Production guide

Location:
Southwest corner of the Republic of Finland

Regional population:
ca. 330,000

Capital:
City of Turku

Language:
Finnish, Swedish. The vast majority speak fluent English.

Time zone:
GMT +2. Daylight Saving Time (DST) is in use during the summertime as in the rest of the European Union.

Currency:
Euro (€)

International calls:
Dialling code +358

Electrical current:
220 volts, 50 HZ AC. Most electrical outlets are DIN (the German industrial standard, two round pins).

Infrastructure:
Excellent logistics in the area, access by plane, train, ferry and car (e.g. 160 km / 90 mins to Helsinki). There is an international airport located in Turku.

West Finland enjoys all four seasons. The climate is marked by cold winters and warm summers. Summer days are long and winters are quite dark.

Temperature range:
+28 °C in the summer and -10 ° C in the winter

Snow coverage:
ca. 85-100 annual days of snow, with minimal snow on the coast.

Below are the union-recommended rates, which can be used as an indicator. Day salaries for 8-hour salaries. You can count 10-hour day salaries by adding 37,5% to these sums All figures indicated are in Euros (€).

Note: The salaries will increase on August 1, 2026, with a general increase of 2.2% and a company-specific increase of 0.5%.

Film productions

TV productions

Wage Group I examples:
Production assistant work
Film productions: runner etc.

Wage group II examples:
Film productions: best boy etc.
TV productions: camera operator, script supervisor etc.

Wage group III examples:
Film productions: gaffer, key grip, 1st assistant camera etc.
TV productions: cinematographer, production sound mixer etc.

Wage group IV examples:
Film productions: director, cinematographer, production designer etc.
TV productions: director, journalist, producer etc.

The film commission assists with permit application and liaises with local authorities on the production’s behalf. No permits are required for filming in public places. Filming on private property requires a permit either from the owner or from city authorities. Permit costs are usually very low.

A permit from the police is needed if filming requires special traffic arrangements (i.e. re-routing or stopping traffic). Filming of artworks (objects) protected by copyright law requires the consent of the copyright owner unless the works are publicly accessible and not the main focus of filming. Filming in Finland is simple thanks to the Everyman’s Right principle. This allows everyone free access to land and waterways without having to go through the process of applying for a permit or separate permission. However, the landowner’s permission is required for filming on private property or land.

Citizens of EU Member States enjoy free and unhindered passage to Finland. In accordance with the Schengen agreement, country passport holders do not need a visa to visit Finland.

The right to perform gainful employment in Finland is determined according to citizenship.

It is the employer’s obligation to ensure that a foreign citizen entering service and employment has the required worker’s residence permit or that the foreign citizen does not need a residence permit.

EU/ETA citizens are entitled to work in Finland without a worker’s residence permit. Citizens of countries outside the EEA are usually required to have a worker’s residence permit.

Turku is currently in the midst of constructing more sound stages and studios. Currently, the largest studio in the region is Logomo. There are also numerous premises suitable for ad-hoc studio use. The film commission will assist you in finding suitable locations. Other nearby stages are located in the cities of Tampere, Helsinki and Nakkila.

Please also refer to the Finland Film Commission Production Guide.