Working abroad and unemployment security

You are covered by Finnish unemployment insurance while working abroad only in the following situations:

• You are an employee posted from Finland.
• You work at the service of the State of Finland in Finland’s foreign representation either as a member of the posted staff or such a locally hired person to whom Finland’s legislation was applied immediately before the beginning of the employment relationship.
• You work as an official under Finnish administration.
• You work at the service of the Finnish armed forces/in civil service abroad.
• You work as a clerical employee at the service of the EU and when making the employment contract you chose to remain within Finnish unemployment security also when working abroad.
• You work on board a vessel under the flag of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland and live in Finland where your employer also has its domicile and from where your salary is paid.
• You work on board a Finnish vessel in an employment relationship in accordance with the Seamen's Act.
• You work on board a merchant vessel used in foreign traffic and you have an additional insurance for maritime field in accordance with the Unemployment Security Act.
• You belong to aviation personnel whose home airport is located in Finland.
• You live in Finland and work in the territory of two or more countries in such a way that a considerable share of your work (25 per cent or more) takes place in Finland. That group includes e.g. the travelling personnel of a transport company (truck drivers).
• You live in Finland and work at the service of several employers, at least two of which have their domicile or place of business in a different member state, and none of your employers has their domicile or place of business in your country of residence Finland.
  - You live in Finland and practise gainful work in two or more EU/ETA countries or Switzerland for such an employer that is located outside the EU.

If you become completely unemployed after the termination of your employment relationship, you will be covered by the unemployment security of your country of residence. Generally the country in which you live permanently is considered your country of residence. However, if you do not return to your country of residence, you can apply for unemployment allowance from your last country of employment. Generally a requirement for receiving unemployment security is that you are available to the labour market in the country where you apply for unemployment benefit.

Your right to daily allowance is determined differently, depending on whether the social security legislation of the European Union is applied to your working or not. All the countries to which the social security legislation of the European Union is not applied are referred to as third countries. The social security legislation of the European Union is applied to the EU and EEA countries and Switzerland. The key EC Regulations being applied are:

• Regulation (EC) no. 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems (basic regulation), and
• Regulation 987/2009 laying down the procedure for its implementation.

The EU countries are: The Netherlands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Spain (including Canary Islands), Ireland,  Italy, Austria, Greece, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal (including Azores and Madeira), Poland, France (including Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion and French Guyana), Romania, Sweden, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia, Finland, Denmark (but not Faroe islands and Greenland), Czech Republic, Hungary, and Estonia.

The EEA countries are: Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

Switzerland applies the social security legislation of the European Union on the basis of separate agreements.