Self-employed person and grant recipient working abroad
A self-employed person or a grant recipient, who temporarily goes to work abroad from Finland, can be covered by Finnish social security under certain conditions. This depends on where they work and how long they work there. Temporary work can be, for example, a project, a training trip or remote work in another country.
A self-employed person or a grant recipient working temporarily in EU countries needs an A1 certificate from the Finnish Centre for Pensions to show that they are covered by Finnish social security. Without the A1 certificate, they cannot be covered by Finnish social security, nor can they pay the statutory social security contributions to Finland.
A self-employed person or a grant recipient temporarily working in a country with which Finland has a social security agreement may need a certificate like the A1 certificate to be covered by Finnish social security.
For work in other countries, Kela must be notified about the work abroad.
This section contains more information on self-employed persons or grant recipients being covered by Finnish social security while working abroad. It covers insurance during work in one or more EU countries, in countries with a social security agreement, and in countries without such agreements.
Factors affecting how the self-employed and grant recipients working abroad are insured
How the work abroad of a self-employed person or a grant recipient is insured depends on
- the length of time the person will be working abroad,
- the country where the work is carried out,
- the role or roles in which the self-employed person or grant recipient works,
- where the company is based or from which country the grant is awarded, and
- whether the self-employed person or grant recipient was covered by Finnish social security before working abroad, either based on where they live or work.
For the self-employed, it is also important that they have been insured for at least four months under the Self-employed Persons’ Pensions Act (YEL) in Finland before going to work in another EU or social security agreement country.
For grant recipients, it is also important that they are insured under the Farmers’ Pensions Act (MYEL) at least from the start of their work in an EU or a social security agreement country.
A person is self-employed if they work for their own account and at their own risk, without being employed by someone else in the private or public sector. In other words, they may be freelancers, light entrepreneurs or work on a commission basis. If they are part-time self-employed and meet the conditions for insurance under the Self-employed Persons’ Pensions Act (YEL), they must have YEL insurance.
If the person has taken out insurance under the Farmers’ Pensions Act (MYEL) and engages in farming, reindeer herding, fishing, or owns forest land, they are also considered self-employed.
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A person who has received a grant for science or art from Finland is considered a grant recipient. Their grant is insured through Mela under the Farmers’ Pensions Act (MYEL) if they meet the conditions for the insurance.
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EU countries’ refers to these countries:
- EU countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
- EEA countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
- Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
Social security agreement countries:
- Australia, Canada, Chile, China, India, Israel, Japan, Quebec, South Korea, and the United States of America.
Other countries called non-agreement countries:
- Non-agreement countries are countries other than those mentioned above, such as Thailand, Brazil or South Africa.
Self-employed person and grant recipient in an EU country
If a self-employed person or a grant recipient leaves Finland to go abroad temporarily, for example on a business trip, for project work or remote work, they can be covered by the social security of one country only. If they have an A1 certificate from Finland, they can be covered by Finnish social security while working in one or more EU countries.
If a self-employed person temporarily leaves Finland to work in another EU country, for example for project work or remote work, they can be covered by Finnish social security if they have an A1 certificate from Finland.
A self-employed person can be covered by Finnish social security and get an A1 certificate when working in another EU country if they
- work in an EU country temporarily for no longer than two years,
- usually carry out business activities in Finland,
- carry out similar business activities abroad as in Finland, and
- have carried out business activities in Finland before going abroad and can show that they have had valid YEL insurance for at least four months before going abroad.
Self-employed persons must apply for an A1 certificate from the Finnish Centre for Pensions. If they meet the conditions, they can get an A1 certificate to show that they are covered by Finnish social security.
Example: A self-employed person has been working in Finland and goes to Estonia for a year to work for their company there. They have YEL insurance that has been valid for six months before they start working in Estonia. They apply for an A1 certificate from the Finnish Centre for Pensions. Since they meet the requirements, the Finnish Centre for Pensions issues them an A1 certificate. This means that while they are working in Estonia, they are still covered by Finnish social security and can carry on paying YEL insurance in Finland.
If the self-employed person wants to remain insured in Finland but works in an EU country for more than two but less than five years, they must apply for an exemption and a new A1 certificate from the Finnish Centre for Pensions. An exemption always requires that the country in which the work is carried out consents to the exemption.
