Frequently asked questions concerning membership
How to join
How to join?
Complete the electronic membership form on the Finnish Union of Professional Engineers in Finland’s website. Once you have secured paid employment, you can also join an unemployment fund at the same time.
What is the start date of my Union of Professional Engineers in Finland’s membership?
The membership enters into force on the date of notification. However, the invoicing of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland starts from the beginning of the following month if you become a member after the 1st day of the month.
Who can join the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland?
Membership of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland is open to graduates in engineering, professionals in the IT service sector, technical experts, senior salaried employees in demanding engineering-level positions in the private or public sectors, gaming industry employees and engineering entrepreneurs.
You can join the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland as a student member if you are studying to become an engineer, construction management specialist, architect, laboratory analyst or IT specialist
Who can join the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland?
How do I switch from another union and/or unemployment fund to the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland?
If you are transferring to the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland from another trade union/unemployment fund, we recommend reporting your discontinuation of membership to the previous union/unemployment fund once you have received a confirmation on the validity of your membership in the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland and the Unemployment fund for highly educated KOKO.
You can authorize the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland to end your previous membership with a separate power of attorney.
More information on resignation authorization and powers of attorney
Will I retain the membership conditions and employment conditions I have already accumulated if I change my unemployment fund?
If you are already a member of an unemployment fund, you can become a member of the KOKO fund without losing your membership and employment condition. The employment condition you accumulated in the previous unemployment fund will be retained if the membership break between the unemployment funds is less than one month. We recommend transferring your membership without interruptions as the interruption does not accumulate the condition regarding previous employment.
When changing the unemployment fund, the membership application is first sent to the new fund and the resignation is notified to the previous fund until the new membership has been confirmed. The membership fee must be paid to the previous fund until the time of resignation.
The unemployment fund can only be changed during an employment relationship. You cannot change your unemployment fund if you are unemployed, fully laid off or on child care leave or study leave, for example, even if your employment relationship is valid.
Member information
How can I report changed contact details or employment information to the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland?
- Log in to the Member pages of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland.
- Open the ILRY Mobile app on your smartphone and select mobile membership card.
- Take out your printed or electronic membership fee invoice.
- Contact Customer Service.
Where can I find my Union of Professional Engineers in Finland membership number?
- Log in to the Member pages of the Finnish Union of Professional Engineers in Finland and update your information in the eServices.
- Contact Customer Service.
I am retiring permanently. What will happen with my membership?
The end of a career does not mean separation from one’s own profession; membership of the Union also continues in retirement. A pensioner membership can be granted to those permanently retiring. The pensioner membership covers all the benefits and services of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland. The validity of insurances is discontinued at the end of the year in which the member turns 90.
How can I leave the Union?
If you want to terminate your membership of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland, please see the instructions for submitting a notice of resignation. By using the resignation form, your resignation will be processed more quickly and easily as we have all the necessary information to terminate your membership.
You can also send a written notice of resignation to Customer Service: asiakaspalvelu@ilry.fi. The notice of resignation can also be free-form, but the message must include either your membership number or date of birth as identification information. If you are a member of the unemployment fund through us, please also indicate what you would like to do with your unemployment fund.
You can only terminate your membership in writing.
Membership benefits
How can I access the counseling services of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland?
You can contact the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland’s Customer Service for all matters related to employment relationships and membership or if you need career and salary counseling. You can reach all of the Union’s experts through Customer Service. You can contact our Customer Service in all matters by e-mail, telephone or by using the contact form. Please state your membership number or date of birth when contacting us.
My membership card is lost or broken. Where can I get a new one?
If you have already downloaded the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland’s mobile application ILRY Mobiili to your phone, you will have an electronic membership and travel insurance card ready for you to use. Plastic membership cards are no longer in use after January 1, 2022. Read more about the membership card and ILRY Mobiili
How can I find the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland’s training courses and events?
You can find the training courses and events of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland in the event calendar, where you can also register for them. The events arranged by the member organizations can be found on the websites of the member organizations.
How do I get an insurance certificate for the insurance policies included in my membership?
The mobile membership card serves as your insurance certificate. If necessary, you can order an insurance certificate for your trip from insurance company Turva.
Do I need to report damage/injuries to the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland when applying for compensation from the leisure time insurances included in my membership conditions?
You do not need to submit a claim to the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland or otherwise report the use of the leisure time insurance. Insurance matters are handled directly with insurance company Turva.
Membership fees
How much does membership in the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland cost?
The membership fee is determined according to the member organization. The total membership fee is approximately EUR 32–40 per month, depending on the membership organization. The membership fee consists of three parts: a union fee, a membership organization fee, and a possible membership fee of the Unemployment fund for highly educated KOKO.
Check the fee for your membership organization from the membership fee table
How much does student membership cost?
The membership fee of a student in the Union of Engineering Students is EUR 30 and it is charged when the student becomes a member. The membership fee will cover the student membership until graduation or for up to five years. After five years, the EUR 30 fee will be charged annually until graduation.
Student members who are included in the unemployment fund through the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland are also charged an annual membership fee of the KOKO fund.
I want the membership fee to always be deducted automatically from my salary. What do I need to do?
The Union of Professional Engineers in Finland does not conclude new employer collection agreements as of 1 January 2022. Existing employer collection agreements will remain in force as per normal.
