Moving to Finland

Thinking about moving to Finland, or already here and lost in the acronyms? This hub takes you from residence permit to health station in the right order, with the 2026 tax rates, Finland's emergency numbers and an address book of every agency you will meet living in Finland as a foreigner.

Finland rewrote the rules for settling here just before you arrived. Since 8 January 2026 a permanent residence permit normally takes six years of residence, two years of work and Finnish or Swedish at level B1 (Act 1408/2025), where four years used to be enough; citizenship has required eight years of residence since 1 October 2024, and applications made from March 2027 will need a citizenship test. From 1 May 2026 Kela's basic unemployment benefits were replaced by a general social security benefit of €37.21 a day, and from 1 October 2026 a reformed Residential Leases Act shortens landlords' notice periods. If you are moving to Finland, or already living in Finland as a foreigner, this hub is the map through all of that.

The guide is for everyone who is moving to Finland – the EU citizen who registers with Migri (the Finnish Immigration Service; Migrationsverket in Swedish), the specialist on a two-week fast track, the student, the family member and the returning Finn. Use it in two moves: choose your profile below to see which permit and registration route applies to you, then read the 15 guides in the series, which take each step in depth, from the henkilötunnus (personal identity code) to tax, housing, work, schools and citizenship. Everything here was checked against the Finnish agencies' own pages on 24 September 2026, and wherever a municipality or a hyvinvointialue (wellbeing services county) decides rather than the state, we say so.

Comparing countries or new to Europe? Moving to Europe lists every country guide and explains the rules that apply across Europe – Schengen, EES, ETIAS, the EU Blue Card and free movement.

Who are you? Choose your guide

Choose what fits you best and get your own step-by-step path, the rules that apply to you and which guides to read.

EU/EEA or Swiss citizen

You need no residence permit, but if you stay longer than three months you must register your right of residence with Migri (Finnish Immigration Service; in Swedish Migrationsverket) within three months of arrival – €53, never renewed. The changes since 2024 lie elsewhere: citizenship needs 8 years' residence (5 with B1 Finnish or Swedish), and since 1 May 2026 Kela's unemployment benefit is the general social security benefit, €37.21 a day.

Step	What to do
Register your right of residence	Apply only once you are in Finland, yourself, in Enter Finland or on paper, within three months of arrival; €53 online or paper. Registration on work or studies is possible only after they have started. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Prove your identity at a service point	Book a Migri appointment and bring your passport or ID card and original documents; the certificate can be issued at the visit. Documents not in Finnish, Swedish or English need an authorised translation. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Get your henkilötunnus and kotikunta	Request a henkilötunnus (personal identity code) with DVV's online form and visit within 1 month; free, 2–3 weeks. A kotikunta (municipality of residence) comes only after Migri's positive decision. – Where: DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency; Myndigheten för digitalisering och befolkningsdata)
Get a tax card before your first pay	Without a verokortti (tax card) your employer withholds 60 % of your pay. Municipal tax is set by each municipality: Helsinki and Espoo 5.30 %, Vantaa 6.40 %, Tampere 7.60 %, Turku 7.10 %, Oulu 8.10 % in 2026. – Where: Vero (Tax Administration)
Tell Kela you have moved	Notify Kela (Social Insurance Institution) in OmaKela or on form Y 77e once you have a personal identity code and a bank account. Work gives cover from day one if you earn at least €800.02 a month. – Where: Kela (Social Insurance Institution)
Open a bank account	Bring a passport or official ID card (a driving licence is not accepted). Every bank must offer a basic payment account to anyone legally resident in the EEA and answer within ten banking days; ask for online banking codes. – Where: Your bank (rules supervised by the Financial Supervisory Authority)
If you lose your job, register at once	Register as a jobseeker in Job Market Finland's e-services no later than your first day of unemployment – benefit runs only from that date. Since 1 January 2025 employment services are run by municipalities. – Where: Your municipality's employment services
Use public health care	With a kotikunta you use the terveysasema (health station) of your hyvinvointialue (wellbeing services county): national maximum €30.20 per doctor's visit in 2026, Helsinki charges €0. Working but no kotikunta: ask Kela for the right to medical care. – Where: Your hyvinvointialue (wellbeing services county)

Rules that apply to you
Registration is a national rule and is valid until further notice; after 5 years' continuous legal residence you have permanent residence – the certificate is voluntary and costs €53.
Job-seeking alone is not a ground for registration and normally gives no Finnish unemployment benefit; you can export your home-country benefit with form U2.
A non-EU family member applies for a residence card of a family member of an EU citizen (€53, as a rule for 5 years).
Time under EU registration counts towards citizenship: 8 years since 1 October 2024, or 5 years with satisfactory (B1) Finnish or Swedish; applications from March 2027 also need the citizenship test (ages 18–64).
Since 1 May 2026 Kela pays the general social security benefit (€37.21 a day) instead of basic unemployment allowance; it needs permanent residence and registration as a jobseeker.

Source: Migri, DVV, Kela, Vero, Financial Supervisory Authority, Job Market Finland, read 24 September 2026

From Sweden, Norway, Denmark or Iceland

No residence permit and no Migri registration: under the Nordic population registration treaty you register in person at DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency; Myndigheten för digitalisering och befolkningsdata) within one month of moving, and you may work, study or run a business like a Finn. What has changed is citizenship: by declaration after 5 years, or by application after 2 years under the rules tightened in 2024 and 2025.

Step	What to do
Decide whether you need to register	Staying at most six months: no notification. Staying longer: register at a DVV service location. Fill in the Registration Information of a Foreigner form in advance and bring a passport or ID card showing your nationality. – Where: DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency)
Visit DVV in person – children too	The Nordic treaty requires a personal visit; DVV cannot make exceptions or register children on your behalf. Give your Nordic personal number so your data transfers electronically and your old register is told you moved. – Where: DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency)
Get henkilötunnus and kotikunta	You get a henkilötunnus (personal identity code) when registered. Nordic citizenship is itself a ground for a kotikunta (municipality of residence) if you intend to stay at least one year; under a year, register a temporary address. – Where: DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency)
Get a tax card	Everyone working needs a verokortti (tax card); construction and shipbuilding also need a tax number. Municipal tax is decided by each municipality: Helsinki 5.30 %, Vantaa 6.40 %, Tampere 7.60 %, Turku 7.10 %, Oulu 8.10 % in 2026. – Where: Vero (Tax Administration)
Register with Kela	Citizenship does not affect Kela (Social Insurance Institution) rights. Get a personal identity code and a Finnish bank account first, then notify your move in OmaKela or on form Y 77e. Nordic pensioners need no S1 but must apply for medical care. – Where: Kela (Social Insurance Institution)
Know where to go when ill	With a kotikunta you use the terveysasema (health station) of your hyvinvointialue (wellbeing services county): the national maximum for a doctor's visit is €30.20 in 2026, but counties may charge less – Helsinki charges €0. – Where: Your hyvinvointialue (wellbeing services county)
If you become unemployed	Register as a jobseeker in Job Market Finland's e-services, or at your municipal employment office, no later than your first day of unemployment – benefit is paid only from the registration date. – Where: Your municipality's employment services

Rules that apply to you
The one-month in-person rule is national and comes from the Nordic treaty; DVV cannot waive it, not even for Finnish citizens returning from another Nordic country.
A family member who is not a Nordic citizen may need a residence permit or an EU family member's registration from Migri (Finnish Immigration Service; Migrationsverket).
Citizenship by declaration: after 5 years with a registered kotikunta and no prison sentence in those years – €260 online, €280 on paper, no language test; Migri's published processing time is 7 months in most cases.
Or apply after only 2 years' residence – then every other requirement applies, including satisfactory (B1) Finnish or Swedish and, for applications from March 2027, the citizenship test for ages 18–64.
When you later leave for another Nordic country, notify both DVV and the register authority of the country you move to.

Source: DVV, Migri, InfoFinland, Kela, Vero, Job Market Finland, read 24 September 2026

From the UK

Since Brexit you are a third-country national: moving here for the first time you need a residence permit from Migri (Finnish Immigration Service; Migrationsverket) for any stay over 90 days, applied for abroad before you move. The Brexit permit is only for people who lived in Finland before 1 January 2021 – the window closed on 30 September 2021, though late applications are still accepted with an explanation.

