See also Working abroad and unemployment security.

If you are working abroad for a Finnish employer as a posted worker, you will still be covered by Finnish unemployment security and can continue as a member of the Unemployment Fund for Education and Science.

If you move to Sweden or Denmark and work for a local employer, you are covered by the unemployment security system in the respective country. This means that you must join a local unemployment fund and resign from the Unemployment Fund for Education and Science. It is advisable to contact the local unemployment fund before starting work.

EU/EEA countries other than Sweden or Denmark have general unemployment insurance that will cover you when you start working. If you are not a posted worker, the applied legislation is the legislation of the country where you are working. In this case there is no reason to continue as a member of the Unemployment Fund for Education and Science and pay the membership fees to Finland. An exception to this is if your work is very short-term or insured in Finland or if the national legislation in the country in which you are employed prevents you from being insured in that country (very uncommon).

If you start working in a country outside the EU/EEA, i.e. in a ‘third country’, you may choose to continue as a member of the fund, because otherwise you could only re-join when you are employed. However, retaining your membership may not be of any benefit, as working in a third country does not extend the review period. If your employment in Finland prior to moving abroad does not fit into the 28-month review period, it cannot be counted towards the employment condition. In this event, you must re-fulfil the employment condition after you return.

If you move to another EU/EEA country for a reason other than employment, you should check whether you are covered by the local unemployment security. If you are not, you can continue as a member of the Unemployment Fund for Education and Science, but this will not necessarily make you eligible for an earnings-related allowance. This is also the case if you move to a third country for a reason other than employment.