Employment of foreigners follows a different regime depending on where the worker comes from. Citizens of the European Union and of European Economic Area states have free access to the labour market, and the employer only has to fulfil an information obligation towards the labour office. For citizens of third countries, a work permit or temporary residence for the purpose of employment is required, and processing this takes weeks to months. A simplified regime applies to occupations with a demonstrated labour shortage in the given district, the list of which is updated. The employer must also ensure the same pay and working conditions as for domestic employees and keep the prescribed records. Underestimating the deadlines is the most common problem, because the start date gets tied to a deadline the office may not manage to meet.
See also: Recruitment in shortage occupations, Employee onboarding, Employment contribution from the Labour Office.
