Finland Seasonal Work Visa From Pakistan: Up to 90 Days, Named Employer Only
Finland seasonal work visa for Pakistanis: up to 90 days in farming or tourism, a named Finnish employer, apply at a Finnish embassy. Berry picking rules too.
A Pakistani can do seasonal work in Finland for up to 90 days on a seasonal work visa, a Schengen visa marked "Kausityö", but only for a named employer in farming or tourism, and only by applying at a Finnish embassy. Work longer than 90 days needs a seasonal work residence permit from Finland's immigration service instead.
Seasonal jobs in Europe are sold hard in Pakistan, often through agents who promise more than the rules allow. We read the seasonal work page of the Embassy of Finland in Pakistan on 20 October 2026. The page is in Finnish, and the summary below is our translation. Check the details with the embassy before you pay anyone.
Seasonal work up to 90 days needs a visa, not a residence permit
Working in Finland normally needs a residence permit. The embassy page says seasonal work lasting at most 90 days is an exception: visa nationals such as Pakistanis need a Schengen visa for seasonal work instead. It allows up to 90 days within any 180 day period.
Finland's seasonal work law is based on the EU seasonal workers directive. It covers seasonal work in agriculture and tourism done at certain times of the year. The embassy gives forestry work, crop growing and festival work as examples. The exact sectors are set in a Finnish government decree, number 966/2017.
| Length of work | What you need | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 90 days | Seasonal work visa | A Finnish embassy |
| More than 90 days | Seasonal work residence permit | Finnish Immigration Service |
| Not seasonal, or over 9 months | Employed person's residence permit | Finnish Immigration Service |
The visa is tied to a named employer and starts on your first work day
A seasonal work visa is granted for work with one or more named employers at a time. The visa carries the note "Kausityö", which means seasonal work, and its validity starts on the first day of the job. Without a real employer named, there is no visa.
That rule is the best protection you have. An agent who offers a "Finland work visa" without telling you the employer's name is not offering this visa. Ask for the employer's name, then ask the embassy whether the papers look right.
The applications are processed in the normal Schengen visa time frames. The page does not give a separate number of days for seasonal work. Plan for the standard Schengen wait, and do not book flights before the visa is in your passport.
Apply only at a Finnish embassy, not at another country's centre
The embassy page says a seasonal work visa can be applied for only at Finland's own missions. That matters in Pakistan, because ordinary Finnish visit visas can also be lodged at the Dutch-run VFS centres. Those centres do not cover this visa, on our reading.
The Dutch government's page for Pakistan says its VFS centres in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore accept Schengen visa applications for Finland. The Finnish page says seasonal work visas go only through Finnish missions. We read both on the same day. Our reading is that the Dutch route is for visits, not seasonal work, but ask the Finnish embassy to confirm before you book.
If you are applying for a Dutch visit visa instead, the process for that is in applying for a Netherlands Schengen visa in Pakistan.
You must keep your permanent home in Pakistan
The rules require a seasonal worker from outside the EU to keep a permanent place of residence outside the EU. In practice, that means your home stays in Pakistan and you return after the season. The visa is not a route to settle in Finland.
That is the point of the seasonal work system. Officers will look for proof that you will go back, such as a job, family or property in Pakistan. A file that suggests you plan to stay is likely to be refused.
- Get a written job offer from a named Finnish employer in farming or tourism.
- Check the document list on finlandvisa.fi, which you can read without logging in.
- Ask the employer to fill in the employer's insurance certificate form in Finnish, Swedish or English.
- Gather proof of your home and ties in Pakistan.
- Apply at a Finnish embassy, not at another country's visa centre.
The employer's insurance certificate is one of the required attachments. The embassy links the form as a PDF. A real employer will know this form. One who does not is a warning sign.
Wild berry picking now needs a job with a Finnish company
From the 2025 harvest season, Finland's seasonal work law also covers wild berry picking. A picker must now be employed by an inviting company in Finland, and meet the other seasonal work conditions. Visa nationals apply at an embassy for picking that lasts at most 90 days.
This is a change from the old practice. The embassy says each berry picker's visa application is assessed individually, under the Schengen visa rules and on all the information available. Picking for longer than 90 days needs a seasonal work residence permit.
Berry picking is the Finnish job most often advertised to South Asian workers. Under the new rule, a picker is an employee with an employer in Finland, not an independent collector. Ask any recruiter which Finnish company will employ you, and check that name yourself.
Paying an agent for a European job is where many Pakistanis lose money. Before you hand over cash, read how a recent case unfolded in the Karachi work visa scam, and use the official route to apply for overseas jobs through OEC where it fits.
Common questions
Can Pakistanis get a seasonal work visa for Finland?
Yes, for seasonal work of up to 90 days in farming or tourism, with a named Finnish employer, applied for at a Finnish embassy.
How long can I work in Finland on a seasonal work visa?
Up to 90 days in any 180 day period. Longer seasonal work needs a seasonal work residence permit.
Can I apply for a Finland seasonal work visa at VFS?
The Finnish embassy page says this visa can be applied for only at Finland's own missions. Confirm with the embassy before booking anything.
Do berry pickers need a job offer now?
Yes. From the 2025 season, a wild berry picker must be employed by an inviting company in Finland.
What does "Kausityö" on the visa mean?
It is Finnish for seasonal work. It marks the visa as a seasonal work visa, valid from the first day of the job.
Can a seasonal work visa lead to living in Finland?
No. You must keep your permanent home outside the EU, which for most readers means in Pakistan.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We read the seasonal work page of the Embassy of Finland in Pakistan at finlandabroad.fi on 20 October 2026, in Finnish, and translated it ourselves. We also read the Dutch government's Schengen visa page for Pakistan the same day. We did not read the finlandvisa.fi document list, the Finnish Immigration Service pages on seasonal work permits, or government decree 966/2017, and we could not find the seasonal work visa fee or processing time on the page we read.
About the author
Global Affairs & Political Economy Writer
Muhammad Hatim is a book lover who started writing because he enjoys it. At Pakistan Era he writes about international relations, geopolitics and the global economy, with a particular interest in South Asia and the forces behind current events.
