Finland Restricts Wild-Berry Recruitment by Certain Employers

International workers considering Finland’s wild-berry sector should check more than the proposed job and travel dates. On 6 August 2026, the Finnish Immigration Service, also known as Migri, announced its first decisions to withhold permits for employment with certain employers recruiting in the sector. The announcement makes employer-related checks particularly important for applicants planning seasonal work.

What happened

Migri said the decisions followed irregularities and neglect involving the employers concerned. As a result, those employers cannot recruit workers from third countries for a specified period.

The announcement concerns certain employers, not a sector-wide prohibition on wild-berry recruitment. It should therefore not be read as a statement that all berry-sector employers are barred from recruiting internationally or that all seasonal-work applications will be refused.

The announcement does not establish a single restriction period applicable to every employer. Applicants should verify the current position with Migri rather than assume that a restriction has ended or that an employer is unaffected.

Who is affected

The immediate implications concern employers covered by the decisions and the third-country workers they seek to recruit. For an overseas applicant, the practical question is whether the proposed employment involves an employer subject to a restriction.

This is separate from identifying the immigration route required for the work. A worker needs to consider both:

• Whether the employer is affected by a recruitment restriction.
• Which visa, certificate or residence-permit requirements apply to the intended seasonal work.

An employer’s willingness to offer work should not be treated as confirmation that the necessary immigration permission will be issued. Likewise, this announcement alone does not establish how any particular worker’s existing permission or pending application will be handled. Those questions require case-specific clarification from the authority.

Why employer checks matter in this sector

Migri has separately highlighted the prevention of labour exploitation when processing berry pickers’ applications. It says previous irregularities in the wild-berry sector will be considered when handling seasonal-work certificate requests, seasonal-work residence-permit applications and other matters within its remit.

For applicants, this means the official focus is not limited to choosing the right application form. The circumstances surrounding the employer also matter.

A useful precaution is to ask the proposed employer directly whether it is covered by a Migri decision restricting recruitment from third countries. If the answer is unclear, seek clarification from Migri before relying on that employment for an application or travel plan. This is a practical verification step, not an additional official document requirement announced here.

A short stay does not automatically remove work-permission requirements

Finland’s visitor guidance distinguishes permission to visit from permission to work. Migri explains that even employment lasting fewer than 90 days may require a residence permit, although some work can be performed without one in specified circumstances.

For seasonal work lasting less than three months, a person who needs a visa to enter Finland is directed to apply for a seasonal-work visa at a Finnish embassy or consulate.

Do not assume that an ordinary visit or visa-free entry is enough for the intended work. Check the applicable seasonal-work requirements with the responsible authority. Finnish missions handle visas, while Migri provides guidance on residence permits and seasonal-work certificates.

What applicants should do before committing

Confirm the employer’s position

Establish which employer the proposed work is with and ask whether a recruitment restriction applies. Avoid drawing conclusions from the sector name alone: the decisions target particular employers.

Identify the correct application route

Use Migri’s Application Finder to locate the relevant requirements and supporting-document guidance. For visa matters, verify the current instructions with Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs or the relevant Finnish mission.

Keep travel and application status separate

Migri’s general guidance says that applicants who must apply for a first residence permit abroad should wait for the decision there before moving to Finland. If someone visits while an application is pending, they must leave when their visa or visa-free stay expires. Exceptions to applying abroad exist only in certain situations.

Verify current information

The August announcement is not proof of any employer’s status today, nor is it a promise of approval for employment with another business. Before making commitments, confirm the current employer-related position and the requirements for your own circumstances with the official authority.