The Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) has introduced a new, simplified tariff for recognising foreign professional and academic qualifications, effective 1 January 2026. All applications—whether for regulated professions such as teaching and nursing or for general academic recognition—are now subject to a €100 processing fee and a €395 decision fee. Previously, fees ranged from €280 to €640 depending on the profession, leading to criticism that applicants faced an opaque and unpredictable cost structure.
The harmonisation follows the Government’s broader cost-recovery policy, mirroring fee hikes at Migri, and aims to streamline Finland’s talent-attraction pathway by making costs transparent at the outset. EDUFI processed just under 5,000 recognition requests in 2025; officials project a 20 percent rise in 2026 as employers in healthcare, ICT and engineering continue to recruit from outside the EU.
For globally mobile employees, the two-step fee means most applicants will pay €495 in total, due in two instalments. Applicants whose credentials are deemed “substantially different” and require supplementary studies will incur additional university tuition, but no further EDUFI fees.
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VisaHQ can ease the administrative burden that comes with these new rules: through its Finland-specific portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) the company’s specialists guide applicants and HR teams through documentation, certified translations, and payment scheduling, ensuring that qualification recognition dovetails smoothly with residence-permit or visa filings—an efficient way to stay on top of the €495 tariff and related timelines.
Employers should note that qualification recognition is often a prerequisite for sectoral licences (especially in healthcare) and forms part of the eligibility test for many work-based residence permits. HR teams are advised to budget for the new fees, counsel candidates on documentation requirements, and ensure timelines for recognition align with residence-permit filing windows.
EDUFI’s online portal has been updated to reflect the changes, and applicants can now pay both fees electronically. Processing times remain unchanged at 60 days for straightforward cases but may lengthen in Q1 as staff adapt to the new system and a potential surge of year-opening filings.
The harmonisation follows the Government’s broader cost-recovery policy, mirroring fee hikes at Migri, and aims to streamline Finland’s talent-attraction pathway by making costs transparent at the outset. EDUFI processed just under 5,000 recognition requests in 2025; officials project a 20 percent rise in 2026 as employers in healthcare, ICT and engineering continue to recruit from outside the EU.
For globally mobile employees, the two-step fee means most applicants will pay €495 in total, due in two instalments. Applicants whose credentials are deemed “substantially different” and require supplementary studies will incur additional university tuition, but no further EDUFI fees.
VisaHQ can ease the administrative burden that comes with these new rules: through its Finland-specific portal (https://www.visahq.com/finland/) the company’s specialists guide applicants and HR teams through documentation, certified translations, and payment scheduling, ensuring that qualification recognition dovetails smoothly with residence-permit or visa filings—an efficient way to stay on top of the €495 tariff and related timelines.
Employers should note that qualification recognition is often a prerequisite for sectoral licences (especially in healthcare) and forms part of the eligibility test for many work-based residence permits. HR teams are advised to budget for the new fees, counsel candidates on documentation requirements, and ensure timelines for recognition align with residence-permit filing windows.
EDUFI’s online portal has been updated to reflect the changes, and applicants can now pay both fees electronically. Processing times remain unchanged at 60 days for straightforward cases but may lengthen in Q1 as staff adapt to the new system and a potential surge of year-opening filings.