Step	What to do
Pick the right permit before you move	Employed person: gross pay of at least €1,600 a month in 2026, €750 online. Specialist or EU Blue Card: at least €3,937 a month, €530, decision in two weeks via the fast track. Students: €800 a month in funds. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Here before 2021? Keep the Brexit card valid	Brexit permits are valid until further notice, but the card must be renewed every 5 years (€53) and you must be in Finland to apply. Late renewal does not end your right to work but may be fined. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Register with DVV	If no henkilötunnus (personal identity code) came with your permit card, request one with DVV's online form and visit within 1 month. A kotikunta (municipality of residence) needs an A or P permit, or a B permit of at least a year plus e.g. a two-year job. – Where: DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency)
Tax card and social insurance	Get a verokortti (tax card); with a UK A1 certificate no Finnish social insurance contributions are withheld. Municipal tax 2026, set by each municipality: Helsinki 5.30 %, Vantaa 6.40 %, Tampere 7.60 %, Turku 7.10 %, Oulu 8.10 %. – Where: Vero (Tax Administration)
Sort out health care	UK workers are treated like EU workers: public health care while insured in Finland; without a kotikunta apply to Kela (Social Insurance Institution) for the right to medical care. UK pensioners need no S1 but must apply too. Students bring a GHIC or EHIC. – Where: Kela (Social Insurance Institution)
Exchange your driving licence in time	A UK licence is valid for two years after you move permanently; exchange it at an Ajovarma service point before then – a medical certificate is needed and the exchange takes about 3–4 months. – Where: Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency)
Keep the long term in view	A Brexit permit counts towards permanent residence under the rules since 8 January 2026 (6 years plus 2 years' work plus B1, or 4 years with €40,000 income) and towards citizenship (8 years since 1 October 2024). – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)

Rules that apply to you
The Brexit permit is valid only in Finland: you may travel in Schengen for 90 days in any 180, but you have no EU-law right to live or work in another member state.
Family of a Brexit-permit holder may still join if the family existed before 1 January 2021 – apply within 3 months of arrival; a child born after 31 December 2020 within 3 months of birth or move.
Brexit-permit-card holders are exempt from the €100 higher-education application fee that non-EU applicants pay since 2025.
After 5 years' continuous legal residence you can apply for permanent residence under the Withdrawal Agreement; the EU Entry/Exit System has recorded non-EU short-stay border crossings since 12 October 2025.
Non-EU buyers of real estate (a house with land, not housing-company shares) need a Ministry of Defence permit – €210 online, €280 by invoice – even with a permanent permit.

Source: Migri, DVV, Kela, Vero, Traficom, Ministry of Defence, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, read 24 September 2026

Employee from outside the EU

You need a residence permit for an employed person (TTOL) from Migri (Finnish Immigration Service; Migrationsverket) before you start: gross pay of at least €1,600 a month in 2026, €750 online (€950 on paper), applied for abroad. Since 11 June 2025 (Act 255/2025) the permit is not lost the day your job ends – you have a three-month protection period to find new work, and your employer must notify Migri within 14 days.

Step	What to do
Check the pay rule	Gross salary of at least €1,600 a month in 2026: several part-time jobs count, zero-hours contracts do not, supplements are excluded and at most 50 % may be fringe benefits. Migri checks at extension that you were actually paid it. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Apply in Enter Finland from abroad	Fill in and pay (€750 online, €950 paper); your employer adds the terms of employment in Enter Finland for Employers; then prove your identity at a Finnish mission. Positive first decisions took 17 days on average in July 2026. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Consider the D visa	If your employer holds employer certification you can add a long-term D visa (€95 online, €120 paper) and travel as soon as the permit is granted; the card is collected in Finland within about 2 weeks. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Register with DVV after arrival	If no henkilötunnus (personal identity code) came with your card, request one online and visit within 1 month (free). A kotikunta (municipality of residence) needs an A permit, or a B permit of at least one year plus e.g. a two-year job. – Where: DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency)
Get a tax card	Get a verokortti (tax card) before your first pay – without it 60 % is withheld. State tax 2026 starts at 12.64 %; municipal tax is set locally: Helsinki 5.30 %, Vantaa 6.40 %, Tampere 7.60 %, Turku 7.10 %, Oulu 8.10 %. – Where: Vero (Tax Administration)
Notify Kela	Earning at least €800.02 a month gives you Kela (Social Insurance Institution) cover from the first day of work, whatever your country of origin; notify in OmaKela or on form Y 77e once you have a personal identity code and a bank account. – Where: Kela (Social Insurance Institution)
Know your rights at work	No statutory minimum wage – pay follows the sectoral TES (collective agreement), which binds even non-organised employers when universally binding. From 1 June 2026 a first fixed-term contract needs no justification but lasts at most one year. – Where: Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Extend before expiry	Apply for an extended permit (€230 online) before the first one runs out. Permanent residence since 8 January 2026: 6 years on an A permit, 2 years' work and B1 Finnish or Swedish – or 4 years with taxable income of €40,000. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)

Rules that apply to you
The permit covers only your field of employment plus any national labour-shortage sector; a new field needs a new permit, and you may not start working before the permit is granted.
The three-month protection period since 11 June 2025 (six months after 2 years on a work permit) does not extend the permit itself – if it expires first, you must leave when it expires.
Light entrepreneurs working through invoicing services cannot get this permit.
Since 1 May 2026 Kela's general social security benefit (€37.21 a day) replaced basic unemployment allowance; earnings-related allowance needs 12 months' work in 28 months and fund membership.
Non-EU citizens register as jobseekers in person at the regional employment office – run by municipalities since 1 January 2025 – no later than the first day of unemployment.

Source: Migri, DVV, Vero, Kela, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Job Market Finland, read 24 September 2026

Specialist or EU Blue Card

With expert duties and a gross salary of at least €3,937 a month in 2026 (fringe benefits not counted) you apply to Migri (Finnish Immigration Service; Migrationsverket) for a specialist permit or an EU Blue Card – €530 online, decision in two weeks via the fast track. Two changes favour you: a six-month protection period if your job ends (since 11 June 2025) and the key-employee tax rate cut from 32 % to 25 % from 1 January 2026.

Step	What to do
Use the fast track	Apply online in Enter Finland with all attachments, pay, and prove your identity within 5 working days; your employer adds the terms of employment within 2 working days. First permits only, from abroad; family can be fast-tracked if they apply at the same time. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Add the D visa	Apply for the 100-day D visa (€95 online, €120 paper) with the permit so you can travel as soon as the decision comes; the card is collected in Finland within about 2 weeks. It does not shorten processing. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Register at DVV on the fast track	Fast-track permit holders and their families can use DVV's fast track registration – book from abroad and legalise family certificates first. You get your henkilötunnus (personal identity code) and kotikunta (municipality of residence) here. – Where: DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency)
Ask for the key-employee tax card	Cash salary of at least €5,800 a month and no Finnish tax residence in the 5 previous calendar years: request the key-employee card within 90 days of starting – a flat 25 % tax at source for up to 84 months, no deductions. – Where: Vero (Tax Administration)
Otherwise take the normal tax card	State tax 2026: 12.64 % up to €22,000, 37.5 % above €52,100; municipal tax set by each municipality (Helsinki 5.30 %, Vantaa 6.40 %, Tampere 7.60 %, Turku 7.10 %, Oulu 8.10 %); plus 8.19 % pension and unemployment contributions. – Where: Vero (Tax Administration)
Notify Kela and use public health care	Work gives Kela (Social Insurance Institution) cover from day one (pay of at least €800.02 a month); notify in OmaKela or on form Y 77e. With a kotikunta your hyvinvointialue (wellbeing services county) charges at most €30.20 per doctor's visit, Helsinki €0. – Where: Kela (Social Insurance Institution)
Plan for permanent residence	Since 8 January 2026 you can get a permanent permit after 4 years on an A permit with taxable income of at least €40,000 in the last tax assessment – no language or work-history test. Otherwise 6 years, 2 years' work and B1. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)

Rules that apply to you
Below €3,937 a month you apply for the residence permit for an employed person instead (€1,600 threshold, bound to a field of employment).
The Blue Card needs a degree of at least 3 years or 5 years' comparable experience and a job of at least 6 months; it is issued for at most 2 years and is not bound to one employer.
If your employment ends you have 6 months to find a new job (since 11 June 2025); specialists may also work up to 90 days without a permit.
Blue Card holders are exempt from the €100 higher-education application fee; asylum seekers, temporary-protection holders and researchers cannot get a Blue Card but can apply as specialists.
Regulated professions: doctors and nurses need a licence from the Finnish Supervisory Agency (which replaced Valvira on 1 January 2026); OPH recognition of a foreign degree costs €495 from 1 January 2026.

Source: Migri, DVV, Vero, Kela, Finnish National Agency for Education, Finnish Supervisory Agency, read 24 September 2026

Researcher or PhD student

You apply to Migri (Finnish Immigration Service; Migrationsverket) for a residence permit for a researcher – it covers research, licentiate and doctoral studies, costs €530 online and needs a hosting agreement plus your degree certificate. Doctoral applicants pay no €100 application fee and no tuition, and since 8 January 2026 a doctorate completed in Finland gives a permanent permit with A2 Finnish or Swedish and no residence period at all.

