ukk-kategoria: Becoming a member

According to the Unemployment Security Act, an entrepreneur is a person who is

1. YEL- and MYEL-insured (excluding the grant recipient),
   or
2. a TyEL-insured part-owner of a business and a member of the entrepreneur’s family, if he or she
   • owns, alone or jointly with family members, at least 15% or 30% of the company in which he/she works in a managerial position (director, member of the board of directors)
   • owns, alone or jointly with family members, at least 50% of the company in which he or she works without holding a managerial position (as an employee)

In addition, the income on which the pension insurance for self-employed workers is based must be at least €15 128 per year. Simply owning a business or part of a business does not make you an entrepreneur

Please contact our customer service, if you are unsure of your status as in unemployment security.

We ask about your YEL insurance level, as you can join the Entrepreneur’s Fund if the annual income based on your pension insurance (YEL/MYEL/TyEL) is at least €15 128 in 2025.

We will determine your daily allowance based on the level of insurance you had with the Entrepreneurs’ Fund for 15 months before you became unemployed. The insurance level you choose for the fund must not exceed the annual income of your statutory pension insurance (YEL, MYEL annual income or TyEL annual salary of a co-owner/entrepreneur family member).

We do not check the level of annual income on which your YEL insurance is based, and we do not receive direct information about changes to your YEL insurance annual income from your insurance company. As a member, you are therefore responsible for ensuring that your insurance level is correct.

You can join the Entrepreneur Fund if you take out a self-employed persons’ pension insurance (YEL). Your YEL insurance must have an annual income of at least €15 481 in 2026.

You must insure yourself according to your primary job. If you are both an employee and an entrepreneur, you can choose whether you belong to the Entrepreneur Fund or an employee fund. You can join the Entrepreneur Fund if your annual pension insurance income is at least €15 481 in 2026.

You cannot belong to two different unemployment funds at the same time. On the membership application form, please authorize the new fund to send a notice of resignation to the previous fund. If you transfer from an employee fund to the Entrepreneur Fund within a month of starting your business, your unemployment security may continue uninterrupted.

To join, you must be an entrepreneur under the Unemployment Security Act and your pension insurance (YEL, MYEL or TyEL) must have an annual income of at least €15 481 in 2026.

According to the Unemployment Security Act, an entrepreneur is

1. A person liable for YEL and MYEL insurance (excluding grant recipients)

2. A TyEL-insured co-owner of a business and a member of the entrepreneur’s family, if he or she.

• owns, alone or jointly with family members, at least 15% or 30% of the company in which he/she works in a managerial position (managing director, member of the board)
• owns, alone or jointly with family members, at least 50% of the company in which he or she works without holding a managerial position (as an employee)

In addition, the income from work on which the pension insurance for self-employed persons is based must be €15 481/year. Simply owning a business or part of a business does not make you an entrepreneur.

Who is in a managerial position
A person is considered to have a managerial position in a company if he or she is the managing director or a member of the board of directors of a limited company or if he or she holds a similar position in a limited company or other company or entity.

Who is considered a family member
A family member is defined as the spouse and unmarried partner of a person working in the enterprise and a person directly related to the person working in the enterprise in the ascending or descending line (parents and children) and living in the same household as the person.

Indirect ownership
Indirect ownership through other companies and entities is also taken into account when calculating the ownership interest if the person or a member of his/her family or a person together with members of his/her family owns at least 50% of the intermediate entity or has equivalent control.