A self-employed person who regularly works in two or more EU countries must always apply for an A1 certificate from the country where they live. If they live in Finland, they apply for the certificate from the Finnish Centre for Pensions. They can only be covered by one country’s social security at a time and will receive an A1 certificate from the country that is responsible for their social security. They pay the statutory social insurance contributions to the country that issued their A1 certificate.
A self-employed person who works in more than one country may travel abroad for short business trips, project work, or sometimes work remotely from another country while still spending time working in Finland.
A self-employed person can work in several EU countries for a limited or longer time. However, the A1 certificate is always issued for a specific period and is valid for a maximum of two years at a time.
The country where the self-employed lives affects their social security
For the self-employed, the country where they live and the amount of work they do there determine which country’s social security they are covered by when working in two or more EU countries.
Factors such as where the self-employed person’s family lives, where the self-employed person has a permanent home, and where they spend their holidays are taken into consideration. The overall living situation matters when deciding where they live.
If a self-employed person works for at least 25% of their time in the country where they live, they are considered to do a significant part of their working time in that country. How much of a part is considered depends on how many hours they work and/or how much they earn for their work.
If a self-employed person works for at least 25% of their time in the country they live in, they are covered by that country’s social security system and must pay the statutory social insurance contributions there.
Example A: A self-employed person lives permanently in Finland and works 45% of their time in Finland and 55% in Estonia. They must apply for an A1 certificate from the country where they live, that is, from Finland. They are covered by Finnish social security because they work a significant amount of their time in their country of residence. The Finnish Centre for Pensions issues the A1 certificate.
Example B: A self-employed person lives permanently in Finland. They usually work in Finland, but they also spend several weeks each year working remotely for Finland from Spain. In addition to this, they have client meetings in other EU countries.
The self-employed person applies for an A1 certificate from the Finnish Centre for Pensions. If they work regularly in several countries, they can get an A1 certificate for up to two years at a time, as long as they meet certain conditions. The certificate covers all work they do in EU countries during that period. This means that they do not need a separate certificate for each country and each period of work abroad.
The self-employed person must list on their certificate application the countries where they have agreed or planned to work for the upcoming year. However, if they add countries to the list during the validity period of the certificate, they do not have to apply for a new A1 certificate for those countries.
Having an A1 certificate means that all self-employment in different countries is covered by Finnish YEL insurance and the self-employed person pays social insurance contributions only to Finland.
A self-employed person who does not work at least 25% of their time in their country of residence must insure their work in the country where they run their business. They apply for the A1 certificate from the country where they live.
Example C: A self-employed person who lives permanently in Finland and works 20% of their time in Finland and 80% in Sweden must apply for an A1 certificate from the country where they live, that is, from Finland. Even if they do not spend a significant part of their working time in Finland, Finland is considered the centre of their activities. Therefore, they are covered by Finnish social security. They will get an A1 certificate from the Finnish Centre for Pensions to show that they have YEL insurance from Finland for their work in both Finland and Sweden.
A grant recipient who goes abroad temporarily for work, such as research or remote work, may still be covered by Finnish social security under certain conditions. To be covered by Finnish social security, they must get an A1 certificate from the Finnish Centre for Pensions.
A grant recipient can continue to be covered by Finnish social security and get an A1 certificate if they:
- work temporarily in another EU country,
- work on a grant that was awarded in Finland,
- were covered by Finnish social security immediately before leaving the country, and
- have taken out MYEL insurance for the period of their work abroad.
A grant recipient can work temporarily in an EU country for up to two years. The time limit varies from country to country. The grant recipient must apply to the Finnish Centre for Pensions to be covered by Finnish social security. If the conditions are met, the grant recipient will receive an A1 certificate that shows that the grant recipient is covered by Finnish social security.
Example: A grant recipient receives a grant from a Finnish foundation and goes to work in France for one year. The grant recipient has MYEL insurance for the grant and is covered by Finnish social security before starting work in France. The grant recipient applies for the A1 certificate from the Finnish Centre for Pensions, which issues the A1 certificate. The grant recipient is covered by Finnish social security while working in France.
If the grant recipient works in an EU country for more than two but less than five years and wants to arrange their social security in Finland, they can apply for an exemption from the Finnish Centre for Pensions. The exemption is applied for using the same A1 application form as for working abroad for less than two years.