Step	What to do
Sign the hosting agreement	The agreement with the research organisation must state the title and purpose, dates, the legal relationship and, if employed, the working conditions. Attach it, your highest degree certificate and, if not employed, proof of income. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Check the money	Employed: at least the TES (collective agreement) salary, or €1,463 a month gross in 2026 if none applies. Own funding: net €1,210 a month in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen, €1,090 in Tampere, Turku or Oulu, €1,030 elsewhere. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Apply in Enter Finland	Fill in the application yourself (no paid consultant needed), pay €530 online or €630 on paper, and prove your identity at a Finnish mission. A first permit runs up to 2 years; a 100-day D visa (€95 online) lets you travel once granted. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Register at DVV	Request a henkilötunnus (personal identity code) online and visit within 1 month with passport, permit card and proof of work or studies; check first whether your institution booked a joint visit. Ask for a kotikunta (municipality of residence). – Where: DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency)
Tax card – and the key-employee option	Get a verokortti (tax card). Teachers and researchers at higher-education institutions can use the key-employee scheme (25 % tax at source from 1 January 2026, up to 84 months) without its €5,800 salary condition; request it within 90 days. – Where: Vero (Tax Administration)
Sort out Kela and insurance	A Finnish grant means compulsory MYEL insurance with Mela, which brings certain Kela (Social Insurance Institution) benefits; salaried researchers earning at least €800.02 a month are covered by work; otherwise Kela assesses permanent residence. – Where: Kela (Social Insurance Institution)
After the permit: stay to work	Apply within 5 years of your permit expiring for a permit to look for work or start a business: up to 2 years, unrestricted right to work, €750 online (€230 extension), funds of €800 a month. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)

Rules that apply to you
Migri decides whether you get the EU-directive permit (A permit, with intra-EU mobility) or the national one (B if under 2 years, A if 2 years or more).
Self-funded for a year or more: €14,520 in your own bank account for one year, €29,040 for a 2-year permit.
Permanent residence: a Finnish master's, licentiate, doctorate or university bachelor's plus A2 (or 15 credits) needs no residence period; a foreign master's or doctorate recognised in Finland needs 4 years plus 2 years' work, no language test.
A permit based on research completed in Finland has a 3-month protection period after your job ends if you have held it under 2 years (since 11 June 2025).
You cannot get a researcher permit while applying for asylum in Finland, if granted international protection in an EU state, or after a deportation decision; family members' permits have a statutory maximum of 3 months.

Source: Migri, DVV, Vero, Kela, Studyinfo (Finnish National Agency for Education), read 24 September 2026

Student

Your residence permit for studies from Migri (Finnish Immigration Service; Migrationsverket) is granted for the whole degree, costs €600 online (€750 paper) and lets you work an average of 30 hours a week in any field. The money side has tightened: since 2025 non-EU applicants pay a €100 application fee per starting term, and anyone starting a foreign-language bachelor's or master's on or after 1 August 2026 pays full-cost tuition (Universities Act as amended by Act 658/2024).

Step	What to do
Pay the application fee	Since 2025 applicants who are not EU/EEA/Swiss citizens pay €100 per academic start term via Studyinfo for bachelor's and master's programmes; it is not refunded. Doctoral and Erasmus Mundus applicants and Blue Card holders are exempt. – Where: Studyinfo (Finnish National Agency for Education)
Show the funds	€800 a month – €9,600 in your own bank account when you apply for studies of a year or more, plus the tuition money if unpaid – shown with a 6-month bank statement in your name. Sponsorship letters are not accepted; a first permit cannot rest on work. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Take out health insurance	Private insurance covering medical and pharmaceutical costs is required and must be valid on arrival; you do not need it with a Kela card, an EHIC or a UK GHIC. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Apply from abroad	Apply in Enter Finland, pay €600 online (€400 for a minor; €750 paper) and prove your identity at a Finnish mission. Higher-education degree students get a continuous A permit; other studies and exchange students get a temporary B permit. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Register at DVV	First ask your institution whether it booked a joint visit; otherwise request a henkilötunnus (personal identity code) online and visit within 1 month (free, 2–3 weeks). A-permit degree students can apply for a kotikunta (municipality of residence). – Where: DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency)
Health care and the student fee	Degree students use the student health service after paying Kela's fee of €70.70 for 2026 (€35.35 a term); EU/EEA, UK and Swiss students do not pay it. Students who come to Finland cannot get Kela's general housing allowance. – Where: Kela (Social Insurance Institution)
Work within the limit	An average of 30 hours a week (120 a month, 1,560 a year), full-time in holidays; internships and thesis work that belong to the degree do not count. You need a verokortti (tax card) before your first pay. – Where: Vero (Tax Administration)

Rules that apply to you
Tuition: none for programmes taught in Finnish or Swedish or for doctoral degrees; each university sets its own amount. If your first permit was for studies you keep paying even after switching to a work permit, until permanent residence.
From 1 August 2026 non-EU students in general upper secondary or vocational education also pay tuition, and it must be paid before the study permit is granted.
After graduating you can get a permit to look for work or start a business for up to 2 years (€750 online), applied for within 5 years of the study permit's expiry, with an unrestricted right to work.
A Finnish master's, licentiate, doctorate or university bachelor's gives a permanent residence permit with A2 Finnish or Swedish (or 15 credits) and no residence period, under the rules since 8 January 2026.
Distance-learning programmes do not qualify; a student's family member may apply for a family permit at the earliest 90 days before turning 21 (statutory processing maximum 90 days).

Source: Migri, Studyinfo and the Ministry of Education and Culture, DVV, Kela, Vero, read 24 September 2026

Joining a partner or family

A family-ties permit from Migri (Finnish Immigration Service; Migrationsverket) costs €750 online and is normally applied for – and awaited – abroad, unless your family member is a Finnish citizen. Two changes bite: the sponsor's net income thresholds apply as of 1 November 2024 (€1,210 a month for one adult in the Helsinki area plus €610 for a spouse), and since 16 June 2025 (Act 302/2025) both spouses must be 21.

Step	What to do
Check who counts as family	Spouse, registered partner, cohabiting partner (2 years' cohabitation or a joint child), the guardian of a minor, or an unmarried child under 18. Dating partners and other relatives count only if the sponsor is a Finn or has protection status. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Add up the income	Net income, from either spouse's work or business. Helsinki area: 1 adult €1,210, 2nd adult €610, 1st child €610, 2nd child €480, then €360 a month; Tampere, Turku, Oulu: €1,090 / €550 / €550 / €430 / €320; elsewhere €1,030 / €520 / €520 / €410 / €310. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Know the exemptions	No income requirement for spouses, minor children and guardians of Finnish citizens, or for families of people granted asylum, subsidiary or temporary protection. Child benefit and housing allowance reduce the amount needed; social assistance does not count. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Apply in Enter Finland and wait abroad	Each adult applies in person; prove your identity at a Finnish mission and wait for the decision abroad. Family members of a Finnish citizen, and children born in Finland, may apply while in Finland. €750 online, €800 paper. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Use the fast track or D visa if you can	If your spouse applies as a specialist, Blue Card, ICT, manager or start-up entrepreneur, apply within two days of them with the fast-track ID for a decision in two weeks; spouses and children under 18 can also get a D visa alongside. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Register at DVV	Request a henkilötunnus (personal identity code) online and visit within 1 month; a family member who already has a kotikunta (municipality of residence) is itself a ground for yours. Family ties are registered only against original, legalised certificates. – Where: DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency)
Kela and the children	Your Kela (Social Insurance Institution) rights follow whether the sponsor counts as permanently resident. Child benefit 2026: €94.88 a month for the first child, up to €192.69 for the fifth, €26 extra under 3, €73.30 for a single parent – apply for it. – Where: Kela (Social Insurance Institution)

Rules that apply to you
Family of an EU citizen: an EU-citizen family member applies for EU registration (€53); a non-EU family member gets a residence card (€53, 5 years). For a Finn's family this works only if the Finn lived at least 3 months in another EU state.
Family-ties permits have a backlog: Migri cites the statutory maximum of 9 months (3 months for students' and researchers' family members, 2 months for Blue Card families).
A family-ties permit carries an unrestricted right to work in any field.
Since 16 June 2025 a sponsor with international protection must have lived in Finland 2 years before family can apply; the 21-year rule does not apply when the sponsor is a Finnish citizen or the couple has a child.
Since 8 January 2026 a child under 18 gets a permanent permit without a residence period if a parent holds a permanent permit, a P-EU permit or Finnish citizenship.

Source: Migri, DVV, Kela, read 24 September 2026

International or temporary protection

Asylum can only be applied for in person inside Finland, and since the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum applied on 12 June 2026 the deadlines are strict: register with the police or border authorities within 5 days and lodge the application with Migri (Finnish Immigration Service; Migrationsverket) within 21 days. Temporary protection for people fleeing Ukraine has been extended to 4 March 2028; current permits run to 4 March 2027 and Migri will extend them without a new card application.

