Frequently asked questions
Becoming a member
The most convenient way to join the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland is by completing the online admission form. The unemployment fund may be joined only when employed.
Membership shall take effect from the date of admission. However, the billing starts from the beginning of the following month if you join after the 1st day of the month.
Engineering graduates, IT sector employees, technical experts, senior engineers, those with demanding positions in the private or public sector, game industry employees, and engineering entrepreneurs can join the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland.
Engineering and IT students, or students studying to become construction architects or construction foreman can join as student members of the Union of Professional Engineers In Finland.
Who can join the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland?
If you transfer from another trade union/unemployment fund to the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland, you should not notify your old union/unemployment fund until you have received confirmation of your membership in the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland and the KOKO fund.
You can authorize the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland to terminate your other union membership with a separate power of attorney.
If you are already a member of an unemployment fund, you can join the KOKO fund without losing the membership and working conditions that you have already acquired. The working conditions you gained in your previous unemployment fund will be maintained if the break-in membership between unemployment funds is less than one month. It is advisable to transfer the membership without a break, as the break time does not meet the condition of employment.
When the unemployment fund is changed, a membership application will first be sent to the new fund, and the old fund will be terminated only after confirmation of membership in the new fund has been received.
The membership fee must be paid to the old fund until the date of termination.
The fund can only be changed when in paid employment. You cannot change unemployment funds when you are, for example, unemployed, completely laid off, on childcare leave, or study leave, even if your employment relationship is valid.
Membership details
Your membership number can be found on Member pages, ILRY Mobile or the membership fee bill. If you can’t find your membership number, contact customer service.
Changes to contact details or employment can be done in Member pages.
The end of a career does not mean separation from one’s profession. Union membership also continues in retirement. A permanently retiring member can become a pensioner member and get a discount on fees.
Pensioner membership includes all the benefits and services of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland.
The insurance expires at the end of the year the member turns 90.
If you want to terminate your union membership, fill out the termination form.
By filling out the termination form, the request will be handled faster and easier since we will have all the information needed to terminate your membership.
You can also send a written notice of termination to the customer service: asiakaspalvelu@ilry.fi The termination notice can be informal, but the message must include your membership number or the date of birth for identification purposes.
You can only terminate your membership in writing.
Membership benefits
You can contact the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland’s customer service for employment and membership matters, and if you need career and salary advice. You can reach all of the Union’s experts through customer service. You can contact the customer service by e-mail, telephone, or online contact form in all matters. Please indicate your membership number or date of birth when contacting customer service.
You can find the training and events of the Union in the event calendar, through which you can also register for them. The events organized by the membership organization can be found on their websites.
A mobile app membership card act as insurance certificates. If necessary, you can order a certificate for your travel insurance from Turva, read more.
There is no need to report an insurance claim to the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland or otherwise notify us regarding the use of leisure insurance. Insurance matters are dealt with directly by the Turva Mutual Insurance Company.
Membership fees
The membership fee is determined by the membership organization. Depending on the membership association, the total membership fee is approximately €32-40 per month. The membership fee consists of three parts: a union fee, a membership organization fee, and a possible membership fee for the Unemployment Fund for the Highly Educated (KOKO).
The membership fee of the Union of Engineering Students is EUR30, which is paid when joining. The membership fee covers student membership until graduation but does not exceed five years. After five years of membership, the fee of EUR30 will be charged annually until graduation.
The student members of the unemployment fund are also invoiced annually.
If you want the membership fee taken from your salary, you must grant a power of attorney to your employer that grants them the right to collect the fee on your behalf. Send a copy of the completed power of attorney to the Union of Professional Engineers. When the employer changes, a new power of attorney must be issued with the new employer.
The collection of the membership fee directly from your salary can start on the month that is suitable for the employer. You will have to pay the membership fee yourself until the end of the month before the agreement begins.
Student members and members who have a membership fee discount cannot have the membership fee taken directly from their salary.
You can order the membership bill via your online bank as an e-invoice. The order identifier is the same as a reference number and you can check it from the last membership fee invoice that you received.
