According to official statistics, about 15 thousand temporary workers from all over the world are sent to Finland every year for seasonal work. Residents of post-Soviet countries see the most attractive work on picking berries. This type of temporary work is the most profitable and does not require special training.
Foreign nationals who come to Finland for seasonal work do not need a residence permit or residence permit if they have lived in the country for no more than 90 days. In this case, foreigners only need to obtain a regular visa at the Finnish consulate. The visa can be issued three months before the expected arrival in the country. For its registration, in addition to standard documents, you will need an invitation to work from the Finnish side.
What you need to know about picking strawberries?
Strawberries in Finland are harvested on special farms. It's hard work, but well paid. Moreover, it does not require any special skills. The average monthly salary can be around 3 thousand euros. It fluctuates depending on the output. Since it is difficult to attract the local population for this type of income, farmers are happy to accept workers from other countries to pick strawberries. In addition to strawberry plantations, raspberry plantations are developed in Finland. Very often they are planted side by side. The most widespread berry plantations are near the city of Suonenjoki, which is located in the central part of the country.
When to go to work?
The berry picking season begins in May with the planting of seedlings and ends in September with the clearing and preparation of the plantations for the winter period. Strawberries can be harvested from early June to late July. After the end of the collection of strawberries, most of the workers are left to collect peas, raspberries, wild berries and mushrooms.
How to get a job offer?
Anyone can get an invitation to work in Finland. To do this, you must leave an application on the website of the Ministry of Labor of Finland or on private employment websites. The application must be submitted in Finnish. Knowledge of the language is not required for this. To fill out the form, it will be enough to use the standard translator built into the browser. You can get to Finland both independently and with the help of shipping companies that organize collective trips of workers from Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and other countries.
Work schedule
The working day of the strawberry picker starts early in the morning. At the beginning of the season, when there are not enough berries on the farms, it can last 4-5 hours. In the high season, the working day lasts 9-10 hours, sometimes it lasts up to 11 hours. The length of the working day and the number of days off are set by the owner of the farm.
The weather does not affect berry picking. Pickers have to work both in the rain and in the heat. The berries are collected in baskets. The average weight of a full basket is 2.5-3 kilograms. After the worker collects 2-3 baskets, he carries them to the berry collection point.
