The mobility allowance is a benefit for which you can apply from your unemployment fund if you are unemployed and have accepted a job or started recruitment training required for a job. To receive the allowance, the daily commute must be at least 3 hours (2 hours if you work part-time) at the beginning of the employment or training, and the employment relationship must last at least 2 months.
The mobility allowance is available for both commuting and moving expenses
The purpose of the mobility allowance is to encourage people to accept jobs outside their own local commuting area. To receive the allowance, the daily commute must be over three hours in full-time work and over two hours in part-time work (commute to and from work including transfer times). The travel time is calculated based on the fastest mode of transport available. If your commute is longer than 200 kilometres in one direction, you will receive an increased mobility allowance.
Conditions for receiving a mobility allowance
As with other benefits, there are certain conditions you must meet to qualify for the mobility allowance. The mobility allowance can be paid when the applicant has received an unemployment benefit right before the employment or training starts. However, the mobility allowance can also be paid for special reasons even if the applicant did not receive an unemployment benefit before the start of employment or training. Such reasons include:
- an unpaid suspension period (karenssi)
- a vocational education restriction for people under 25
- an obligation to work
- the waiting period of an earnings-related daily allowance
To receive a mobility allowance, the job or training in question must last at least two months, and the allowance application must have been submitted within three months of the beginning of the employment or training. The duration of the mobility allowance depends on how long the employment contract is.
Amount of mobility allowance
The amount of the mobility allowance is the same as the basic unemployment allowance: €37.21 per day in 2024. The increase paid for a commute longer than 200 kilometres is €5.29/day. In full-time work, the mobility allowance is paid for five days a week during the allowance period. In part-time work, the working hours are no more than 80% of the working hours of full-time work, and the allowance is paid for the actual days worked. The mobility allowance has no waiting period, so it will be paid right from the beginning of the employment relationship or training. No allowance is paid for days when working and payment of wages have been interrupted. Like other benefits, the mobility allowance is taxable income.
Example: One week’s (5 days) mobility allowance when the commute is longer than 200 km
Applying and payment
The quickest and easiest way to apply for a mobility allowance is online via A-kassa’s eService. If you want to, you can also send the application form by post. The mobility allowance application must be submitted to the unemployment fund within three months of the beginning of the employment or training. The application must include a copy of your employment contract.
The mobility allowance is paid to the applicant every four weeks, but you can receive the first payment after the first two weeks. Applying for the mobility allowance is easy because you only need to submit the application once. The mobility allowance is paid for the entire allowance period based on a single application.
For more information about the mobility allowance, please visit our website at a-kassa.fi