Step	What to do
Make the application in person	Apply at the border, the police or a Migri reception centre in Helsinki, Joutseno or Oulu – never by letter, email or at an embassy. Register within 5 days and lodge within 21 days (5 in the border procedure), or it may be deemed withdrawn. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Temporary protection: apply free at the police	People from Ukraine apply free of charge at the police or a border authority after arrival; the decision takes about 2 weeks and the card 2 weeks more, with your henkilötunnus (personal identity code) printed on it. From 5 August 2026 you must show you were authorised to leave Ukraine. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Start working	Asylum seekers may work after 3 months with a valid passport, 6 months without one, in any field. Temporary-protection holders may work in any sector immediately after applying and use municipal employment services once the permit is granted. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Get a kotikunta when you qualify	Reception services end 3 months after a permit is granted – then apply to DVV for a kotikunta (municipality of residence). Temporary-protection holders can apply online after one year counted from the application date, with a permit valid at least a year. – Where: DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency)
Move from reception allowance to Kela	Temporary-protection holders get Kela (Social Insurance Institution) benefits after working or living in Finland for a year; before that the reception centre supports you. Refugees and subsidiary-protection holders are exempt from the permit income requirement. – Where: Kela (Social Insurance Institution)
Use health care	With a kotikunta you use the terveysasema (health station) of your hyvinvointialue (wellbeing services county); pending asylum seekers get care via the reception centre. National maximum doctor's fee €30.20 in 2026, counties may charge less – Helsinki €0. – Where: Your hyvinvointialue (wellbeing services county)
Renew in time	Asylum is granted for 3 years, subsidiary protection for 1 year, both with an unrestricted right to work – apply for an extension before expiry. Without a national passport you need a refugee travel document or an alien's passport. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)

Rules that apply to you
Since 16 June 2025 a sponsor with subsidiary protection, or a refugee with a new family, must have lived in Finland 2 years with a permit before family can apply; established refugee families and temporary-protection families are exempt.
A temporary-protection permit expires automatically if you are granted another permit on or after 12 June 2026; Migri recommends applying for an extended permit if you have a job or study place.
Temporary-protection holders and people granted asylum cannot get an EU Blue Card but can apply for a specialist permit; they are exempt from the €100 application fee and from tuition.
Permanent residence since 8 January 2026: 6 years on an A permit, 2 years' work and B1 Finnish or Swedish; no passport is needed with international protection, but a prison sentence resets the residence period.
After a legally valid negative decision reception services continue for at most 60 days; subsequent applicants get them for at most 14 days after the right of residence ends.

Source: Migri, DVV, Kela, InfoFinland, Studyinfo, read 24 September 2026

Returning Finn or of Finnish descent

As a Finnish citizen you need no permit – you report the move as permanent to DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency; Myndigheten för digitalisering och befolkningsdata) and your kotikunta (municipality of residence) follows. Former Finns and descendants get a remigration permit from Migri (Finnish Immigration Service; Migrationsverket) with no income requirement, but since 8 January 2026 every path to a permanent permit carries integration requirements.

Step	What to do
Finnish citizen: notify DVV	Staying at least a year: report the move as permanent in the DVV–Posti online service (online banking codes or mobile certificate) or on paper – not by phone. Coming from another Nordic country you must book and visit DVV in person within one month. – Where: DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency)
Descendant or former Finn: remigration permit	You qualify if you were a Finnish citizen, or a parent or grandparent is or was a Finnish citizen by birth. No proof of means, unrestricted right to work and study. The descendant permit is a paper application costing €800; Migri says apply abroad. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Get registered	A residence permit brings automatic registration and a henkilötunnus (personal identity code); then register your address at DVV. Finnish descent together with a B permit of at least one year is a ground for a kotikunta. – Where: DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency)
Tell Kela you are back	If you had Kela (Social Insurance Institution) benefits before, you usually qualify again from your return: notify in OmaKela or on form Y 77e, including children under 18; your partner notifies separately. You need a Finnish bank account – no cash. – Where: Kela (Social Insurance Institution)
Get a tax card	Tax cards 2026 started on 1 January and rest on your latest finalised assessment; request a new verokortti (tax card) in MyTax any time. Municipal tax is set locally: Helsinki 5.30 %, Vantaa 6.40 %, Tampere 7.60 %, Turku 7.10 %, Oulu 8.10 %. – Where: Vero (Tax Administration)
Regain citizenship	Former Finnish citizens regain citizenship by declaration (€260 online, €280 on paper, child €230) unless they lost it on an authority's initiative; minor children can be included. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Dual citizens: watch the age of 22	You may lose Finnish citizenship at 22 without a sufficient connection – e.g. 7 years' residence in Finland or the Nordics before 22, a passport applied for at 18–21, or a free retention notification made at 18–21. – Where: DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency)

Rules that apply to you
Former Finns, descendants and their family members are exempt from the residence-permit income requirement.
InfoFinland notes the remigration permit can also be applied for at a Migri service point in Finland; Migri's own page says to apply at a Finnish mission and wait abroad.
Finnish origin is an accepted ground for the permanent permit, but from 8 January 2026 every path carries integration requirements (e.g. 6 years, 2 years' work and B1 Finnish or Swedish).
A Finnish pensioner moving back notifies both Kela and the authorities of the former country; Kela decides case by case whether the move is permanent.
Health care with a kotikunta: the national maximum doctor's fee is €30.20 in 2026 and your hyvinvointialue (wellbeing services county) may charge less – Helsinki charges €0.

Source: DVV, Migri, Kela, Vero, InfoFinland, read 24 September 2026

Entrepreneur or start-up

Non-EU founders choose between the start-up permit (a positive Eligibility Statement from Business Finland, €650 online, fast-track decision in two weeks) and the entrepreneur permit (a registered Finnish business you work in, €750 online, assessed first by the Economic Development Centre). Both count towards permanent residence, and since 8 January 2026 the €40,000-income path gets you there after 4 years – otherwise 6 years, 2 years' work and B1.

Step	What to do
Start-up: get the Eligibility Statement	Apply to Business Finland in Enter Finland (one statement per team, valid 4 months). If it is negative, apply for the entrepreneur permit instead. The first start-up permit runs 2 years; €650 online, €800 paper, extension €230. – Where: Business Finland and Migri (Finnish Immigration Service; Migrationsverket)
Show the start-up funds	Net €1,210 a month in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen, €1,090 in Tampere, Turku or Oulu, €1,030 elsewhere, in your own account for at least one year (two years for a 2-year permit); extensions up to 4 years on proven income. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Entrepreneur permit: register the business	You need a Business ID and a Trade Register entry, at least 30 % of a limited company and work in it in Finland; freelancers and light entrepreneurs cannot use it. €750 online, €900 paper. A private trader can apply abroad without a Business ID. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Use the fast track and D visa	Start-up entrepreneurs get a decision in two weeks if identity is proved within 5 working days, and can add a D visa (€95 online). After arrival, fast-track holders and families use DVV's fast track registration for the henkilötunnus (personal identity code). – Where: DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency)
EU citizens: notify and register	Start with a single Y form to the Trade Register and Vero (Tax Administration), then register your right of residence as self-employed with Migri (€53) if staying over three months – with a trade register extract, YEL certificate and 3 months' bank statements. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Sort out YEL and Kela	Self-employed people take YEL pension insurance, which also gives Kela (Social Insurance Institution) cover. In 2026 the self-employed daily allowance contribution is 1.11 % (0.23 % below €17,255 a year); capital income is taxed at 30 %, 34 % above €30,000. – Where: Kela (Social Insurance Institution)
Keep the citizenship rules in mind	For citizenship (8 years' residence since 1 October 2024) sufficient means now means no unemployment benefit or social assistance for more than 3 months in the past 2 years, and you state your income sources for those years. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)

Rules that apply to you
Owning a company is not enough – you must work in it in Finland; light entrepreneurs working through invoicing services get neither the entrepreneur nor the employed-person permit.
Your place of residence affects the income requirement for the start-up permit and for a permanent permit based on business activities.
The first entrepreneur or start-up permit must be applied for abroad; the D visa lets you travel as soon as it is granted.
As an employer: no statutory minimum wage – you apply the sectoral TES (collective agreement) if it is universally binding; from 1 June 2026 a first fixed-term contract needs no justification (max one year).
VAT is 25.5 % (reduced rate 13.5 % from 2026); union fees are no longer deductible in 2026.

Source: Migri, Business Finland, DVV, Vero, Kela, InfoFinland, read 24 September 2026

Moving without work

Finland has no retirement permit. EU/EEA and Swiss citizens register with Migri (Finnish Immigration Service; Migrationsverket) on the basis of sufficient financial resources – no fixed amount. Non-EU citizens apply on other grounds with a paper application (€800) and must show net funds of €1,210 / €1,090 / €1,030 a month by municipality in their own bank account; tourism is not a valid reason. Since 8 January 2026 people aged 65 or over skip the language test for the permanent permit.

