All steps

Permits and registration

Get a hygiene passport (hygieniapassi)

Required for anyone handling unpackaged food in Finland: restaurants, cafes, kitchens, catering, food retail.

Within 14 days of arrivingBefore starting work in a food-handling role
Ruokavirasto — hygiene passport

Why this matters

You cannot legally work with unpackaged food without a hygiene passport. Restaurants get fined if staff lack it.

How it goes

Take the hygiene passport test at an approved examiner (hygieniapassitestaaja). The test has 40 multiple-choice questions. Pass mark: 34/40. Available in Finnish, English, Russian, Estonian, and several other languages. Study materials are free online. Cost: €20-50. Certificate is valid indefinitely.

Good to know

  • Study materials at ruokavirasto.fi (Finnish Food Authority) are free
  • Book the test in your native language if available
  • The certificate does not expire — get it once, use for life
  • Employer often reimburses the €20-50 fee