List of topical issues
2.4.2020

Your A1 certificate continues to be valid if you are laid off for no more than 3 months. If you are laid off until further notice, your A1 certificate will cease to be valid one month at the most from the date that your lay-off begins.

If you are a posted worker and covered by Finnish social security and you have been laid off for a fixed period of time, but for no more than three months, your A1 certificate will continue to be valid throughout the lay-off period.

You do not have to notify the Finnish Centre for Pensions of this short-term lay-off.

However, your A1 certificate for coverage by Finnish social security will be valid only until the end of the period it has been granted for.

If you are laid off for more than three months

If your temporary lay-off is extended so that the combined lay-off period lasts for more than three months, your A1 certificate will cease to be valid as of the date on which your lay-off has been extended.

However, your A1 certificate for coverage by Finnish social security will be valid only until the end of the period it has been granted for.

If you are laid off until further notice

If you are laid off until further notice, you must notify the Finnish Centre for Pensions of this immediately. You or your employer can use the eServices of the Finnish Centre for Pensions to make the notification.  Notify the Finnish Centre for pensions when the lay-off begins and if you/your worker has returned to Finland.

If you have been laid off until further notice and you return to Finland, the Finnish Centre for Pensions will terminate  your certificate as of one month from the date on which your lay-off began.

If you have returned to Finland earlier, the Finnish Centre for Pensions will terminate the certificate on the date you returned to Finland. If you do not return to Finland, your A1 certificate will cease to be valid on the date your lay-off begins. After that, Kela issues a decision on your right to Finnish social security.

If your application for an A1 certificate is pending

If you have a pending application for an A1 certificate with the Finnish Centre for Pensions, please notify (or ask your employer to notify) the Finnish Centre for Pensions of this.

As a rule, A1 certificates are not granted for lay-off periods.

The above time limits apply to all A1 certificates and certificates granted for social security agreement countries.

More information on A1 certificates and insuring work abroad

Finnish Centre for Pensions, Customer Service,
phone +358 29 411 2110 (weekdays 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.),
ulkomaanasiat(at)etk.fi

eServices of the Finnish Centre for Pensions
(the registration page is in Finnish, the service itself is available also in English)

More information on lay-offs and Finnish social security benefits

Kela

Työttömyyskassat

TE services

Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Finland

Earlier news on the subject

Posted worker, are you stuck abroad? (News 23 March)

Are you interrupting your posting abroad? (News 26 March)

Finnish Centre for Pensions – Central body of and expert on statutory earnings-related pensions