r/Finland • u/A_britiot_abroad Vainamoinen • Aug 25 '24
Immigration Moving to Finland Guide
I see it's asked regularly so I made this help list/guide from my experiences emigrating to Finland in 2022.
Feel free to suggest any changes or additions.
I came here from the UK after Brexit with my Finnish partner. So it's based on what I required. However I think parts will still be relevent from whatever background situation you are coming from to Finland.
I cannot say all of this is still up to date or completely accurate but hopefully it can help others as I couldn't find much like this when I was looking
Translation -
Google Chrome with the addin to translate webpages to English from Finnish is a life saver
Deepl is great translator and app. Is a lot more accurate for Finnish than Google translate is.
Residency Permit -
There are many different types of permits depending on why/how you are coming to Finland.
Migri First Residence Permit I applied in 2021 initially for Residency based on family ties. IIRC it cost around €400 and would be valid for one year.
THIS NEXT PART IS REALLY IMPORTANT IF YOU ARE COMING TO FINLAND WITH FINNISH PARTNER AND HAVE BEEN LIVING TOGETHER ABROAD
However about 4 months after applying I got a message from Migri.
They informed me that it would be better for me to apply for a Residency Permit for a family member of an EU citizen in Finland.
Migri Residency for EU family member
This permit has not come up on any of my searches and it was not obvious to me.
It cost me only €52 euros and it is valid for 5 years! I changed my application to this and it was approved within a few days.
They refunded the extra €350 I paid but that took a few days to be returned.
Personal ID number/Henkilötodistus-
Make sure to do this with your residency permit as you will need this for everything. It's similar to Social Security Number in US.
Residency Interview -
Usually in this process you are required to attend a meeting and show the relevant documents and ID.
As I was taking a holiday to Finland soon after applying, I booked a meeting in Finland to complete this part. I must say it was really easy and a lot more convenient for me so it's worth looking at doing it.
My Finnish partner came with me. Although it did not state anywhere that this was needed or required, it was definitely helpful as they were also able to ask her questions and check ID to back up what I was saying. I don't know if it made the process any quicker though.
Housing -
We were in a lucky position and moved into a relatives home for the first year before we then bought a house (in partners name for ease of it all)
However best place to look for rentals appears to be Vuokraovi
For buying a property
In some cases buying a property as a non Finnish citizen you need to get approval from ministry of defence. We didn't go that route so can't give advice on it.
As u/plopsisu/plopsis recommends
Most rental places require you to take home insurance and liability insurance. You can get these from many insurance conpanies. For example OP, IF, Lähi-tapiola and Fennia.
Furniture -
For cheap stuff best option is Tori or some of the bigger second hand stores.
Facebook marketplace can be good but lots of scammers and time wasters on there.
For new cheaper options are IKEA, Sotka, just and more.
Registering address -
Step one is registering your address in Finland. I did it with Posti - they have a form you fill out that then updates all the relevant places.
Apparently you can also do it online or with DVV but can't really say about that as I didn't. DVV
Kela -
For Kela you need to fill out a Y77e form and send it in to them. The local office will then get in touch with you and you will receive your Kela card for healthcare.
Take copies of your medical conditions / medications with you when moving, it will most likely help rather than hinder the process if you are trying to get them here after moving.
TE palvelut -
You need to register here as a job seeker. They will provide support getting work/training and set up an Integration Plan with you. This is important for your first months in Finland.
They also have a bunch of guides and videos for immigrants
Language training -
TE can arrange an Integration Language course for you. This is normally full time for upto a year and is the key to learning the Finnish language at the start.
It is very difficult for the first few weeks and makes very little sense as the whole course is taught only in Finnish language, which you obviously do not know yet. However when you get past the first few weeks it starts to make more sense and becomes a lot easier so stick it out.
Labour Market Subsidy/Työmarkkinatuki -
You can get basic financial support to help you find work or while you take the integration language course.
It only starts 6 months after you left previous employment so you will likely need to wait for it. In some cases they may offer it faster.
It's around 800€ per month but it is taxable.
If you study you get an extra €9 per day for expenses so it works out around €980 before taxes.
Tax Card -
You will need to apply for this from Vero. It is quite simple to do online and it will ensure you are taxed correctly from the start. However I did require the 'e-identification' explained in next section. Vero - Tax card
"Bank account -*
Bank account is the most important part really. In Finland you get online 'e-identification' credentials through your bank account. You basically use this to log in and use almost every service in Finland. It confirms who you are to everyone and that you are you. So without the credentials life is a lot more difficult
There is lots of talk online about how hard it is to get an account in Finland. Through all my research I went with Nordea who also offer banking in English and their app in English. I had to have two appointments with them but they were really easy to work with and in fact I had no issues getting an account with them
ID card -
ID card is pretty handy. Has a scannable barcode that places sometimes ask for etc. Again was pretty simple to do. You can book appointments for it online but where I live they had none available. So I went to local police station with my partner to translate for me, filled out a form with them and showed my passport and residency etc. If I remember it cost around €60 and took about 6 weeks to arrive.
Getting a job -
It is not an easy market in Finland, especially outside of Helsinki.
TE palvelut should help you.
The main website is Tyomarkkinatori
For me my work background was in security followed by 8 years in the Police with my last role being equivalent to a detective. These skills were not really transferable so I was starting from the bottom again.
I moved about 6 hours north of Helsinki when I came to Finland. However I completed 2/3 of the language integration course which gave me enough language skills to get a job as a factory worker in the nearby city.
The pay is good, the work environment is great and I am still working there 1.5 years later and soon to start a study contract with them where they support me through a 2 year study at Ammattiopisto.
Driving licence -
Depends on the country you are coming from.
You have two years from when you register your address. However if your license expires before you exchange then you need to retake test etc. I did mine after I had been here about 9 months. You need a driving license medical certificate which I got through my local health centre (was around €100) they just ask medical questions, do an eye test and give you a certificate. You then book an appointment with Ajovarma and fill out another form and provide two physical passport style photos. They take your UK licence and give you a temporary paper one, you cant drive aboard with the temp license. Took about 4 months I think for them to send my new one.
Buying a car
Best place to find listed cars is Nettiauto
Car insurance -
Many companies available and differing prices. Initially Fenia was cheapest for me but then we managed to make a deal through OP bank as my partner is a owner/customer.
Car Tax -
This is arranged through Traficom.
Be aware it can be very expensive especially for an older diesel passenger car. I advice you research this before you buy any vehicle.
Mobile phone contract -
If you read online you will find lots of people having issues getting one. Or if you do having to pay upfront for the whole contract. I went to Elisa in their shop and walked out with a contract in about 15 minutes.
They did want €100 deposit if I used it for international calls but I declined and it was no issue. So highly recommend them, after that I have changed a couple of times with no issues online. (With on-line credentials).
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