without one, the employer must withhold far more.
How do accommodation and deductions work?
Most farms house seasonal workers on site, in shared rooms, cabins or converted farm buildings with shared kitchens and showers. The law requires that housing is safe and healthy, and that the rent is reasonable in relation to your pay and the quality offered.
- Rent must be stated in writing, usually in the contract or a separate tenancy agreement, and it cannot be deducted automatically from wages without your consent.
- Ask for photos, the number of people per room, and whether bedding, laundry, Wi-Fi and transport to shops are included.
- Farms are often many kilometres from the nearest town. Ask whether a bicycle or weekly shop run is provided.
- Charges for tools, work clothing or “administration” are not normal. Protective equipment is the employer’s responsibility.
How to apply for farm jobs in Finland: step by step
- Search official channels. Use Job Market Finland (tyomarkkinatori.fi), the national employment service portal, and the European job mobility portal EURES. Apply from January to March; the best farms fill their teams early, often with returning workers.
- Apply directly to the farm with a short CV in English stating your farm experience, physical fitness, available dates and driving licence.
- Get the contract in writing in a language you understand, naming the collective agreement, hourly or piece rate, hours, period and accommodation cost.
- Submit your application to the embassy (visa) or through Enter Finland (certificate or residence permit). Your employer adds the terms of employment online.
- Prove your identity at a Finnish mission or visa centre and give fingerprints. Depending on your country, this may mean travelling to a neighbouring state.
- Wait for the decision. Visas usually take a few weeks; residence permits can take one to three months in peak season, so apply early.
- On arrival, get your tax card, give the employer your bank details and keep your own record of hours worked every day.
What does it cost to get there?
Finnish law does not oblige farms to pay your flights, though some reimburse returning workers. Budget for:
- Visa or permit fee, plus any visa centre service charge.
- Travel insurance covering at least €30,000 of medical costs for visa applicants. It is worth keeping cover for the whole stay, because your entitlement to Finnish public healthcare as a short-term worker is limited.
- Return flights to Helsinki and onward train or bus travel, often €600 to €1,200 from Asia or Africa.
- Living money for the first three to four weeks before your first wages arrive.
Be careful about borrowing to fund the trip. High-interest loans from local agents are one of the main ways seasonal workers end up trapped in debt. When sending earnings home, compare international money transfer services for fees and exchange rates instead of carrying cash. Our guide to the best travel insurance for international trips explains what a policy should cover.
How do you recognise recruitment fee scams?
- Nobody may charge you for the job. Finnish law prohibits employment agencies from charging jobseekers fees for placement. Legitimate costs are limited to the official visa or permit fee, insurance and your travel.
- There is no “free visa” or guaranteed visa. Only Migri or the embassy decides, and a real contract is required first.
- Verify the farm. Look up the business in the Finnish Business Information System (YTJ) and check that its contact details match the offer.
- Never surrender your passport to an employer or agent, and never sign a contract you cannot read.
- Know where to get help. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration handles unpaid wages and contract breaches, and Victim Support Finland (RIKU) assists victims of labour exploitation confidentially, whatever their permit status.
Can seasonal work lead to a longer stay in Finland?
Not directly. The seasonal permit is temporary by design and does not lead to permanent residence. Returning workers with a good record are often re-hired each year, and some greenhouses offer proven staff year-round jobs, which require a separate residence permit for an employed person.
If your goal is long-term migration, skilled routes in other countries may fit better. Compare options in our guides to the best countries for visa sponsorship jobs, unskilled jobs in Germany and the visa options that exist and visa options for unskilled work in Australia.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to speak Finnish to work on a farm?
No. Basic English is enough on most farms, and teams are often multilingual, with many workers from Ukraine, Vietnam, Thailand and Nepal.
Can I change employer during the season?
Finnish rules allow seasonal workers to move to another seasonal employer within the validity of their authorisation, subject to notifying or applying to Migri depending on the permit type. Check the current procedure on migri.fi before you leave a job, and never stop working without understanding the effect on your permit.
How many hours will I work?
The standard under the collective agreements is around 40 hours a week, but harvest peaks bring longer days, which must be paid with overtime supplements. In bad weather, hours can drop sharply, so ask whether the contract guarantees a minimum number of hours.
Can I come on a tourist visa and look for farm work?
No. Working on a tourist visa is illegal, and both you and the farm can be penalised. The seasonal authorisation must be granted before you start work.
Bottom line
Farm jobs in Finland offer legal, contract-based seasonal work with pay set by collective agreements and oversight from Migri and the labour inspectorate. Go in with realistic numbers: around €10 to €12 an hour, housing and food to pay for, and a season of a few months. Apply early through official portals, insist on a written contract and accommodation terms, and refuse to pay anyone for a job offer.