When a grant recipient regularly works in more than one EU country, they must always apply for the A1 certificate from the country in which they live. If they live in Finland, they must apply for the certificate from the Finnish Centre for Pensions.
Grant recipients working in two or more countries can only be covered by the social security system of one country at a time, and they will receive an A1 certificate from that country.
A grant recipient working in more than one country may travel abroad regularly for a research project or work remotely abroad and sometimes in Finland.
A grant recipient can work in two or more EU countries either temporarily or regularly. The A1 certificate is issued for a specific period, up to a maximum of two years at a time, if MYEL insurance is granted for the same period.
Where the grant recipient lives affects their social security
The grant recipient’s country of residence and the extent to which they work in that country are important factors in determining which country’s social security system the grant recipient is covered by if they work in two or more EU countries.
Several factors are considered when determining the grant recipient’s country of residence, including where the grant recipient’s family lives, where the grant recipient has a permanent home, and where the grant recipient spends their holidays. The overall living situation is considered when determining the grant recipient’s country of residence.
If the grant recipient works at least 25% of the time in their country of residence, they are considered to work a significant portion in their country of residence. How much they work and/or how much their grant contributes to their livelihood decides what is considered a significant portion.
If a grant recipient works in their country of residence for at least 25% of the time, they are covered by the social security of their country of residence and must pay the statutory social insurance contributions in that country.
Example A: The grant recipient lives permanently in Finland and works 35% of the time in Finland and 65% of the time in Italy on a grant awarded in Finland. The grant is insured under MYEL for one year. The grant recipient applies for an A1 certificate from Finland. The Finnish Centre for Pensions issues the A1 certificate for one year. During this time, the grant recipient must pay all statutory social insurance contributions to Finland. They are still covered by Finnish social security even while working in Italy, as they work a significant portion of their time in their country of residence, that is, in Finland.
Example B: A grant recipient lives permanently in Finland and normally works there. They have MYEL insurance in Finland. As well as working in Finland, they also work remotely and go on training trips to other EU countries during the year. The grant recipient applies for an A1 certificate from the Finnish Centre for Pensions. They are covered by Finnish social security, and the Finnish Centre for Pensions issues an A1 certificate for one year.
A grant recipient who works regularly in two or more EU countries can get an A1 certificate that covers all work done in EU countries during that period if they meet the requirements. This means that they do not need a separate certificate for each time they work abroad.
Grant recipients must list on the certificate application the countries where they have agreed or planned to work in the following year. However, if they add countries to the list while the certificate is still valid, they do not have to apply for a new A1 certificate for those countries.
According to the A1 certificate, the grant recipient is insured in Finland under MYEL, and all necessary social insurance contributions must be paid to Finland.
A grant recipient who does not work at least 25% of their time in the country where they live must insure their work in the country where the grant was issued and where the grant is insured.
Example C: A grant recipient lives permanently in Finland and works for two years on a grant awarded in Finland, spending 15% of their working time in Finland and 85% in France. They apply for an A1 certificate from their country of residence, that is, from Finland. They are covered by Finnish social security, even though they do not spend a significant part of their working time in Finland. As the grant is issued from Finland and is insured in Finland under MYEL, the grant recipient’s activities are considered to be centred in Finland. The Finnish Centre for Pensions issues the A1 certificate for two years. While the certificate is valid, the grant recipient must pay the statutory social insurance contributions to Finland.
For people working in different roles in more than one country, it is the nature of the roles that is important. The amount of work done in each role is not important.
If a person works as a self-employed person or grant recipient in one country and as a civil servant in another, all their work will be covered by the social security of the country in which they work as a civil servant.
Example A: A person works in Finland as a grant recipient on a research project and part-time in Sweden as a civil servant for a public sector employer. The person applies for an A1 certificate from the Finnish Centre for Pensions, which forwards the application to the Swedish authorities. Sweden issues the A1 certificate. The person is covered by Swedish social security, and the Swedish public sector employer pays the necessary social insurance contributions to Sweden. In addition, the person must make sure that the grant is insured in Sweden.
If a person works as an employee in one country and as a self-employed person or grant recipient in another, they are covered by the social security of the country in which they work as an employee.
Example B: A grant recipient lives in Finland and works there as a researcher on a Finnish grant. They also work as an employee in Germany. The person applies for an A1 certificate from the country where they live, that is, from Finland. The Finnish Centre for Pensions forwards the application to the German authorities. Germany issues the A1 certificate. The person is covered by German social security and the German employer pays the statutory social insurance contributions to Germany. In addition, the person must make sure that their grant work is insured in Germany.