Step	What to do
EU/EEA/Swiss: register on sufficient resources	Within three months of arrival apply for EU registration (€53) with evidence of pensions or rental income, property, bank statements or a sponsor's written commitment; social assistance may not be your principal means of support. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Non-EU: apply on other grounds	Paper application in person at a Finnish mission or Migri service point, with fingerprints; wait for the decision abroad. €800 (child €430), extension €430. You need 12 months' funds for a one-year permit; the right to work is restricted. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)
Health care: file the S1	EU/EEA/Swiss pensioners request an S1 from the country paying the pension and file it with Kela (Social Insurance Institution) when applying for the right to medical care; you then pay only client fees. Nordic and UK pensioners need no S1 but must still apply. – Where: Kela (Social Insurance Institution)
Register at DVV	Request a henkilötunnus (personal identity code) online and visit within 1 month; 3–4 weeks for non-work cases. A kotikunta (municipality of residence) needs an intention to stay at least one year and, for EU citizens, Migri's decision; otherwise a temporary address. – Where: DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency)
Understand the client fees	Fees are national maxima under the Client Charges Act; your hyvinvointialue (wellbeing services county) may charge less. Doctor's visit max €30.20 in 2026 (Helsinki €0), emergency €41.40, hospital day €71.50, annual ceiling €815. – Where: Your hyvinvointialue (wellbeing services county)
Tax on your pension	As a resident taxpayer you pay Finnish tax on worldwide income, subject to tax treaties. Vero's 2026 Helsinki example: 12.0 % on €20,000, 19.0 % on €30,000, 24.5 % on €40,000; pensions also carry a 1.49 % health care contribution. – Where: Vero (Tax Administration)
Plan the long term	Permanent permit after 6 years on an A permit and 2 years' work completed before retiring on old-age pension; over-65s skip the language test. Citizenship after 8 years, €550 online; Migri's published processing time is 33 months in most cases. – Where: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)

Rules that apply to you
Kela decides permanent residence case by case (length of stay, family ties, permanent home); Kela pensions need 3 years' residence after age 16 – EU/EEA/Swiss/UK periods count after one year in Finland.
Non-EU pensioners without a kotikunta are entitled only to emergency care and may be billed afterwards; counties must reduce fees that would endanger your means of support.
General housing allowance is not paid for owner-occupied homes since 1 January 2025, and income and assets reduce the pensioners' housing allowance more since then.
Non-EU/EEA buyers of real estate need a Ministry of Defence permit (€210 online, €280 by invoice); none for housing-company shares. Transfer tax is 1.5 % on shares, 3 % on real estate – no first-time-buyer exemption since 1 January 2024.
Over-65s can request an exception to the citizenship language requirement, need not document income sources and are outside the citizenship test that applies from March 2027.

Source: Migri, Kela, DVV, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Vero, Ministry of Defence, read 24 September 2026

The 15 guides

Move

1. Part 1Moving to Finland
2. Part 2Migri residence permits in 2026
3. Part 3Henkilötunnus and DVV registration
4. Part 6Working in Finland
5. Part 7Tax card, tax scale and municipal tax

Live

1. Part 4Bank account in Finland
2. Part 5Renting a home in Finland
3. Part 8Wellbeing services county, Kela card and client fees
4. Part 10School in Finland
5. Part 11Learning Finnish or Swedish
6. Part 12Driving licence in Finland
7. Part 13Electricity contract, broadband and the Yle tax

Settle

1. Part 9Kela benefits in Finland
2. Part 14Public holidays in Finland 2026, emergency numbers, cash, shop hours and alcohol rules
3. Part 15Permanent residence permit in Finland after 8 January 2026

Finland in numbers

Official statistics, fetched from the source. Each figure shows where it comes from and which period it covers.

Figure	Latest	Source and period
Population	5.64 million	Eurostat · 1 January 2025
Economy (GDP)	€282 billion	Eurostat · 2025
GDP per person	$56,149	World Bank · 2025
GDP growth	+1.4%	Eurostat, compared with a year earlier · Q2 2026
GDP growth, full year	0.2%	World Bank · 2025
Unemployment	9.9%	Eurostat, seasonally adjusted · August 2026
Employment rate	75.6%	Eurostat, age 20–64 · Q2 2026
Inflation	2.4%	Eurostat, EU-harmonised (HICP) · August 2026
Central bank rate	2.50%	European Central Bank deposit facility rate · 23 September 2026
Median income	€29,740 a year	Disposable, per adult equivalent · Eurostat · 2025
Price level	127	EU = 100 · Eurostat · 2024
Born abroad	10.0%	Eurostat · 1 January 2025

Source: Eurostat, World Bank and European Central Bank, read 24 September 2026, 23:35 Stockholm time.

Pros
The lowest inflation of the four new countries: 2.4% in August 2026, against 3.2% in the EU (HICP, Eurostat).
Incomes above the EU average: median disposable income €29,740, against €22,939 in the EU (Eurostat, 2025).
Few people burdened by housing costs: 4.7% spend more than 40% of their income on housing, against 7.7% in the EU (Eurostat, 2025).
A short usual working week for full-time employees: 38.4 hours, against 39.5 in the EU (Eurostat, 2025).

Cons
The highest unemployment of the four new countries: 9.9% in August 2026, against 6.1% in the EU (Eurostat).
Slow growth: 0.2% in 2025 (World Bank) and +1.4% in Q2 2026 compared with a year earlier (Eurostat).
Expensive: consumer prices 27% above the EU average, housing and energy 29% above, eating out 27% above (Eurostat, 2024).
An employment rate slightly below the EU average: 75.6% of 20–64-year-olds, against 76.4% (Eurostat, Q2 2026).

Your first steps in Finland, in order

Almost everything in Finland hangs on two registrations: your right to stay, which Migri records, and your entry in the Population Information System, which DVV (the Digital and Population Data Services Agency; Myndigheten för digitalisering och befolkningsdata in Swedish) keeps. The personal identity code and the kotikunta (municipality of residence) that DVV gives you unlock the tax card, the bank, Kela and your health station, so the order below is built around getting them early. The times are the agencies' own published figures.

Step	What	Where	Typical time
1	Settle your right to stay before you travel. EU, EEA, Nordic and Swiss citizens need no permit; everyone else applies for a residence permit from abroad in the Enter Finland e-service and proves identity at a Finnish mission	Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)	Employed person: 1 month in most cases (average 17 days to a positive decision in July 2026). Specialist or EU Blue Card on the fast track: two weeks. Students: 82 per cent decided within 30 days
2	EU citizens: register your right of residence within three months of arrival (€53). Nordic citizens skip Migri and register in person at DVV within a month of moving	Migri service point, booked online; in Helsinki also at International House Helsinki	2 months in most cases; the registration certificate can be issued at the visit if your papers are complete
3	Get your henkilötunnus (personal identity code) and register your address. A residence permit brings the code automatically; otherwise fill in DVV's online form and visit in person within a month, children included	DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency)	2–3 weeks for work or study cases, 3–4 weeks otherwise, counted from the visit; free of charge
4	Apply for kotikunta (municipality of residence) with DVV's online form. It is the key to municipal services, public healthcare, an ID card and benefits, and it requires an intention to stay at least a year plus a permit, an EU registration or Nordic citizenship	DVV	See the agency's website
5	Get your verokortti (tax card) and, if you work on a building site or at a shipyard, a tax number. Without a tax card your employer withholds 60 per cent of your pay	Vero (Tax Administration): MyTax, the tax-card phone line or a service point	Tax card or tax number usually 1–3 business days
6	Open a bank account with your passport or foreigner's identity card and ask for online banking codes; they are the everyday e-identification for almost every public e-service	Any bank. A basic payment account is a legal right for anyone legally resident in the EEA	The bank must accept or reject a basic payment account within ten banking days
7	Tell Kela (Social Insurance Institution) that you have moved and apply for a Kela card and any benefits. You need a personal identity code and a bank account first; Kela pays nothing in cash	Kela: OmaKela (Finnish and Swedish only) or form Y 77e by post	See the agency's website
8	If you are looking for work, register as a jobseeker with your municipality's employment services; benefits are paid only from the registration date	Job Market Finland e-service (EU/EEA citizens with bank codes) or your municipal employment office in person (everyone else)	Register no later than your first day of unemployment
9	Apply for a foreigner's identity card once you have a kotikunta and a valid permit or registration: €53 online, €59 at a station	The Police: online service or any police station (in Helsinki, the Helsinki Police Department at Pasilanraitio 11)	See the agency's website
10	Find your terveysasema (health station). It is assigned by your home address by the hyvinvointialue (wellbeing services county), or by the City of Helsinki, which runs its own services	Your county's website or phone service; Medical Helpline 116 117 for urgent advice	Health stations are usually open Mon–Fri 8–16
11	Exchange your driving licence. EU/EEA licences stay valid; a licence from a Geneva or Vienna Convention state must be exchanged within two years of moving	Ajovarma service point (Traficom's contractor), by appointment	EU/EEA licence: the Finnish card arrives by post in about two weeks. Convention licence: about 3–4 months
12	Start Finnish or Swedish. Ask your municipality for an assessment of your integration needs (open to you in your first three years) and an integration plan; courses written into the plan are free	Your municipality's employment or integration services; adult education centres	Courses usually start in August or September and in January and fill up, so register early

Tax at a glance for 2026

Income tax on pay has three layers: a progressive state tax set by Parliament, a flat municipal tax set by each municipality, and church tax for members of a parish. On top come the social insurance contributions withheld from your pay. The figures below are for tax year 2026 and come from the Income Tax Scale Act 1140/2025 and the Tax Administration's 2026 tables; your exact rate depends on income, home municipality, church membership and deductions, and it is printed on the verokortti (tax card) that your employer applies.

