The In­ter­na­tion­al Voucher

The internship supported by the International Voucher is intended for international students at the Tampere university and University of Applied Sciences (TAMK) .

The intern must:

• study in an English-language degree programme at the Tampere higher education community
• have come to Finland to complete a degree
• complete an internship that supports their field of study
• be employed for the duration of the internship.

The internship must be paid in accordance with the applicable collective agreement. If no collective agreement applies to the sector, the intern must be paid a customary and reasonable salary

Employers: eligibility criteria for the International Voucher

The employer must be interested in and committed to hiring an international student for an internship.

The International Voucher can be applied for by companies, associations, and foundations that are either based in Tampere or have an office or place of business in Tampere.

The employer must have:

• appropriate working facilities
• a supervisor responsible for guiding the intern
• a Finnish bank account.

In addition, the employer must fulfil all statutory obligations. Support cannot be granted to employers with significant financial difficulties or shortcomings in paying taxes or other statutory charges.

A maximum of two International Vouchers may be granted to the same employer within a 12‑month period.

The International Voucher is not available to:

• the City of Tampere or other municipalities
• government organisations
• private individuals.

The support is granted as de minimis aid in accordance with European Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2831 (EUR-Lex).

International Vouchers are awarded at the City's discretion and subject to available funding.

De minimis aid

For employers engaged in economic activity, the International Voucher is granted as de minimis aid under the European Union (EU) State aid rules. De minimis aid is governed by Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2831 on the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to de minimis aid. An employer engaged in economic activity may receive a maximum of 300,000 euros in de minimis aid over a period of three years. De minimis aid cannot be granted for primary production in agriculture, fisheries, or aquaculture, as these sectors have their own aid schemes. The de minimis regulation also prohibits export aid and aid for establishing distribution networks.

The recipient of the aid is responsible for ensuring that the total amount of de minimis aid received from different authorities (such as ministries, agencies under ministries, Finnvera Plc, municipalities, and regional councils) does not exceed the maximum limits stated above. The de minimis aid granted is specified in the International Voucher funding decision.

• An internship supported by the International Voucher must be:
  • at least 2 months full-time, or
  • at least 4 months part-time (for example, at 50% working hours).
• The employer must pay a salary in accordance with the applicable collective agreement, or a customary and reasonable salary if no collective agreement applies.
• The salary cannot be based solely on work performance, such as sales commission without a base salary.
• The internship cannot be carried out entirely through remote work.
• The employer must sign an employment contract with the intern. In addition, an internship agreement with the higher education institution may be required.
• The International Voucher cannot be combined with internship subsidies provided by higher education institutions.
• The employer is responsible for ensuring compliance with the Employment Contracts Act and applicable collective agreements, as well as safeguarding the employee’s rights and insurance coverage.
• If the planned employment relationship does not begin or is terminated before the end of the probationary period, the employer must notify [email protected] (Victoria Laaksonen, Coordinator at International House Tampere, applications officer) without delay by email.
• The work must correspond to the employee’s skills and educational background. The duties may also be in a field closely related to the employee’s field of study.

• During the pilot period, support can be applied for until 28 February 2027.
• Employers apply for the International Voucher by completing the application form. If the intern has already been selected, information about the employee must also be included in the application.
• The support is granted upon application if the eligibility criteria are met and funding is available.
• The decision will be sent to the employer by email.
• The International Voucher is de minimis aid under European Commission regulations. Applicants must declare any previously received de minimis aid in their application.

The International Voucher is paid to the employer after the internship has been completed. After the internship ends, the employer must submit a separate payment application form.

To receive the payment, the employer must provide:

• a payment application
• salary slips
• a certificate of employment or the employment contract.

The support is paid as a lump-sum reimbursement to the bank account specified in the application.

The payment is usually made within approximately one month after the employer has submitted all the required documents.