The e-invoice is delivered to the online bank monthly.
You can apply for a membership fee discount if you have no salary, entrepreneurial or comparable income for at least one full calendar month, or if you have a particularly low income, are abroad or studying full-time.
The nonpayment of a membership fee will affect your memberships and services, your membership insurance, and unemployment benefits if you are part of an unemployment fund through the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland.
If, for any reason, your membership fee has not been paid, please immediately contact the Union’s customer service. We can make a payment plan for the unpaid membership fees and your membership will be maintained.
Failure to pay the membership fee is not a termination notice.
We provide the membership fee information on your behalf every year directly to the tax authority and it is reflected in your pre-completed tax card according to the year of payment. So you don’t have to make the announcement yourself.
Unemployment fund
The unemployment fund may be joined only when employed. As a member of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland, you can join the KOKO fund by logging in to Member pages.
You can also join the fund by sending an email to the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland’s customer service.
Your membership in the unemployment fund will start on the date you submit a written admission notice to us, as long as you are employed on that day.
If you are already a member of an unemployment fund, you can join the KOKO fund without losing the membership and working conditions that you have already acquired. The working conditions you gained in your previous unemployment fund will be maintained if the break-in membership between unemployment funds is less than one month. It is advisable to transfer the membership without a break, as the break time does not meet the condition of employment.
When the unemployment fund is changed, a membership application will first be sent to the new fund, and the old fund will be terminated only after confirmation of membership in the new fund has been received. The membership fee must be paid to the old fund until the date of termination.
The fund can only be changed when in paid employment. You cannot change unemployment funds when you are, for example, unemployed, completely laid off, on childcare leave or study leave, even if your employment relationship is valid.
To be eligible for an earnings-based daily allowance, the working condition must be met. As a rule, the working condition is met if you work for at least 18 hours per week for 26 weeks during the 28 months considered.
The easiest way to check if you are a member of an unemployment fund is to log in to Member pages. You can also contact customer service.
If you are a member of the fund directly, the information will not appear under the member information of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland. The Union of Professional Engineers in Finland’s information on members does not show any previous unemployment fund memberships.
Changes to membership information can also be done by e-mail to customer service. Please fill in your membership number or date of birth when contacting the customer service.
You cannot become a member of the fund retrospectively. Membership will take effect from the date of receipt of the written notice of admission, provided that your employment is valid on that date.
The earnings-based daily allowance is based on your salary. The calculation of the daily allowance takes into account the so-called steady earned income. Using the daily allowance counter, you can indicatively calculate the amount of your unemployment allowance.
Student membership
Engineering and IT students, or students studying to become construction architects, construction foreman or laboratory analyst can join as student members of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland.
Who can join the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland?
You can only join the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland as a student when you are enrolled in an educational institution studying for a full degree.
Changes to membership details can be done in Member pages. Changes to membership information can also be reported by e-mail to customer service. Please fill in your membership number or date of birth when contacting the customer service. Please notify the Union if your field of study, educational institution, or estimated date of graduation changes. The Union will automatically be notified of a change to your address information if you inform the Digital and Population Data services Agency and Posti, and agree to share the data.
After graduation, make a graduation notice. You can submit a graduation notice as soon as you have graduated, or one month before graduation at the earliest. The easiest way to announce your graduation is through the Union’s Member pages.
Graduation can also be reported to customer service by e-mail. Please fill in your membership number or date of birth when contacting the customer service.
Your student membership will be transferred to a membership in a regional or national membership organization. If your graduation notice arrives late to us, your engineering membership will always take effect retroactively from the time of graduation. Upon transfer, you will receive a staggered membership fee discount for 18-months without application.
If your studies have been interrupted, membership of the Union of Engineering Students can no longer be continued. Notify customer service of the interruption of your studies through a free-form email with your membership number or date of birth. If you wish to continue as a member of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland, even if your engineering studies are interrupted, please contact customer service. The customer service will then check if you can continue your membership.