Moving abroad and membership

You must notify the Unemployment Fund Ote when moving abroad. If needed, you can ask us for advice regarding the continuation of your membership and the transfer of insurance and employment periods.

Also check the section Life Situations.

If you work abroad for a Finnish employer as a so-called posted worker, you will still be covered by Finnish unemployment security and can continue as a member of the Unemployment Fund Ote as usual.

If you move to Sweden or Denmark and work for a local employer, you will fall under that country’s unemployment security system. Therefore, you must join the local unemployment fund and resign from the Unemployment Fund Ote. It is advisable to contact the local unemployment fund before starting work.

EU/EEA countries other than Sweden or Denmark have a general unemployment insurance system that will cover you once you start working. If you are not a posted worker, the legislation applied is that of the country where you work. In this case, there is no reason to remain a member of the Unemployment Fund Ote or pay membership fees to Finland. Exceptions include very short-term work, work insured in Finland, or cases where the national legislation in your country of employment prevents you from being insured there (which is 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 Ote, 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.