(Source: http://www.mol.fi/mol/en/02_working/01_services/07_unemployed/index.jsp )

You should personally visit an employment office no later than on your first day of unemployment. You should also do this after you have completed a period of labour market training or employment subsidy. Your jobsearch will be valid as of the date you register with an employment office. You can also register before your period of unemployment begins.

As a jobseeker registered with an employment office, you will be taken into consideration when candidates are searched for job vacancies, you can utilise the employment services and start applying for unemployment security.

You can fill in the registration form online. (See the link at http://www.mol.fi/mol/en/02_working/01_services/07_unemployed/index.jsp  The form is in Finnish.) You can also fill in the form at an employment office. To register as a jobseeker in order to be eligible for unemployment security, you must always personally visit an employment office.

At employment offices, you will find information about our services and your eligibility for unemployment security. The condition for unemployment security is that your registration as a jobseeker is valid. Also the waiting period during which you will not be paid unemployment security will only begin once you have registered with an employment office. You will find more information about issues related to unemployment security from the menu on the left at http://www.mol.fi/mol/en/02_working/01_services/07_unemployed/index.jsp.

You can avoid extra visits to the employment office if you bring with you the documents listed below that apply to you. You can, however, also come and register without the documents and call in and show them later on.

Please bring with you:

Employment references
- all of the references from your work career
- if you are still employed, a temporary reference or your employment contract

Proof of layoff (applies to those laid off) 

School and study certificates

- school leaving certificates, qualification certificates, etc.
- if you have left an educational institution or discontinued your studies, please present a certificate of this
- if you are still studying, please bring a certificate specifying the starting date and scope of your studies

Proof of having completed the Finnish national military service or non-military service, if applicable

Your passport or a certificate of your passport being held by the authorities as well as your work and residence permits (applies to immigrants only)

Any results of applications for student admission under the joint application system (applies to under-25s only)

Unemployment Security (earnings-related daily allowance)
(Source: STTK - Guide for Foreigners Working in Finland)

In order to receive unemployment compensation the employee must always be registered as job applicant in a labour force bureau. The members of the unemployment fund are paid earnings-related daily unemployment allowance. Others can get a daily allowance or a labour market subsidy from the Social Insurance Institution. Job applicants who have not established themselves on the labour market or have received the maximum daily unemployment allowance are entitled to the labour market subsidy. This benefit is discretionary and depends on the means of the applicant, e.g. on the income of the spouse. The compensation of the Social Insurance Institution is approximately EUR 470/month and the earnings-related daily allowance EUR 830/month.

The members of the unemployment fund get daily allowance for 500 days. After that also the members are included in the daily allowance system of the Social Insurance Institution. Employees can get a new earnings-related daily unemployment allowance after they have again worked and been a member of the unemployment fund for 8 months during two years. The membership of an unemployment fund is automatically taken care of when the employee joins the trade union.

Employees working on the black labour market cannot naturally receive any daily allowance from the unemployment fund nor daily allowance from the Social Insurance Institution until after a certain waiting time. Job applicants should prove that they are available at the labour market and they should be ready to accept work when offered. The first thing one should do when unemployed is to acquire actual information on one’s benefits and obligations.