To effectively solve the problem of double payment of social insurance premiums for personnel working in each other’s country, China and Finland formally signed the Social Security Agreement between the People’s Republic of China and the Republic of Finland on September 22, 2014 (hereinafter referred to as Agreement). The Agreement officially entered into force on October 18, 2016. This article aims to solve frequently asked questions in the form of Q&A for clients’ reference.

Q:	Which type of insurance is mutually exempted according to the Agreement?
A:	The mutually exempted insurances are staff basic pension insurance and unemployment insurance in China and the old age, disability and survivor annuities under an income-related annuity plan, and unemployment insurance in Finland.
Q:	Who can be exempted from paying relevant social insurance premiums in Finland?
A:	1. Dispatch personnel, which refer to persons employed by an employer with a business premises within the Chinese territory and are dispatched by the employer to work in the Finland according to the employment relationship. 2. Self-employed people, which refer to persons who are under the jurisdiction of Chinese laws and regulations and usually reside within the Chinese territory, usually work on Chinese territory, and temporarily come to Finland to engage in self-employed work. 3. Employees on seafaring ships, which refer to persons employed on seafaring ships flying the Chinese flag and persons usually residing in Chinese territory and sent by Chinese employers to work on seafaring ships flying the Finnish flag. 4. Employees on the aircraft, which refer to persons employed by a headquarter in China. 5. Personnel and civil servants of diplomatic and consular institutions. 6. Exception. The competent authorities or agencies in China and Finland may agree to make exceptions to Articles 6 to 9 of the Agreement for specific persons or groups of people, provided that such persons or such persons are subject to the laws and regulations of either China or Finland.
Q:	Who can be exempted from paying relevant social insurance premiums in China?
A:	The conditions applicable to Finland who are exempted from paying social insurance premiums in China are the same as those applicable of Chinese working in Finland.
Q:	How long could the exemption period last for dispatched personnel and self-employed people from paying social insurance premiums?
A:	The maximum period for dispatched personnel and self-employed people to be exempted from payment of social insurance for the first time is 5 years. If the dispatch period exceeds 5 years, it may be extended if agreed by the competent authorities or agencies in China and Finland.
Q:	What materials need to be provided to apply for exemption from paying relevant social insurance premiums?
A:	Applicants need to submit the Insurance Certificate to apply for exemption from paying corresponding social insurance premiums.
Q:	Can Finnish personnel apply for exemption from paying relevant social insurance premiums in China if they cannot provide Insurance Certificate?
A:	No. For Finnish personnel who cannot submit the Insurance Certificate in China, the local social insurance agencies should urge them to participate in China’s social insurance according to relevant regulations.
Q:	Apart from the staff basic pension insurance and unemployment insurance, can other social insurances be exempted from payment for Finnish personnel working in China?
A:	No. In addition to the staff basic pension insurance and unemployment insurance as stipulated in the Agreement, Finnish personnel in China should participate in other types of social insurance in China in accordance with relevant regulations.