Tax or contribution	2026 rate or threshold	Who sets it
State income tax on earned income	12.64 % up to €22,000; 19 % on €22,000–32,600; 30.25 % on €32,600–40,100; 33.25 % on €40,100–52,100; 37.5 % above €52,100	Parliament (Act 1140/2025), national
Municipal income tax	Helsinki 5.30 %, Espoo 5.30 %, Vantaa 6.40 %, Tampere 7.60 %, Turku 7.10 %, Oulu 8.10 %; national average 7.60 %	Each municipality
Church tax (members only)	Evangelical Lutheran: 1.00 % in Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa, 1.25 % in Tampere, 1.20 % in Turku, 1.30 % in Oulu	Each parish
Employee's pension contribution (TyEL)	7.30 % of pay, all ages	National
Employee's unemployment insurance contribution	0.89 %	National
Health insurance contributions	Health care contribution 1.10 % of wages; daily allowance contribution 0.88 % if annual income is €17,255 or more (0 % below)	National
Public broadcasting tax (Yle tax)	2.5 % of income above €15,150, at most €160 a year	National
Capital income (rent, dividends, capital gains)	30 % up to €30,000, 34 % above	National
Key-employee tax at source (special expertise, cash salary of at least €5,800 a month, not tax-resident in Finland in the five calendar years before)	25 % flat since 1 January 2026 (32 % until the end of 2025), for at most the first 84 months; request the card within 90 days of starting	National
Non-residents working here for at most six months	35 % final tax at source, with a deduction of €510 a month on a tax-at-source card	National
What it adds up to: the Tax Administration's example for a Helsinki church member	8.5 % on €30,000; 14.0 % on €40,000; 19.0 % on €50,000; 25.0 % on €70,000, plus 8.19 % pension and unemployment contributions	Example only
Deductions that changed in 2026	Trade union membership fees are no longer deductible (unemployment fund fees still are); commuting costs are deductible up to €7,000 above a €900 threshold	National
VAT	Standard rate 25.5 %; reduced rate 13.5 % on food, restaurant services, medicines, passenger transport and hotels	National
No tax card shown to the employer	Withholding of 60 % of the salary	National

A Relocate in Europe salary calculator for Finland is coming; until then, MyTax gives you the exact rate for your own municipality and income.

Emergency and health numbers

Public healthcare is organised by 21 hyvinvointialue (wellbeing services counties) and by the City of Helsinki, which runs its own, and your right to use it rests on having a kotikunta, not on the Kela card. Client fees are national maximums that each county may undercut: in 2026 a health-centre doctor's visit costs at most €30.20 (Helsinki charges €0), an emergency visit at most €41.40 and a hospital day at most €71.50, and the annual payment ceiling is €815. A bill proposing higher fees from 1 March 2027 (HE 185/2026) is only a proposal. These are the Finland emergency numbers and health lines to save in your phone.

Number	For what
112	The only emergency number: ambulance, fire and urgent police help. Free from any phone, no area code, works with a foreign SIM and is the same in every EU country. Operators answer in Finnish, Swedish and English and use a telephone interpreter for other languages. The free 112 Suomi app sends your location automatically; people with impaired hearing or speech can text 112 (registration required). Misuse is a punishable offence
116 117	Medical Helpline (Päivystysapu): free advice on acute health problems, around the clock everywhere except Åland, organised by your wellbeing services county. Call it before you go to an emergency clinic; a foreign mobile plan may charge for the call
+358 9 471 977	Poison Information Centre, 24 hours
116 000	Missing Children Hotline (non-urgent)
+358 9 2355 0545	The Emergency Response Centre's number for satellite phones
+358 20 634 2650	Kela: health and pensions, including the Kela card and the European Health Insurance Card, weekdays 9–16
+358 295 419 800	Police helpline for appointments (identity cards and other permits), Mon–Fri 8.00–16.15; not for emergencies
Your health station's own number	Non-urgent care: each terveysasema has its own number, listed on your wellbeing services county's website; the county numbers for Espoo, Tampere, Turku and Oulu and the Helsinki phone service are in the address book below

The address book

Local names first, then the English name. Phone numbers are given with the country code +358; from inside Finland, replace +358 with 0. Websites are named rather than linked, so search for the organisation's name. Opening hours are the ones published on 24 September 2026, and several service points close on Thursdays or at lunchtime, so check before you travel.

Residence and identity

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Maahanmuuttovirasto (Migrationsverket) – Finnish Immigration Service, Migri	Residence permits, EU registration, permanent residence, citizenship; e-service Enter Finland	Studies and work +358 295 790 602; family +358 295 790 603; citizenship and permanent permits +358 295 790 604; EU citizens and Brexit +358 295 790 600; Enter Finland technical help +358 295 790 606. Mon–Wed and Fri 8.30–11.30 and 12.30–15.30, Thu 10.30–11.30 and 12.30–15.30	Finnish Immigration Service; Enter Finland	Service points have no phone: book online. Helsinki: Kaupparaitti 10 (Malmi), Mon–Wed and Fri 8–16.15, Thu 10.30–16.15. Tampere: Tekniikankatu 1, 2nd floor. Turku region: Nallinkatu 8, Raisio. Oulu: Albertinkatu 4 B. Tampere, Raisio and Oulu are closed on Thursdays; all are closed on 7–8 October 2026. EU registrations are also handled at International House Helsinki
Digi- ja väestötietovirasto (Myndigheten för digitalisering och befolkningsdata) – Digital and Population Data Services Agency, DVV	Personal identity code, registration of a foreigner, kotikunta, notifications of move, name matters, certificate of residence information (€25)	Registration of a foreigner and international matters +358 295 536 320; moving +358 295 539 225; certificates +358 295 536 230; all Mon–Fri 9–15	Digital and Population Data Services Agency (online forms and appointment booking)	Helsinki: Ratapihantie 7, floor K1, Suomi-piste, Pasila; by appointment or without one Mon–Fri 9.00–16.15, queue tickets from 8.00. The Espoo office has closed. Tampere: Hatanpään valtatie 36, appointments Tue–Fri 9–16, walk-in Tue–Thu 9–12. Turku: Kulttuurikuja 1, appointments Mon–Fri 9–16, walk-in Tue and Thu–Fri 9–12. Oulu: Viestikatu 1, appointments Tue–Wed and Fri 9–16, walk-in Tue–Wed 9–12. An unused appointment costs €50
Poliisi – the Police	Foreigner's identity card (€59, or €53 online) once you have a kotikunta and a valid permit or registration; the chip carries a citizen certificate for e-services. Valid at most five years; not a travel document	Appointments +358 295 419 800, Mon–Fri 8.00–16.15	Police online service (log in with bank codes, mobile ID or ID card)	Any police station without an appointment, but waits can be long, especially in summer; newcomers in Helsinki go to the Helsinki Police Department, Pasilanraitio 11 (Pasila)
International House Helsinki (IHH) – City of Helsinki with Migri, DVV, the Tax Administration, Kela, the Finnish Centre for Pensions, SAK and Work in Finland	One stop in Helsinki for EU registration, personal identity code and kotikunta, tax card, jobseeker registration and Kela's remote service	See the agency's website	International House Helsinki	Ratapihantie 7, 00520 Helsinki (Pasila), shared with the Suomi-piste service point; Mon–Fri 9.00–16.00, desk services mainly by appointment. Moved here on 1 June 2026. Identity cards are not handled here

