Finland can be a good destination for international students who want to combine their studies with part-time work, provided that working does not interfere with their academic progress. The rules depend on a student’s nationality and residence status. Citizens of EU and EEA countries, the Nordic countries, and Switzerland can work in Finland based on their citizenship. Most students from other countries need a residence permit for studies, which generally allows paid employment for an average of 30 hours per week. Students can explore available work opportunities while keeping these restrictions in mind.
Finland offers a range of English-taught degree programs and a well-developed higher education system. However, student life can involve significant expenses. Finland’s official study guidance warns that finding part-time work can be challenging, particularly without Finnish or Swedish skills, and that part-time earnings should not be expected to cover both tuition and living expenses. This article covers five ways international students can look for work while studying in Finland.
Ways to Work While Studying in Finland
1. University Career Centers
Many Finnish universities provide career services or job portals where students can find vacancies, traineeships, career events, and job-search guidance. At the University of Helsinki, for example, students can access job and traineeship listings through its career services. The university also operates a paid trainee program for international master’s students enrolled at the University of Helsinki.
Requirements vary considerably between vacancies. Employers must verify that an international applicant has the right to work, and individual positions may require particular academic skills, previous experience, or proficiency in English, Finnish, or Swedish. Students should read each vacancy carefully and regularly check their university’s career portal and career-services announcements.
2. Language Tutors
Students who are proficient in a language and have suitable teaching or communication skills may be able to work as private tutors. Potential clients can include school students, university students, and adults. However, tutoring rates vary according to the language, subject, qualifications, location, platform, and whether the arrangement is employment or self-employment. Therefore, there is no reliable national hourly average that applies to all private tutors. Students can review current listings on platforms such as Yoopies, university noticeboards, and general job portals.
3. Bartenders/Waiters
Restaurants, hotels, bars, and cafes may advertise part-time hospitality positions suitable for students. Language requirements vary by employer and job duties. Some workplaces may operate in English, while customer-facing positions commonly require at least some Finnish or Swedish. Students should not assume that every hospitality position is available to English-only applicants.
There is no statutory national minimum wage in Finland. Instead, minimum pay and other employment conditions are usually determined by the collective agreement that applies to the relevant sector. Consequently, a single hourly salary range cannot accurately represent every waiter or bartender position. Applicants should check the salary stated in the vacancy and the current hotel, restaurant, and leisure-services collective agreement. Websites that list hospitality vacancies include Jobly and Job Market Finland.
4. Freelance/Online Jobs
Freelance and online work may provide flexibility for students with skills in areas such as graphic design, programming, translation, communications, or content writing. In Finland, a freelancer may work as an employee, an entrepreneur, or a person receiving non-wage compensation. These arrangements involve different employment rights and responsibilities.
Earnings vary substantially according to the work, experience, client, contract, and employment status, so there is no dependable national rate of €15 per hour for freelance work. Before accepting an assignment, international students should confirm how the arrangement affects their residence-permit conditions and check the applicable tax, registration, and insurance obligations.
5. Delivery Person
Courier and delivery work can offer flexible scheduling and may involve less customer interaction than some other service-sector jobs. However, the availability of positions, onboarding requirements, language expectations, equipment costs, employment status, and earnings vary by company, city, and demand.
There is no reliable national average showing that food-delivery workers consistently earn €17 per hour. Students should review the complete payment terms and determine whether waiting time, travel expenses, equipment, insurance, and taxes are included. One platform currently accepting courier applications in Finland is Wolt. Platform availability can change, so students should confirm that a service is currently operating in Finland before applying.
Finland provides international students with several possible routes to part-time work, including university traineeships, tutoring, hospitality work, freelancing, and delivery work. Nevertheless, vacancies are not guaranteed, and students should verify their right to work, working-hour limits, salary terms, and employment status before accepting a position.
Hopefully, this article will be useful when looking for a part-time job in Finland. To learn more about admission and study requirements, visit our Study in Finland page. If you are interested, you can also explore the available programs in Europe for International Students!
