Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs has told its embassies to apply “enhanced scrutiny” when issuing 2026 seasonal-work visas to wild-berry pickers, most of whom arrive from Thailand each July. The directive, published on 4 March, instructs visa officers to consult labour-inspection reports from the 2025 picking season before approving new applications. Since 2025, berry pickers have needed a formal seasonal-work visa under Finland’s Seasonal Workers Act. The requirement followed a series of human-trafficking investigations in 2020-2022 that uncovered unpaid wages, sub-standard accommodation and excessive recruitment fees. Several company executives were convicted, and the government promised closer oversight. Under the 2026 rules, Finnish employers must show evidence of proper contracts, accommodation that meets health standards, and full compliance with minimum-wage legislation.
![Finland tightens seasonal-work visa checks for Thai berry pickers]()
Navigating these stricter requirements can be complex, which is why many recruiters are turning to VisaHQ for assistance. Through its dedicated Finland page (https://www.visahq.com/finland/), the service offers step-by-step checklists, application tracking and corporate dashboards that simplify bulk filings for seasonal-work visas.
If a company was cited for violations last year, the embassy can refuse visas for its workers. The Finnish Embassy in Bangkok expects application volumes to rise and is reorganising counters and appointment slots to cope. For Nordic food-processors that rely on wild bilberries and cloudberries, the change raises the stakes: a single labour-law breach could jeopardise an entire workforce the following summer. HR teams are therefore rushing to audit recruitment chains, bring transportation and housing up to code, and provide multilingual orientation materials that explain wage slips and grievance procedures. Trade unions have welcomed the move but stress the need for on-the-ground inspections once the pickers arrive.
Navigating these stricter requirements can be complex, which is why many recruiters are turning to VisaHQ for assistance. Through its dedicated Finland page (https://www.visahq.com/finland/), the service offers step-by-step checklists, application tracking and corporate dashboards that simplify bulk filings for seasonal-work visas.
If a company was cited for violations last year, the embassy can refuse visas for its workers. The Finnish Embassy in Bangkok expects application volumes to rise and is reorganising counters and appointment slots to cope. For Nordic food-processors that rely on wild bilberries and cloudberries, the change raises the stakes: a single labour-law breach could jeopardise an entire workforce the following summer. HR teams are therefore rushing to audit recruitment chains, bring transportation and housing up to code, and provide multilingual orientation materials that explain wage slips and grievance procedures. Trade unions have welcomed the move but stress the need for on-the-ground inspections once the pickers arrive.