Money, work and social insurance

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Verohallinto (Skatteförvaltningen) – Finnish Tax Administration, Vero	Tax card and tax number, personal identity code for tax purposes only, the pre-completed tax return in MyTax, car tax on an imported car, transfer tax on a home	Tax cards +358 29 497 050, Mon–Fri 9–12 (the only line that issues tax cards); appointments for a personal identity code +358 29 497 010; English service on other lines weekdays 9–16, in July 9–15	Finnish Tax Administration; e-service MyTax	Only registering as a foreign employee (identity code and tax card) needs a visit, and appointments are booked by phone only. Helsinki: Ratapihantie 7, Suomi-piste, Mon–Fri 9–16. Tampere: Hatanpään valtatie 36, Mon 13–16, Tue 10–16, Wed–Fri 13–16. Turku: Kulttuurikuja 1, Mon 10–16, Tue–Fri 13–16. Oulu: Uusikatu 52, Mon–Tue 13–16, Wed 10–16, Thu–Fri 13–16
Kansaneläkelaitos (Folkpensionsanstalten) – Social Insurance Institution of Finland, Kela	Social security coverage, Kela card, European Health Insurance Card, child benefit, parental allowance, housing allowance, the general social security benefit, national and guarantee pensions	Families, students, unemployment and housing +358 20 634 2550 (weekdays 9–16); health and pensions +358 20 634 2650 (weekdays 9–16); international situations and moving to Finland +358 20 634 0200 (weekdays 10–15; in Swedish +358 20 634 0300); pensions +358 20 692 202	Social Insurance Institution of Finland; e-service OmaKela (Finnish and Swedish only)	You cannot phone a service point or book online; appointments are made through the numbers. Service points, municipal joint service points and video service points are found with the search on Kela's website, and a Kela desk is part of International House Helsinki. Bring your passport or driving licence. Centre for International Affairs: PO Box 78, 00381 Helsinki
Työmarkkinatori – Job Market Finland (KEHA Centre)	The national e-service for vacancies and for registering as a jobseeker with your municipality's employment services; since 1 January 2025 the 45 municipal employment areas, not the state TE Offices, run these services	Unemployment security advice +358 295 020 701 (Mon–Fri 9–15, English selectable); e-services advice +358 295 025 505 (Mon–Fri 9–15)	Job Market Finland	No offices of its own: the municipal employment offices for Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Tampere, Turku and Oulu are listed under Cities below, and other areas on its regional pages
Eläketurvakeskus – Finnish Centre for Pensions, with the pension providers	Earnings-related pension: you accrue 1.5 per cent of gross annual earnings a year from age 17 to 69, exactly like a Finn, and the pension is paid to any country when you retire; the retirement age depends on your year of birth (65 for those born 1962–1964)	See the agency's website	Työeläke, the joint service of the Finnish Centre for Pensions and the pension providers, with a retirement-age calculator	Part of the International House Helsinki network
FINE – Finnish Financial Ombudsman Bureau	Free advice on banking and insurance questions in Finnish, Swedish and English	+358 9 6850 120, Mon–Thu 10–15	FINE	Advice by phone
Finanssivalvonta – Financial Supervisory Authority (FIN-FSA)	Your right to a basic payment account with a debit card and online banking codes if you live legally in the EEA; a refusal must be given in writing with the reason and how to appeal; the mortgage cap of 90 per cent of the collateral value (95 per cent for a first home)	See the agency's website	Financial Supervisory Authority	Supervisory authority, no customer offices
SAK – Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions, employee rights advisory service	Free advice on pay and working conditions for workers of foreign background, no union membership needed, in Finnish and English; the guide Fair Play at Work in 25 languages. Remember that pay in Finland is set by the TES (collective agreement) of your sector, not by a statutory minimum wage	+358 800 41 4004	SAK	Part of the International House Helsinki network

Health and safety

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Hätäkeskuslaitos – Emergency Response Centre Agency	The 112 emergency number, the 112 Suomi app and the emergency SMS service for people with impaired hearing or speech	112 (emergencies only)	Emergency Response Centre Agency	No visits
Päivystysapu 116 117 – Medical Helpline	Advice on acute health problems around the clock, organised by your wellbeing services county; regional instructions by choosing your municipality on the site	116 117	Medical Helpline 116117	By phone only
Helsingin kaupunki – City of Helsinki, health stations	Helsinki organises its own health and social services rather than a county. A health-station appointment costs €0; each station has its own number; the Omaolo symptom checker is open around the clock	Phone service Mon–Thu 8.00–16.00, Fri 8.00–15.00, with callback; switchboard +358 9 310 5015 for calls via an interpreter for hearing- or speech-impaired people	City of Helsinki, health stations	Your health station is assigned by home address
Länsi-Uudenmaan hyvinvointialue – Wellbeing Services County of Western Uusimaa (Espoo)	Espoo's health centres, for example Iso Omena Health Centre for Matinkylä and Olari and Espoonlahti Health Centre, assigned by home address; the digital clinic Lunna is open 8.00–20.00 and non-urgent messages are answered within three working days	Appointment booking +358 9 296 83401; evenings and weekends 116 117	Wellbeing Services County of Western Uusimaa	Your health centre by address; call the booking number if you are unsure which it is
Pirkanmaan hyvinvointialue, Pirha – Wellbeing Services County of Pirkanmaa (Tampere)	Health and social services centres in Tampere and the region	Hatanpää centre, care-needs assessment +358 3 311 68210; Hervanta centre +358 3 311 68220; both Mon–Thu 8–16, Fri 8–15; urgent care in the evening and at weekends via 116 117	Wellbeing Services County of Pirkanmaa	Hatanpää: Hatanpäänkatu 24, 33900 Tampere. Hervanta: Insinöörinkatu 38, 33720 Tampere
Varsinais-Suomen hyvinvointialue, Varha – Wellbeing Services County of Southwest Finland (Turku)	45 health stations in the region, for example Kirkkotie Health Station in Turku; adult mental health and substance abuse assessment +358 2 313 4242	Kirkkotie, assessment of the need for treatment +358 2 266 1130, Mon–Fri 8.00–16.00; outside opening hours 116 117	Wellbeing Services County of Southwest Finland	Kirkkotie 13, 20540 Turku
Pohjois-Pohjanmaan hyvinvointialue, Pohde – Wellbeing Services County of North Ostrobothnia (Oulu)	Over 40 health centres in the county, for example Kontinkangas social and health centre in Oulu	Customer service and guidance, English available, +358 8 669 9600; switchboard +358 8 669 9500; Kontinkangas +358 8 669 2036, Mon–Thu 8–16, Fri 8–15; outside hours 116 117	Wellbeing Services County of North Ostrobothnia	Kontinkangas: Kajaanintie 46 A, 90220 Oulu
Lupa- ja valvontavirasto – Finnish Supervisory Agency (took over Valvira's tasks on 1 January 2026)	Licences and protected titles for doctors, nurses and other health and social care professionals trained abroad; the JulkiTerhikki register look-up	Professional rights +358 295 256 932, Mon–Fri 9–15 (contact primarily by e-mail); switchboard +358 295 254 000, Mon–Fri 8–16.15	Finnish Supervisory Agency	Headquartered in Tampere, with 18 offices
Kanta-palvelut – Kanta Services (Kela)	MyKanta: your care entries and laboratory results, prescription renewals, living will and consents; needs a personal identity code and strong identification	See the agency's website	MyKanta	Online and in the MyKanta app
Myrkytystietokeskus – Poison Information Centre	Advice on poisonings, 24 hours	+358 9 471 977	Poison Information Centre	By phone only
Global Clinic	Free counselling for undocumented people, who are entitled to necessary care in public healthcare but usually pay the costs themselves	+358 44 744 9932, Mon–Fri 9–15	Global Clinic	Helsinki and Turku

Moving goods, cars and pets

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Tulli – Finnish Customs	Removal goods: from another EU country no declaration; from outside the EU a declaration, duty- and VAT-free only if you lived outside the EU for at least 12 months, owned and used the goods for at least 6 months and bring them within 12 months of the move. A car from outside the EU is cleared on arrival, and pets from outside the EU are checked on the red channel	Customs Information Service +358 295 5201	Finnish Customs	Customs offices at the border crossings, ports and Helsinki Airport
Traficom – Finnish Transport and Communications Agency	Driving licences and exchange of foreign licences, vehicle registration and the annual vehicle tax; fees from 1 January 2026 include €110 for the category B driving test and €46 for the theory test	Driving-licence customer service +358 29 534 5115; appointment booking weekdays 7.30–15.00, advice 8.00–12.00, in Finnish, Swedish and English	Finnish Transport and Communications Agency; My e-Services	Licence applications and driving tests are handled at Ajovarma service points
Ajovarma (part of A-Katsastus) – Traficom's licence service provider	Exchange of a foreign driving licence, licence applications and driving tests	Nationwide customer service and booking +358 29 534 5115	Ajovarma	Most service points are inside A-Katsastus inspection stations; book online with strong identification, and customers with an appointment are served first
Ruokavirasto – Finnish Food Authority	Rules for bringing dogs, cats and ferrets: microchip, rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel, EU pet passport and, for dogs, tapeworm treatment 1–5 days before entry; stricter rules, including a health certificate, from outside the EU	See the agency's website	Finnish Food Authority	No customer offices for pet questions
Puolustusministeriö – Ministry of Defence	Permit for non-EU/EEA nationals buying real estate (land with a house) anywhere in mainland Finland, even with a permanent residence permit; not needed for shares in a housing company. €210 per property identifier online (€280 if invoiced), charged even if refused; apply at the latest two months after the transaction	+358 295 140 090, weekdays 9–15	Ministry of Defence; Property surveillance e-service	Online service only
Energiavirasto – Energy Authority	Choosing an electricity supplier: sign the contract at the latest two weeks before you want it to start; the Authority's comparison service lists every offer for your postcode, and the contract is then signed with the supplier	See the agency's website	Energy Authority	Online service only

