Corona and working abroad
The corona pandemic affects people working abroad in many ways. For example, moving across boarders from the country of residence and country of work can be prevented or the worker may have returned to Finland from the country to which they were posted. Due to the corona pandemic, work in many situations is often done in different locations than normally. For example, many people telecommute from home.
As a rule, if the Finnish Centre for Pensions has granted your A1 certificate for the period of work abroad, stating that you are subject to Finnish social security, no changes to the validity of the certificate will be made although the corona pandemic has caused temporary changes to your work. In some situations, however, you must report changes to your circumstances to the Finnish Centre for Pensions, for example, if you have been laid off temporarily.
FAQs about the corona and work abroad
Question: My employer interrupted my posting to Portugal due to the coronavirus and I returned to Finland in early April. I will spend my summer holidays in Finland and after that I will possibly return to Portugal. Do I need to do something?
Answer: Inform the Finnish Centre for Pensions through the eServices that you have returned to Finland. Your A1 certificate will be terminated as of the date of your return. Your employer must apply for a new A1 certificate if you return to Portugal as a posted worker.
Question: I work in Norway but I live in Finland. Now I’m not allowed to access my workplace and I have been working from home. Does this affect anything, or can I continue like this until I’m allowed to go back to my workplace?
Answer: You can continue working from home and you are not required to contact the Finnish Centre for Pensions. You should still be covered by the Norwegian social security system. If you have problems with your social security, you should primarily contact the Norwegian authorities.
Question: I was supposed to go work in the Netherlands, but my posting was cancelled. What should I do? An A1 certificate was already applied for for the posting.
Answer: Inform the Finnish Centre for Pensions through the eServices that your posting was cancelled. The A1 certificate will be cancelled. Apply for a new certificate if you are posted later.
Question: I work in Poland and my A1 certificate expired last month. I can’t return to Finland yet and I stayed here to work remotely until I can return to Finland. Is my employer now required to pay social security contributions to Poland?
Answer: No. If you return to Finland within a month of the date on which your certificate expired, all you have to do is inform the Social Institution of Finland Kela of your return. If you remain in Poland for a longer period of time to work, your employer must apply for a new certificate from the Finnish Centre for Pensions.
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