Self-employed person or grant recipient in a social security agreement country
If a person works as a self-employed person or a grant recipient in a country with which Finland has a social security agreement, their social security is determined based on that agreement or the national social security regulations of Finland and the country in which they work.
Social security agreements do not include specific rules for grants. However, if they are working in a country that has a social security agreement with Finland, grant recipients are subject to the same rules as someone who is self-employed, unless the agreement says otherwise. Not all social security agreements include rules for self-employed persons either. In these cases, the laws of Finland determine how social insurance contributions for self-employed persons or grant recipients working abroad are handled.
Social security agreements do not cover all the statutory social insurance contributions or benefits that are normally paid in Finland. If a self-employed person or grant recipient works in a country with which Finland has a social security agreement, they may have to pay social insurance contributions to that country or to both countries. This depends on which countries the self-employed person or grant recipient works.
The rules in the social security agreements for the self-employed and grant recipients are shown below. The rules are different for each country.
Self-employed person: The social security agreement between Finland and Australia does not include specific insurance rules for the self-employed. When a self-employed person works in Australia, they generally must pay the necessary social insurance contributions in Australia, in accordance with Australian laws.
Since the agreement does not include rules for the self-employed, it means that they cannot get a certificate from the Finnish Centre for Pensions to show that they are covered by Finnish social security while they work in Australia as self-employed persons.
If a self-employed person goes to work in Australia for less than a year, they can keep their YEL insurance valid in Finland if they:
- still live in Finland while they work in Australia, and
- have had valid YEL insurance in Finland for at least four months before moving to Australia.
If the self-employed person plans to stay abroad for more than a year, they should cancel their YEL insurance before they leave Finland.
A self-employed person who works in Australia must notify their pension insurance company. The pension insurance company will check if the self-employed person can keep their YEL insurance. The self-employed person should inform Kela about their work abroad.
Grant Recipient: When a grant recipient goes to work in Australia, they must usually pay the statutory social insurance contributions in Australia, as required by Australian laws.
If a grant recipient goes to work in Australia, they should contact Mela regarding MYEL insurance and Kela about residence-based social security.
Self-employed person: The social security agreement between Finland and Canada does not include specific insurance rules for temporary self-employment. When a self-employed person works in Canada, they usually have to pay social insurance contributions in Canada, as required by Canadian law.
Since the agreement does not include rules for the self-employed, it means that they cannot get a certificate from the Finnish Centre for Pensions to show that they are covered by Finnish social security while they work in Canada as self-employed persons.
If a self-employed person will work in Canada for less than a year, they can keep their YEL insurance valid in Finland if they:
- still live in Finland while they work in Canada, and
- have had valid YEL insurance in Finland for at least four months before starting their work in Canada.
If the self-employed person plans to stay abroad for more than one year, they should cancel their YEL insurance before they leave Finland.
A self-employed person who works in Canada must notify their pension insurance company of this. The pension insurance company will check if the self-employed person can keep their YEL insurance in force. The self-employed person should inform Kela about their work abroad.
Grant Recipient: The social security agreement between Finland and Canada does not include specific insurance rules for people who are grant recipients.
However, the authorities in Finland and Canada have agreed that people who go to Canada to work on a grant for no more than one year can get a certificate to show that they are covered by Finnish social security. They must apply for the certificate.
When a grant recipient works in Canada, they can be covered by Finnish social security while working in Canada if they
- have taken out MYEL insurance,
- work in Canada temporarily for no more than one year,
- work in Canada only on a grant issued by Finland, and
- do not receive any other income from Finland or Canada.
The grant recipient must apply through the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ eServices for a certificate that shows that they are covered by Finnish social security.
If they meet the conditions, the Finnish Centre for Pensions will issue the grant recipient a FI/CAN 1A certificate.
If a grant recipient lives in Finland but works in Canada for more than one year, they can apply for an exemption permit from Canada via the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ eServices. This way, they can continue to be covered by Finnish social security.
If the authorities in Canada approve the application for an exemption permit, the Finnish Centre for Pensions issues a FI/CAN 1A certificate to the grant recipient.
