Temporary and occasional pursuit of a profession

In order to work as a health care professional in Finland, you must have a licence to practise from Valvira. You will need to let Valvira know if you wish to provide services on a temporary or occasional basis in Finland.

You must be a citizen of an EU/EEA Member State and legally established as a health care professional in another EU/EEA Member State. You must also have a licence to practise your profession independently or to use a protected title in another EU/EEA Member State.

Please note that an activity is not considered temporary or occasional if you engage in it on a permanent or continuous basis. An activity can be deemed to be ‘established’ especially if your objective appears to be circumventing the requirements relating to establishment. According to Valvira’s policy, the pursuit of a profession is considered temporary and occasional if it takes up no more than three days a month. However, whether an activity is or is not to be considered temporary and occasional in nature is always evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Each notification is valid for 12 months. You will need to submit a new notification if you intend to continue to pursue your profession on a temporary or occasional basis beyond the initial 12-month period or if the nature of your activity changes significantly. In such cases, you must submit the relevant documents and evidence to Valvira without delay.

If you are a nurse, a physiotherapist or a pharmacist, you can apply for a European Professional Card (EPC). No advance notification is required from professionals who hold an EPC, and you will therefore not need to submit the aforementioned documents and information separately.

Advance notification of temporary and occasional practice

Fill in the advance notification form. The notification must contain the following information: the nature of the services, the time and place where the services will be provided, information on the service provider’s insurance coverage, or similar individual or collective professional liability cover, and a statement of language proficiency (Finnish or Swedish).

The processing period is calculated from the time when Valvira has received all the required documents.

Send your completed application and appendices by e-mail to: [email protected].

Please note that e-mail is not recommended for sending confidential information. You can send a secure e-mail via the Valvira secure message service. Further information on how to deliver material to Valvira by e-mail can be found on our website.

OR send your completed application and appendices by mail to:
National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira)
PO Box 43
FI-00521 Helsinki

Append copies of the following documents to your application:

1. Passport or ID card (i.e. document verifying your identity and nationality)
2. Degree certificate. If you are a medical specialist, also include your degree certificate for basic medical training as a physician.
   The appendices listed below in points 3–4 may be necessary for resolving your application. Valvira may also be able to verify the information directly with the competent authority in the relevant EU or EEA Member State, in which case you do not need to submit these documents. This verification may delay the processing of your application. If Valvira is unable to verify the information with the competent authority, then you must submit the relevant certificates yourself.
3. A certificate verifying that your right to practise the profession in question has not been restricted or revoked (e.g. Certificate of Current Professional Status). This certificate must be no more than three months old when received by Valvira. You must submit such a certificate from every country where you have been legalised to practise your profession. OR If you want Valvira to check your credentials directly with the competent authority, then you need to declare all the countries in which you have been granted the right to practise your profession.
4. Certificate issued by a competent authority stating how your professional qualifications fulfill the requirements of Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications.
5. Translations into Finnish, Swedish or English of the documents listed in points 3 and 4. The translations must have been produced by an authorised translator in Finland or in another EU/EEA Member State. Authorised translators in Finland can be found through the online service of the National Agency for Education.

Valvira may request further explanations as necessary. Please note that Valvira will not return any documents submitted or make copies.

Valvira may check your professional qualifications if your application does not satisfy the conditions for automatic recognition within the meaning of Directive 2005/36/EC on the recognition of professional qualifications. To perform the necessary checks, Valvira will need further information, and you will be asked to provide this separately. If Valvira finds that there are significant differences between your qualification and the equivalent Finnish qualification that could jeopardise patient safety, Valvira may give you an opportunity to take an aptitude test to prove that you have acquired the missing skills or competence.