Finland Internship / Traineeship Residence Permit 2026 — 18 Months, EUR 1,463, Erasmus+ and Documents
The paid internship and unpaid training-programme routes: eligibility, the 18-month maximum, the no-job-replacement rule, 2026 salary and Erasmus+ papers.
Short answer
Finland's residence permit for internship covers both paid internships and qualifying unpaid training programmes such as Erasmus+ and can be issued for a maximum of 18 months. A paid internship must always be an employment relationship with an employment contract and must not replace an ordinary job. Pay must meet the applicable collective agreement; if none applies, gross salary must be at least EUR 1,463/month in 2026. Grants such as Erasmus+ do not replace the salary requirement for a paid internship, though taxable food/housing benefits stated in the agreement can be considered. An unpaid training programme requires an established educational programme with learning objectives, financing evidence and a detailed training agreement. A residence permit is always required for a paid internship. For qualifying unpaid training, up to 90 days may be possible without this permit where the person is lawfully in Finland visa-free, on a visa or with a residence permit issued by another EU Member State and all programme conditions are met. The first permit is filed abroad. In 2026, the first-permit fee is EUR 530 online / EUR 630 on paper; extended permit EUR 230 / EUR 430.
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Work Permit in Finland1. Who qualifies for the internship permit?
A trainee employee transferred within the same corporate group must use the ICT residence-permit route rather than the internship permit. A third-country national holding EU long-term resident status in another Member State cannot receive this internship permit.
Checklist
- Applicant filing within two years after completing a higher-education degree
- Current higher-education student whose internship matches the field of study
- Person aged 18–30 studying Finnish or Swedish at a university outside Finland
- Person aged 18–30 studying at a university outside Finland whose internship matches their studies/degree
- Internship under an agreement between states
- Internship under an accepted NGO exchange programme
2. Paid internship: employment relationship required
A paid internship must always take place in an employment relationship. The intern and employer sign an employment contract containing the principal employment terms, including salary.
The employer must provide assurance or documentation that the internship does not replace an ordinary job; Migri accepts a free-form statement for this purpose. Using an internship as low-cost replacement labour creates a permit risk.
3. 2026 salary: collective agreement or at least EUR 1,463/month
Paid internship salary must meet the applicable collective agreement. If no collective agreement applies, Migri requires at least EUR 1,463 gross/month in 2026.
An Erasmus+ grant or other scholarship from the home university, and pocket money from an organisation, do not replace salary when Migri assesses the paid internship's means of support. Food/housing benefits stated in the agreement can be considered at their taxable value.
4. Unpaid training programme / Erasmus+ route
An unpaid traineeship must be part of a genuine training programme with maintained, established activity and educational/learning objectives supporting the trainee's development. Migri lists Erasmus+, certain Finnish National Agency for Education programmes and specified Fulbright programmes as examples.
Unlike a paid internship, the training agreement must document how the stay will be financed and evidence such as a scholarship/benefit decision must be attached.
5. Up to 90 days permit-free for qualifying unpaid training
A residence permit is always required for a paid internship. However, a person meeting the unpaid-training-programme requirements may work as an unpaid trainee for up to 90 days without this Finnish residence permit if lawfully staying visa-free, on a visa, or with a residence permit issued by another EU Member State.
This is not a general exemption for any unpaid internship. The training programme must genuinely meet Migri's criteria, the stay must separately be lawful, and the 90-day limit must be respected.
6. Maximum 18 months and where to apply
The internship residence permit can be issued for a maximum of 18 months. The actual internship/training period and eligibility can result in a shorter permit.
A first residence permit is filed abroad; only an extended permit is filed in Finland. Internship/training cannot begin before the required permit is granted, and continuation during an extended-permit process must be checked under the relevant right-to-work rules.
7. What must the internship/training agreement contain?
Documents must be internally consistent. Calling someone a trainee while assigning ordinary full-time employee duties can create a mismatch with the purpose of this route.
Checklist
- Description of the programme/internship and educational objective/learning components
- Duration
- Placement location and supervision conditions
- Training hours per day/week/month
- For paid internship: legal relationship between intern and employer
- Principal terms and applicable collective agreement
- Salary and any taxable food/housing benefits
- For unpaid programme: scholarship/other benefits and financing evidence
- Employer statement that the internship does not replace an ordinary job
8. 2026 fees and process
In 2026 the internship residence permit costs EUR 530 online / EUR 630 on paper for a first permit and EUR 230 / EUR 430 for an extended permit. Apply through Enter Finland or on paper, then prove identity at the relevant Finnish mission/service point.
Migri's processing-time table lists about one month in most cases, three months in a minority and a statutory maximum of three months for internship first/extended applications. These are not guarantees and missing documents can delay processing.
9. Wrong routes, alternatives and checklist
Source check: 24 August 2026. Recheck Migri's current internship guidance on the filing date because fees, income thresholds and accepted programme examples may change.
Checklist
- Use ICT rather than internship for an intra-corporate trainee transfer
- Do not present a paid internship as an unpaid programme
- Do not use a grant as salary for a paid internship
- Meet the collective agreement or EUR 1,463/month 2026 minimum
- Internship must not replace an ordinary job
- Check the two-year/current-study/18–30 eligibility correctly
- Unpaid programme must genuinely be established and educational
- Training agreement must cover learning objectives, supervision, hours and financing
- Do not start a paid internship before the permit
- Remember the 90-day exemption is only for qualifying unpaid training
- Do not exceed the 18-month maximum
- Normally file the first permit outside Finland
Common questions about this topic
Do I need a Finnish residence permit for an Erasmus+ traineeship?
It depends on duration and structure. A paid internship always requires the permit. A qualifying unpaid Erasmus+ programme may fall within the up-to-90-day exemption if the person is otherwise lawfully staying in Finland; longer stays or non-qualifying arrangements require a residence permit.
Does an Erasmus grant satisfy the EUR 1,463 salary requirement?
No for a paid internship. Migri does not count home-university grants/scholarships or organisation pocket money as salary for the paid-internship income requirement. The applicable collective-agreement salary, or EUR 1,463 gross/month in 2026 where none applies, must be met separately.
Can I work in another job on an internship permit?
The permit authorises work included in the internship only. Other ordinary employment requires a separate right to work or another suitable residence permit.
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