Self-employed person: The social security agreement between Finland and Chile does not include specific insurance rules for the self-employed. When a self-employed person works in Chile, they usually have to pay social insurance contributions in Chile, as required by Chilean law.
If a self-employed person works in Chile for less than a year, they can apply for an exemption to continue to be covered by Finnish social security. They can apply for the exemption through the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ eServices. They must have had valid YEL insurance in Finland for at least four months before their work in Chile begins.
If Chile approves the request for an exemption, the Finnish Centre for Pensions will issue a FI/CL 1 certificate to show that the self-employed person is covered by Finnish social security.
If the self-employed person plans to stay abroad for more than a year, they should cancel their YEL insurance before they leave Finland.
Grant Recipient: The social security agreement between Finland and Chile does not include specific insurance rules for people who are grant recipients. When a grant recipient works in Chile, they usually must pay the statutory social insurance contributions in Chile, in accordance with Chilean laws.
If a grant recipient goes to work in Chile for no more than five years and if they have a grant that is insured in Finland under MYEL, they can apply for an exemption permit to continue to be covered by Finnish social security. They can apply for the exemption permit through the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ eServices.
If the Chilean authorities approve the request for an exemption permit, the Finnish Centre for Pensions will issue a FI/CL 1 certificate to show that the grant recipient is covered by Finnish social security.
Self-employed person: If a self-employed person goes to work in China, they can be covered by Finnish social security based on the social security agreement between Finland and China if they:
- usually work in Finland as a self-employed person, and
- work in China for no longer than five years.
To be covered by Finnish social security while working abroad, the self-employed person must have had valid YEL insurance in Finland for at least four months before their work in China begins.
The self-employed person must apply through the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ eServices for a certificate that shows that they are covered by Finnish social security.
If they meet the conditions, the Finnish Centre for Pensions will issue the self-employed person a FI/CN 1 certificate for the period of work in China.
Grant Recipient: The social security agreement between Finland and China does not include specific insurance rules for people who are grant recipients. Grant recipients are subject to the same regulations as self-employed persons.
When a grant recipient works in China, they may be covered by Finnish social security while working in China if they
- go to work in China on a grant issued in Finland for no more than five years,
- have taken out MYEL insurance, and
- have been covered by Finnish social security before their work on the grant in China begins.
The grant recipient must apply through the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ eServices for a certificate that shows that they are covered by Finnish social security.
If they meet the conditions, the Finnish Centre for Pensions will issue the grant recipient a FI/CN 1 certificate for the period of work in China.
Self-employed person: If a self-employed person goes to work in India, they can be covered by Finnish social security based on the social security agreement between Finland and India if they:
- usually work in Finland as a self-employed person,
- temporarily transfer their business activities to India for no more than five years, and
- carry on with similar activities in India as in Finland.
To be covered by Finnish social security while working abroad, the self-employed person must have had valid YEL insurance in Finland for at least four months before their work in India begins.
The self-employed person must apply through the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ eServices for a certificate that shows that they are covered by Finnish social security.
If they meet the conditions, the Finnish Centre for Pensions will issue the self-employed person a FI/IN 1 certificate for the period of work in India.
Grant Recipient: The social security agreement between Finland and India does not include specific insurance rules for people who are grant recipients. Grant recipients are subject to the same regulations as self-employed persons.
When a grant recipient works in India, they may be covered by Finnish social security while working in India if they
- go to work in India on a grant issued in Finland for no more than five years,
- insure their grant under MYEL, and
- have been covered by Finnish social security before their work on the grant in India begins.
The grant recipient must apply through the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ eServices for a certificate that shows that they are covered by Finnish social security. They must use the same application form as when applying for an A1 certificate.
If they meet the conditions, the Finnish Centre for Pensions will issue the grant recipient a FI/IN 1 certificate.
Self-employed person: The social security agreement between Finland and Israel does not include specific insurance rules for temporary self-employment. Usually, when a self-employed person works in Israel, they must pay the statutory social insurance contributions in Israel as required by Israeli laws.
If a self-employed person works in Israel for less than one year, they can apply for an exemption to continue to be covered by Finnish social security. They can apply for the exemption through the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ eServices. They must have had valid YEL insurance in Finland for at least four months before their work in Israel begins.
If Israel approves the request for an exemption, the Finnish Centre for Pensions will issue a FI/ISR 1 certificate to the self-employed person.