You will be sent a membership fee invoice, and you can submit an e-invoicing authorization to the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland through your online bank.
You will be sent a membership fee invoice, and you can submit an e-invoicing authorization to the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland through your online bank
To issue the authorization, you need the reference number found on the membership fee invoice
Can I get my membership fee invoice as an e-invoice?
You can order the membership fee invoice as an e-invoice through your online bank. The order ID is the reference number, which you can check from your latest membership fee invoice.
The e-invoice is delivered to the online bank every month.
Can I get a discount on the membership fee if my life situation changes or if I am on unpaid leave?
You are eligible for the discount if you have not received any salary income, entrepreneurial income or comparable income over the course of at least one full calendar month or you have very low income, are living abroad or studying full time.
What happens if I do not pay my membership fee?
Failing to pay the membership fee affects your membership benefits and services, membership insurance, and unemployment security if you are a member of an unemployment fund through the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland. If, for some reason, you have not paid your membership fee, please contact the Customer Service of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland without delay. We will agree with you on how to get your membership fees and membership updated and how to allow you to retain your membership without any hassle.
Not paying the membership fee is not considered a notice of terminating your membership.
Do I report the membership fees of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland to the Tax Administration?
We submit the membership fee information on your behalf directly to the Tax Administration each year, and it is shown in your tax proposal according to the year of payment. This means that you do not need to report it yourself.
Unemployment fund
How can I join the unemployment fund through the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland?
You can only join the unemployment fund if you have a paid job. As a member of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland, you can join the KOKO fund by logging in to the Member pages and submitting a change request in the member view.
You can also join the fund by emailing the Customer Service of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland.
What is the start date of my unemployment fund membership?
Your unemployment fund membership becomes effective on the date on which you have submitted your membership notice to us in writing while in a valid employment relationship.
Will I retain the membership conditions and employment conditions I have already accumulated if I change my unemployment fund?
If you are already a member of an unemployment fund, you can become a member of the KOKO fund without losing your membership and employment condition. The employment condition you accumulated in the previous unemployment fund will be retained if the membership break between the unemployment funds is less than one month. We recommend transferring your membership without interruptions as the interruption does not accumulate the condition regarding previous employment.
When changing the unemployment fund, the membership application is first sent to the new fund and the resignation is notified to the previous fund until the new membership has been confirmed. The membership fee must be paid to the previous fund until the time of resignation.
The unemployment fund can only be changed during an employment relationship. You cannot change your unemployment fund if you are unemployed, fully laid off or on child care leave or study leave, for example, even if your employment relationship is valid.
Am I entitled to a daily allowance?
You must fulfill the condition regarding previous employment in order to be entitled to earnings-related allowance from an unemployment fund during fund membership. As a rule, the employment condition is met if you work for at least 12 calendar months during the 28-month review period, for which you have been paid at least EUR 930 per month.
Am I a member of the fund through the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland?
The easiest way to check whether you are a member of the fund is to log in to the Member pages of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland and check the information in the member view.
If you are a direct member of the fund, the information will not be visible in the membership information of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland.
The membership register of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland does not show any previous membership conditions with another unemployment fund.
If I already started working earlier, can I become a member of the fund retroactively?
You cannot become a member of the fund retroactively. The membership will take effect at the earliest from the date of receipt of the written notice of membership, providing that your employment relationship is valid on that date.
How much unemployment allowance do I receive?
The amount of the earnings-related unemployment allowance is calculated from your salary income. In calculating the daily allowance, so-called standard earnings are taken into account. The unemployment allowance calculator allows you to calculate the amount of your unemployment allowance.
Student membership
How can I join the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland as a student member?
You can join the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland as a student member if you are studying to become an engineer, construction management specialist, architect, laboratory analyst or IT specialist, but have not completed the studies in question.
Who can join the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland?
Can I join the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland during my path studies?
You can only become a student member of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland when you have been accepted as a degree student and are registered as a degree student at the educational institution.
How can I report changed contact details or study information to the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland?
Any changes and updates to the membership information can primarily be made on the Member pages. Please always inform the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland if your field of study, educational institution or estimated graduation date changes.
Changes in address information will be sent to us automatically if you have submitted a change of address notification to Posti and you have not prevented the disclosure of the information.
I graduated. What should I do about my student membership?
After graduation, please submit a graduation notice. You can submit a graduation notice immediately upon graduation or one month before graduation at the earliest. The easiest way to report your graduation is on the Member pages.
After your student membership, your membership will continue as an engineer member of a regional or, if you wish, national membership organization. If your graduation notice to us is delayed, your engineer membership will enter into force retrospectively, starting from your graduation. If you have become a member during your studies and your membership continues from student membership directly to membership or engineer membership, you will receive a discount on the membership fee of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland for 18 months after your graduation without a separate discount application.
My studies have been interrupted. What should I do with regard to my student membership?
If there is an interruption in your studies, you may not continue to be a member of the Union of Engineering Students. Please notify the Union’s customer service of the interruption in your studies in a free-form email message indicating your membership number or date of birth. If you want to continue as a member of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland while your engineering studies have been interrupted, please contact Customer Service. Customer Service will then check whether you can continue as a member.