Visa consideration for berry pickers aims to prevent exploitation and trafficking in human beings

Wild-berry picking has been regulated under the Seasonal Workers Act since 2025. Companies must hire foreign berry pickers subject to a visa requirement for a contractual employment relationship to enable them to apply for an entry permit to Finland. For stays up to three months, berry pickers apply for a seasonal work visa at a Finnish mission abroad.

In the 2026 season, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will, for the first time, be able to use the Finnish Supervisory Agency’s reports on wild‑berry picking from 2025 when handling applications for seasonal work visas. The Finnish embassies considers all applications carefully and takes into account information provided by the authorities. If the visa consideration process reveals signs of employee exploitation or shortcomings in meeting statutory employer obligations, the visa application may be denied. Companies that employ berry pickers must comply with Finnish legislation and the terms of the employment contract and provide good working and accommodation conditions. Companies are responsible for berry pickers they recruit from abroad and for the realisation of the pickers’ rights.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is preparing for the upcoming wild-berry picking season in cooperation with Finland’s missions and cooperating authorities. Based on preliminary data, the number of applications for seasonal work visas for wild-berry picking is on the increase compared to the previous season. The embassy of Finland in Bangkok is revising its procedures for receiving seasonal work visa applications to better manage the volume of submissions. 

For more information, please visit the VFS Global website.

General information on seasonal work visas is available on the website of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.