If the self-employed person plans to stay abroad for more than one year, they should cancel their YEL insurance before they leave Finland.
Grant Recipient: The social security agreement between Finland and Israel does not include specific insurance rules for people who are grant recipients. Usually, when a grant recipient works in Israel, they must pay the statutory social insurance contributions in Israel as required by Israeli laws.
If the grant recipient has insured the grant under MYEL, they can apply for an exemption to continue to be covered by Finnish social security. They can apply for the exemption through the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ eServices.
If Israel approves the request for an exemption, the Finnish Centre for Pensions will issue a FI/ISR 1 certificate to the grant recipient.
Self-employed person: If a self-employed person goes to work in Japan, they can be covered by Finnish social security based on the social security agreement between Finland and Japan if they:
- usually work in Finland as a self-employed person,
- work in Japan for no more than five years.
To be covered by Finnish social security while working abroad, the self-employed person must have had valid YEL insurance in Finland for at least four months before their work in Japan begins.
The self-employed person must apply through the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ eServices for a certificate that shows that they are covered by Finnish social security.
If they meet the conditions, the Finnish Centre for Pensions will issue the self-employed person a FI/JP 1 certificate for the period of work in Japan.
Grant Recipient: The social security agreement between Finland and Japan does not include specific insurance rules for people who are grant recipients. Grant recipients are subject to the same regulations as self-employed persons.
When a grant recipient works in Japan, they may be covered by Finnish social security while working in Japan if they
- go to work in Japan on a grant issued in Finland for no more than five years,
- have taken out MYEL insurance, and
- have been covered by Finnish social security before their work on the grant in Japan begins.
The grant recipient must apply through the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ eServices for a certificate that shows that they are covered by Finnish social security. They must use the same application form as when applying for an A1 certificate.
If they meet the conditions, the Finnish Centre for Pensions will issue the grant recipient a FI/JP 1 certificate for the period of work in Japan.
Self-employed person: The social security agreement between Finland and Quebec does not include specific insurance rules for temporary self-employment. When a self-employed person works in Chile, they usually have to pay the statutory social insurance contributions in Quebec, as required by the laws of Quebec.
If a self-employed person works in Quebec for less than a year, they can keep their YEL insurance in force in Finland if they
- still live in Finland while they work in Quebec, and
- have had valid YEL insurance in Finland for at least four months before starting their work in Quebec.
If the self-employed person plans to stay abroad for more than a year, they should cancel their YEL insurance before they leave Finland.
The self-employed person must apply through the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ eServices for a certificate that shows that they are covered by Finnish social security. They must use the same application form as when applying for an A1 certificate.
If the conditions are met, the Finnish Centre for Pensions issues the FI/Q 1 certificate to the self-employed person.
Grant Recipient: The social security agreement between Finland and Quebec does not include specific insurance rules for people who are grant recipients. Usually, when a grant-recipient works in Quebec, they must pay the statutory social insurance contributions in Quebec, as required by the laws of Quebec.
When a grant recipient works in Quebec, they may be covered by Finnish social security while working in Quebec if they
- have taken out MYEL insurance,
- go to Quebec to work on a grant temporarily, for no more than one year,
- work only on a grant issued by Finland, and
- do not receive any other income from Finland or Quebec.
The grant recipient can apply for an exemption through the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ eServices to continue to be covered by Finnish social security.
If the authorities in Quebec approve the request for an exemption, the Finnish Centre for Pensions will issue a FI/Q 1 certificate to show that the grant recipient is covered by Finnish social security.
Self-employed person: If a self-employed person goes to work in South Korea, they can be covered by Finnish social security based on the social security agreement between Finland and South Korea if they:
- usually work in Finland as a self-employed person, and
- work in South Korea temporarily for no more than five years.
To be covered by Finnish social security while working abroad, the self-employed person must have had valid YEL insurance in Finland for at least four months before their work in South Korea begins.
The self-employed must apply through the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ eServices for a certificate that shows that they are covered by Finnish social security.
If they meet the conditions, the Finnish Centre for Pensions will issue the self-employed person a FI/KR 1 certificate for the period of work in South Korea
Grant Recipient: The social security agreement between Finland and South Korea does not include specific insurance rules for people who are grant recipients. Grant recipients are subject to the same regulations as self-employed persons.
