Based on the immigration laws in Finland, a work permit is not recognised as authorisation for employment. Perspective employment in Finland is used as authorised residency instead and if you are intending to seek residence in Finland you have to understand that residency permits are issued on a temporary and permanent basis see . You will have needed to reside in Finland for 6 years without interruption in order to acquire full Finnish citizenship. Short periods of being out of the country are not counted as long as they are not long enough to be considered to be prolonged periods where you are out of Finland for large periods of time. It seems that depending on your reasons for entering Finland depends on the different authorities dealing with your application. It may be depending on your situation that several different authorities may deal with your applications. If you are relocating to Finland and have not previously stayed in Finland for any long period of time, you will have to first apply for a residence permit or visa. This information is a general guide only and doesn't apply to all countries of citizens wanting to enter Finland. For countries such as EU member states and Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland may need to see alternative literature. If you are wanting to stay in Finland for longer than three months then you will need to obtain a residence permit and if the person entering Finland for longer than three months intends to work, then they will have to obtain a residence permit for the work in question. . A person who is planning on becoming self employed or following a trade in Finland will need to obtain a permit for a self employed person. You should apply for your first residence permit before arriving in Finland at the Finnish Diplomatic mission in the country of origin. Applications and more information can be obtained from the Finnish immigration website. If a person is coming to Finland to work then the employer can apply for the permit on behalf of the applicant. If a person has family ties then the family member can also apply on behalf of the person and effectively becomes their sponsor (the family member should apply to the police municipality where the family member lives. The first residency permit issued is usually fixed term and issued for one year.