Healthcare, MEDI Connection
How to become a doctor in Finland
Dec
Finland is an appealing destination for many doctors abroad, but working as a medical professional in Finland comes with some specific requirements. Here we have listed some necessary information to put you on the right track of how to become a healthcare professional in Finland.
EU/EEA countries (2022)
This process is faster and easier if you’ve undertaken your studies in an EU/EEA country, these are listed here for reference:
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Iceland (EEA)
- Liechtenstein (EEA)
- Norway (EEA)
- Switzerland (EFTA)
Licensing process
The National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) must recognize your qualifications before you can practice medicine in Finland. Depending on whether you completed your studies within the EU/EEA or not, there are different routes to working in Finnish healthcare.
The doctor (EU/EEA) route also applies if you gained your certification elsewhere but have worked as a doctor within the EU/EEA for at least 3 years and have citizenship or comparable status in the EU/EEA.
| Have your education assessed | The first step towards obtaining your license is to have the education you received abroad assessed. Apply to Valvira for recognition of your certification. | |
| Sufficient language skills | You need to demonstrate an intermediate level of language proficiency (YKI 3-4) to practice as a medical doctor. (YKI test fee 176€) | |
| Licensing | In order to be licensed to practice your profession as a medical doctor, you must submit an application to Valvira. | |
| Doctor ID | All foreign medical doctors practicing medicine in Finland must have a doctor ID, which is issued by Valvira in connection with the licensing decision or the granting of your first limited license. |
| Have your education assessed | The first step towards obtaining your license is to have the education you received abroad assessed. Apply to Valvira for recognition of your certification. | |
| Sufficient language skills | You need to demonstrate an intermediate level of language proficiency (YKI 3-4) to practice as a medical doctor. (YKI test fee 176€) | |
| Internship | At least 6 months of internship at a Finnish hospital or health center maintained by a public body (central government, municipality, joint municipal authority) | |
| Three-part examination | You will need to prove your skills as a doctor by taking part in an exam. The exam has 3 parts: Clinical knowledge, Healthcare in Finland and Clinical skills | |
| Licensing | Once you have passed all the parts of the examination, you must submit an application to Valvira to become a licensed general doctor. | |
| Doctor ID | All foreign medical doctors practicing medicine in Finland must have a doctor ID, which is issued by Valvira in connection with the licensing decision or the granting of your first limited license. |
| Have your education assessed | The first step towards obtaining your license is to have the education you received abroad assessed. Apply to Valvira for recognition of your certification. | |
| Sufficient language skills | You need to demonstrate an intermediate level of language proficiency (YKI 3-4) to practice as a nurse. (YKI test fee 176€) | |
| Licensing | In order to be licensed to practice your profession as a nurse, you must submit an application to Valvira. | |
| Decision | The decision on your license to practice your profession will be issued in Finnish or Swedish. |
If you haven’t yet reached YKI 3-4 level language skills, we provide Healthcare Finnish proficiency courses which are designed to not only teach you the language but also the necessary vocabulary for the healthcare sector.
We have also written a blog post to help prepare you for the YKI test.
Valvira licensed professions
The following are occupations in which you are eligible to be licensed by Valvira:
- Dental hygienist
- Dental technician
- Dentist
- Dietician
- Dispenser
- Medical laboratory technologist
- Midwife
- Nurse
- Occupational therapist
- Optician
- Pharmacist
- Physician
- Physiotherapist
- Psychologist
- Public health nurse
- Radiographer
- Speech therapist
Authorization to practice
For other professions, you may be authorized (even if you studied outside of EU/EEA), but restricted to a fixed period and possibly a specific health facility.
Protected occupational titles
- Chiropractor
- Hospital cell biologist
- Hospital chemist
- Hospital geneticist
- Hospital microbiologist
- Hospital physicist
- Naprapathy
- Orthopedic technician
- Osteopath
- Podiatrist
- Practical nurse for social and health care
- Psychotherapist
- Trained masseur
For more detailed information about Finnish healthcare licensing requirements for your specialization, you can read more on the Valvira website:
Qualified in EU/EEA (Finnish)
Qualified outside EU/EEA (Finnish)
Finnish