When a grant recipient works in South Korea, they may be covered by Finnish social security while working in South Korea if they
- go to work in South Korea on a grant issued in Finland for no more than five years,
- insure their grant under MYEL, and
- have been covered by Finnish social security before their work on the grant in South Korea begins.
The grant recipient must apply through the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ eServices for a certificate that shows that they are covered by Finnish social security.
If they meet the conditions, the Finnish Centre for Pensions will issue the grant recipient a FI/KR 1 certificate for the period of work in South Korea.
Self-employed person: The social security agreement between Finland and the United States of America does not include specific insurance rules for temporary self-employment. Usually, when a self-employed person works in the United States, they must pay the statutory social insurance contributions in the United States, as required by the laws of the United States.
However, Finland and the United States have agreed that a self-employed person who lives in Finland and who temporarily moves their business to the United States for no more than one year, can keep their YEL insurance in force in Finland if they have had valid YEL insurance in Finland for at least four months before their work on the grant in the United States begins.
The self-employed person must apply through the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ eServices for a certificate that shows that they are covered by Finnish social security. They must use the same application form as when applying for an A1 certificate.
If the conditions are met, the Finnish Centre for Pensions issues the FI/USA 1A certificate to the self-employed person.
If the self-employed person continues to work in the United States for more than one year, they can no longer be covered by Finnish social security and have valid YEL insurance in Finland.
Grant Recipient:
The social security agreement between Finland and the United States of America does not include specific insurance rules for people who are grant recipients. Usually, when a grant recipient works in the United States, they must pay the statutory social insurance contributions in the United States.
However, a grant recipient can insure their work on a grant in Finland if they
- go to work in the United States on a grant issued in Finland for no more than one year,
- insure their grant under MYEL, and
- have been covered by Finnish social security before their work on the grant in the United States begins.
The grant recipient must apply through the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ eServices for a certificate that shows that they are covered by Finnish social security.
If the conditions are met, the Finnish Centre for Pensions issues the FI/USA 1A certificate to the grant recipient.
If a grant recipient works in the United States for more than one year but less than five years, they may be covered by Finnish social security with an exemption if the grant recipient
- works in the United States only on a grant issued in Finland,
- works on a grant that is insured under MYEL and intended for scientific or artistic work, and
- would have to be insured in both countries were it not for the social security agreement.
The grant recipient can apply for an exemption to continue to be covered by Finnish social security. They can apply for this permit through the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ eServices. If the United States approves the request for an exemption permit, the Finnish Centre for Pensions will not give a separate certificate under the social security agreement. Instead, it will notify the grant recipient that the exemption permit has been granted and that the grant recipient continues to be covered by Finnish social security.
Self-employed person and grant recipient in a non-agreement country
If a self-employed person or a grant recipient goes to work in a country that is not listed above (to a so-called non-agreement country), such as Thailand or Singapore, they may be covered by Finnish social security if certain conditions are met. They must also find out if that country of work has any other insurance-related requirements.
When a self-employed person goes to work in a country that does not have a social security agreement with Finland, they can keep their YEL insurance in force in Finland if
- their work abroad lasts for less than one year and they intend to return to Finland after that,
- they have had valid YEL insurance for at least four months before starting to work in a non-agreement country, and
- they are considered to live in Finland, despite working abroad temporarily.
If the self-employed person plans to stay abroad for more than one year, they should cancel their YEL insurance before they leave Finland.
When a self-employed person works in a country that lacks a social security agreement with Finland, the Finnish Centre for Pensions cannot issue a certificate that shows that the self-employed person is covered by Finnish social security. The self-employed person must contact their own earnings-related pension provider. It will decide whether the self-employed person can keep their YEL insurance in force in Finland while they work in a non-agreement country.
In addition, the self-employed person must contact Kela. Kela decides if the self-employed person can get residence-based social security benefits while they are working in a non-agreement country.
When a grant recipient works in a non-agreement country, they can insure their grant in Finland under MYEL under certain conditions. The grant recipient must contact the Farmers’ Social Insurance Institution Mela. It will decide whether the grant recipient can keep their YEL insurance in force in Finland while they work in a non-agreement country.
In addition, the grant recipient must contact Kela. Kela decides if the grant recipient can get residence-based social security benefits while they are working in a non-agreement country.
In these situations, the Finnish Centre for Pensions cannot issue a certificate that shows that the grant recipient is covered by Finnish social security while working in a non-agreement country.
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