Pension accrues from the work in the same way as for Finns

A pension accrues from work performed by a foreigner in Finland under Finnish legislation in the same way as for a Finn.

In Finland, pension provision consists of the employment-based earnings-related pension and the residence-based national pension .

The earnings-related pension safeguards the stabilised level of consumption achieved during the time of active participation in working life.

The earnings-related pension provides security in the event of old age, incapacity for work, unemployment or death of the family breadwinner for employees and self-employed persons. 

Employee posted from a EU/EEA country, Switzerland or an agreement country

An employee from another EU/EEA country Switzerland or agreement country who has been posted to Finland may remain covered by the social security in the country of origin and he or she accrues a pension to that country. One precondition for this is a certificate on legislation applicable from the home country.

         Example

        A French employer sends an employee who has been working in France 
        to work for a year in Finland. The employee is insured in France.
        He has a certificate of posting from France. The employee is not insured
        under the Employees Pensions Act (työntekijän eläkelaki TyEL) in Finland.

Employee sent from another country

Employees whom the foreign employer sends from some other country than a EU/EEA country, Switzerland or an agreement country after 1 January 2009 to work only in Finland for a maximum of two years need not be insured under TyEL. If the employee is covered by the Finnish social security legislation when the assignment in Finland starts, he should be insured, however.

         Example

        An Indian employer sends an employee working in India to work in Finland
        at the Finnish subsidiary of the employer company group for 11 months.
        The employee is not insured under TyEL.

If the employment in Finland of such an employee lasts for more than two years, the Finnish Centre for Pensions may on application exempt the employer from the obligation to take out insurance under TyEL for the employee. The exemption may be granted for a maximum period of five years, calculated from the start of the work in Finland. The precondition in this case is that pension provision has been arranged for the employee in some other way.

        Example

       A Chinese employer sends an employee working in China to work in Finland
       for four years. For this period pension insurance has been arranged for the 
       employee in China. The employer applies for exemption from the obligation 
       to take out insurance under TyEL and encloses with the application a 
       certificate stating that the employee is covered by a Chinese pension 
       insurance arrangement. The Finnish Centre for Pensions grants an 
       exemption from the obligation to take out insurance under TyEL for
       the employee for the period of employment in Finland.

After five years of employment the work in Finland should be insured under TyEL.

Further information on foreign employers’ possibility of exemption from the obligation to take out pension insurance is available on the website of the Finnish Centre for Pensions.

External links:The Finnish Centre for Pensions, The Social Insurance Institution