Electrical work and contracting

Either your business or you personally must be authorised to perform electrical work when

you are constructing or repairing fixed electrical installations, i.e. electrical equipment
you are repairing non-low voltage (nominal voltage of over 50 VAC or 120 VDC) electrical equipment.

Please check the Tukes register of economic operators to see who is authorised to perform electrical work in Finland. The register includes both businesses and individuals.

Go to the register of economic operators.

Authorisation to perform electrical work is not required in a few exceptional cases:

Work performed by laypersons
Certain other exceptional cases requiring specific electrical training or experience. For example, these include electrical work performed by an electrical professional in either their own home or a close relative's home. A close relative is defined as one’s own children or a spouse’s children, parents and grandparents.

Learn more about exceptional cases where authorisation to perform electrical work is not required.

How to obtain authorisation to perform electrical work

As an electricity business

In order for a business to authorised to perform electrical work, it must:

have either or a business id in the Finnish Trade Register or, in the case of foreign businesses, an id equivalent to a Finnish business id.
employ a supervisor of electrical work with a Finnish certificate of qualification (S1, S2 or S3). Certificates of qualification are issued by SETI Oy.
submit a notification of electrical works in the Tukes e-service.
use the necessary measuring devices and other tools.
have access to operational electrical safety regulations, standards and instructions.

A sub-contractor must have their own supervisor of electrical work. A subcontractor must submit a notification of electrical work to Tukes.

Tukes must also be notified if there are changes in the business's activities, such as a change of supervisor of electrical work or a change in company type. A fee for submitting a notification will be charged in accordance with the Tukes price list.

As a private individual

In order to be authorised to perform electrical work as a private individual without a business id, you must:

have a Finnish certificate of qualification (S1, S2 or S3) so that you can act as a supervisor of electrical work yourself. Certificates of qualification are issued by SETI Oy.
use the necessary measuring devices and other tools.
submit a notification of electrical work as a private individual in the Tukes e-service.
have access to operational electrical safety regulations, standards and instructions.

Learn more about certificates of qualification
Go to the Tukes e-service to submit a notification of electrical work

Before starting electrical works

Certificate of electrical qualification
The qualification required of the certified supervisor of electrical works is granted by Henkilö- ja yritysarviointi Seti Oy.

Ensuring safe operating conditions
Measuring instruments, and electrical safety rules and regulations enable safe electrical work.

The right to perform electrical works can be held by a company or an individual
A company needs e.g. a business ID from the Finnish Patent and Registration Office.

Notification to Tukes about starting electrical work activities
Certificate of qualification shall be attached to the notification form (link).

Registration
Tukes shall registers the company or the individual.

Example 1: Establish an electricity undertaking

John intends to establish an electrical enterprise that performs electrical installations and repairs electrical appliances. John contacts the Finnish Patent and Registration Office and submits a start-up notification to the Trade Register. John gets a business ID for his enterprise.

Next, John hires Matt as his certified supervisor of electrical works. Matt has a certificate of qualification for performing electrical works issued by Henkilö- ja yritysarviointi SETI Oy covering the scope of the enterprise operations. In this case, a sufficient qualification would be either Electrical qualification 1 (S1) or Electrical qualification 2 (S2). John signs an employment contract with Matt.

John acquires the necessary measuring instruments, other tools, and electrical safety rules and regulations.

John submits a notification to Tukes on starting electrical work activities using the form SL1. Tukes shall process the notification and register John’s enterprise as an electrical contractor.

Example 2: The Electrical qualification S2 issued by Henkilö- ja yritysarviointi SETI Oy

Sarah is holder of Electrical qualification S2 issued by Henkilö- ja yritysarviointi SETI Oy. Sarah is not willing to set up an enterprise of her own, but every now and then she would like to perform some electrical works.

Sarah uses the form SL1 to submit to Tukes a notification on starting electrical work activities under her own name and personal identity code. With the same form, Sarah is able to nominate herself as the certified supervisor of electrical works.

Sarah acquires the necessary measuring instruments, other tools, and electrical safety rules and regulations.

Tukes shall register Sarah in the Electrical Contractors Register under her personal identity code, thus authorising Sarah to perform electrical installation works up to 1,000 V electrical installations and reparation of electrical appliances.

Example 3: Electrical work performed by an electrical professional in their own home or in a close relative’s home

Kaisa has the training and work experience required of an electrician. She wants to perform electrical work in her mother’s home.

Before starting her work, Kaisa requests a certificate of qualification from SETI Oy. She does not need to notify Tukes of the work she is doing.

Kaisa must have access to the measuring equipment and other tools required for performing the work as well as the applicable electrical safety regulations, standards and instructions. In addition to any commissioning inspections carried out by Kaisa, an authorised inspector or body must carry out a verification inspection of any electrical work performed with a certificate of qualification, unless the work is minor.

Learn more about the training and work experience required of a professional electrician.