Working abroad
Traditionally, working abroad has meant secondment abroad, that is, the company sends its employees from Finland to work abroad for a few years. However, with the increase in remote work, remote work abroad has also increased radically. We help you with all the twists and turns associated with working abroad.
Insuring the employee abroad
The Finnish employer has the obligation to arrange insurance coverage for the employee also during assignments abroad and remote work abroad. This applies to all employed employees, regardless of whose initiative the employee goes abroad.
Insurance needs and the complexity of insuring are greatly influenced by the country of work and the duration of the period of work abroad. In most cases, the employee must be insured in accordance with the rules of the destination country.
However, an exception to the rule is an employee temporarily working abroad, i.e. a posted employee. An employee is counted as a posted employee when
- the employee works for a company operating in Finland throughout employee's work assignment
- employee is covered by Finnish social security at the start of the work assignment
- the assignment abroad is temporary.
A person working in another EU country, the EEA or Switzerland may be a posted employee if the requirements for being entitled to the Finnish social security are met and if an A1 certificate has been obtained.
The employer and the employee can apply for the posted employee's certificate on the website of the Finnish Centre for Pensions. Normally, an employee can remain insured in Finland for a maximum of two years.
If the work assignment lasts less than a month, it is usually counted as a business trip and there is no need to apply for the seconded employee's certificate.
Finland also has a social security agreement with certain countries. Such countries include Australia, Chile, South Korea, India, Israel, China, Canada, Quebec and the USA. For these countries, we act in the same way as for EU/EEA countries and Switzerland.
When working outside the EU/EEA countries and Switzerland, a posted employee often has to be insured according to the laws of both Finland and the country of employment.
You can apply for an exemption from the insurance obligation if the assignment abroad lasts more than two years.
As a rule, an employee posted outside the EU, EEA countries and Switzerland also needs a work permit, which is issued by the immigration authority of each country.
Some countries also require that the employee has valid travel insurance when the work visa is issued. Such countries are, for example, the popular New Zealand, Thailand and Indonesia.
Expatriate care insurance
Expatriate care insurance is a special insurance cover designed for a seconded employee. Many Finnish companies obtain social security for their employees through the A1 certificate, but expatriate care insurance covers illnesses and accidents to a much wider extent. Many employers offer extensive health and insurance coverage at home and want to maintain the same level when working abroad.
The insurance covers, for example, ambulance flights back to the home country in cases of illness. These are not covered by social security. Ambulance flights are also very expensive and practically difficult to organize without an insurance company partner.
It is also good to keep in mind that some countries require valid travel insurance before issuing a visa.
Visas, passport - what else?
Finnish employees working abroad often need various documents, of which the A1 certificate is just one among others. Depending on the destination country, the necessary documents may be e.g., visas and various certificates.
We examine the situation of your employees going abroad individually and look for insurance options suitable for their needs from domestic or international markets at a cost-effective price. If necessary, we also arrange all other insurances, visas and documents needed for the trip.
We advise what kind of things should be taken into account before departure, during your stay abroad and after returning to your home country. Our experts also have a lot of practical knowledge and experience from different working locations around the world.