Education and qualifications

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Opetushallitus (Utbildningsstyrelsen) – Finnish National Agency for Education, OPH	Recognition of foreign qualifications and degrees: €495 for applications received from 1 January 2026 (processing fee €100 plus decision fee €395), €100 for a final decision after an adaptation period, on average 3–4 months. Also the YKI language test (basic level €165, intermediate €190, advanced €216) and the Studyinfo application portal	Switchboard +358 29 533 1000	Finnish National Agency for Education; Studyinfo	Hakaniemenranta 6, 00530 Helsinki, reception Mon–Fri 8.00–16.15; recognition questions primarily by e-mail
Lupa- ja valvontavirasto – Finnish Supervisory Agency	The right to practise as a doctor, nurse, psychologist, physiotherapist or other health or social care professional; the route differs for training in Finland, in the EU/EEA and outside it, and applying other than online costs 20 per cent more	+358 295 256 932, Mon–Fri 9–15	Finnish Supervisory Agency	Apply online
Kunnan työllisyys- ja kotoutumispalvelut – your municipality's employment and integration services	Assessment of your skills and integration needs, and an integration plan, within three years of your first permit; integration training in Finnish or Swedish is free when it is written into the plan	The Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Tampere, Turku and Oulu numbers are under Cities below	Your city's website; the national integration site is run by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment	Your municipal employment office
Helsingin kaupunki, kasvatuksen ja koulutuksen toimiala – City of Helsinki Education Division	Daycare places (apply at least four months ahead; processing up to 4 months), the automatic place at the local school, preparatory education for newly arrived pupils, English-language and bilingual classes	Advisory service +358 9 310 44986, Mon–Fri 10–12 and 13–15	City of Helsinki, education	Työpajankatu 8, Helsinki; an interpreter is free of charge in dealings with the school
Helsingin työväenopisto – Helsinki Finnish Adult Education Centre	Finnish courses priced by teaching hours, with a 50 per cent discount for unemployed jobseekers, students and parents on home care allowance (minimum fee €16); the free KOTIVA courses with free childcare for stay-at-home parents of children aged 10 months to 3 years	Student guidance +358 9 310 88644	Helsinki Finnish Adult Education Centre	Courses across the city; the autumn term runs to 11 December 2026
Korkeakoulut – universities and universities of applied sciences	Degrees in English carry full-cost tuition for non-EU/EEA students who start from 1 August 2026, and a €100 application fee per term since 2025; degrees taught in Finnish or Swedish and doctoral studies are free. SIMHE guidance services at the institutions advise immigrants with foreign higher education	See the agency's website	Each institution; Studyinfo for applications	Each campus

Cities

Agency	What you use it for	Phone	Website	Visit / service office
Helsingin kaupunki – City of Helsinki	The Welcome to Helsinki page with three newcomer checklists, the Helsinki-info advisory service in many languages, International House Helsinki, the city's Employment Services and a rental housing advisory service	Employment Services +358 9 310 36107, Mon–Fri 9.00–15.00; rental housing advisory +358 9 310 13030 (Mon, Thu and Fri 12–15; Tue and Wed 8.30–12)	City of Helsinki; International House Helsinki	International House Helsinki, Ratapihantie 7, Pasila, Mon–Fri 9–16, where jobseekers are registered without an appointment. Employment offices with walk-in service: Kamppi, Malminkatu 34, and Itäkeskus, Asiakkaankatu 3A; Viipurinkatu 2 by appointment. Housing advisory: Työpajankatu 8
HSL – Helsinki Region Transport (Helsingin seudun liikenne)	Tickets and season tickets for Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa in the HSL app; the P and I trains to Helsinki Airport	Customer service +358 9 4766 4000; Mon, Tue, Thu and Fri 9.00–17.00, Wed 10.30–17.00, closed at weekends	HSL	Sales and service points are listed on the HSL website
Espoon kaupunki – City of Espoo	The Hello Espoo newcomer guide and the Hello Espoo event for newcomers on 24 October 2026; Employment Services for residents of Espoo and Kauniainen	Employment Services +358 9 8169 4000	City of Espoo	Piispanportti 10 A, 02200 Espoo (walk-in Mon and Fri 9–15 from 1 September 2026); Sello, Leppävaarankatu 3-9, 2nd floor (walk-in every weekday 9–15); Information Point at Iso Omena, Suomenlahdentie 1, 3rd floor, Wednesdays 9–12 and 13–16. DVV's Espoo office has closed, so use Helsinki
Vantaan kaupunki – City of Vantaa	Employment and International Customers Services, a multilingual advisory service and integration services for people outside the labour force	Advice on job seeking in Finnish, Swedish and English +358 9 8395 0120, Mon–Thu 9.00–15.30, Fri 10.00–15.30; integration services +358 9 839 50920, Mon–Fri 10–14; Vantaa-info switchboard +358 9 839 11	City of Vantaa	Vernissakatu 1, 1st floor, 01300 Vantaa (Tikkurila), Mon–Thu 9–15, Fri 10–15, in new premises since 31 August 2026; multilingual advisory service Mon and Wed 9–15, Fri 10–15
Tampereen kaupunki – City of Tampere	The Relocation guide to Tampere; International House Tampere with free walk-in guidance in several languages; the Tampere Region Employment Area, which serves Tampere and 15 surrounding municipalities	International House Tampere in English +358 40 800 4952 (calls answered Mon–Fri 9–16 when possible), Easy Finnish line +358 40 554 9498; jobseekers in Tampere +358 40 801 6581, Mon–Fri 9.00–15.00; jobseekers in the other municipalities of the area +358 40 581 2210	City of Tampere; International House Tampere	International House Tampere: Rautatienkatu 10, 1st floor, 33100 Tampere; English without appointment Mon 9.00–12.00 and 13.00–16.00, Tue 9.00–12.00, by appointment Wed 13.00–16.00. Employment main office: Pellavatehtaankatu 25, Mon–Fri 9.00–16.00
Turun kaupunki – City of Turku	The Information for a Newcomer in Turku pages with a Newcomer's Guide, multilingual advice, the Soft Landing Service and housing counselling for non-Finnish speakers; the Turku Employment Region	Personal customers +358 2 262 3880, Mon and Wed–Fri 9.00–15.30, Tue 9.00–13.30	City of Turku	Monitori, Aurakatu 8, 20100 Turku: walk-in Mon–Wed 9.00–15.30, Thu 9.00–13.30, Fri 9.00–15.30, with free digital guidance in Finnish and English. Sampotalo, Yliopistonkatu 27a, by appointment Mon–Fri 9–16. Ohjaamo youth guidance centre, Vanha Suurtori 7. Note that Migri's nearest service point is in Raisio
Oulun kaupunki – City of Oulu, with BusinessOulu	International House Oulu for questions on work, business, studies and everyday life; the Villa Victor multicultural centre with free Finnish teaching; employment services for Oulu and ten surrounding municipalities run by BusinessOulu	BusinessAsema service desk +358 8 558 55810	City of Oulu; BusinessOulu	BusinessAsema, Uusikatu 52, Oulu, service desk weekdays 9–16; register as a jobseeker in Job Market Finland (e-service in Finnish and Swedish only) or in person here

The biggest cities

Finland has 5.6 million residents, 1.4 million of them in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, according to InfoFinland; Statistics Finland's preliminary count was 5,659,324 at the end of August 2026. The population figures below are Statistics Finland's preliminary figures for the end of August 2026, followed by the final figure for 31 December 2025, and the ticket prices are the operators' adult prices published on 24 September 2026.

Helsinki

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
701,700 (preliminary, end of August 2026, Statistics Finland); 694,392 at 31 December 2025, of whom 21.2 per cent speak a foreign language	HSL (Helsinki Region Transport): adult 30-day season ticket €73.90 for zones AB and €110.40 for ABC, auto-renewing saver subscription AB €61.90 in the app, single ticket AB €3.30 in the app; price list valid from 2 June 2026	University of Helsinki, Finland's largest and oldest (since 1640), a community of 40,000 students and employees; Aalto University is in neighbouring Espoo	Helsinki Airport in Vantaa, 20 km from the city centre: about 30 minutes by HSL trains P and I, about 40 minutes by trunk bus 600	The Welcome to Helsinki page with checklists for Nordic, EU/EEA and non-EU citizens; Helsinki-info; International House Helsinki at Ratapihantie 7

Where to live is partly a question of which building site you like. Kalasatama, the new waterfront district in the eastern inner city, is being built until the end of the 2030s for about 30,000 residents, with eight high-rises of 20–37 floors at the Redi shopping centre. Jätkäsaari, on the south-western tip, is getting homes for 21,000 residents by the end of the 2020s, with a fifth of the area as parks and trams to the centre. Pasila, where International House, DVV and the tax office now sit, is being redeveloped so that jobs double to about 50,000 and the population nearly triples to 30,000 by 2040. Kruunuvuorenranta in Laajasalo, a former oil harbour, is planned for about 13,000 residents by the early 2040s, 15 minutes from the centre by tram once the Crown Bridges line opens, and Vuosaari in the east has the population of a medium-sized Finnish city, a metro station and the Uutela recreation area of over 100 hectares.

Espoo

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
328,898 (preliminary, end of August 2026, Statistics Finland); 325,716 at 31 December 2025, of whom 25.9 per cent speak a foreign language	HSL, with the same tickets and zones as Helsinki: adult 30-day season ticket AB €73.90, ABC €110.40	Aalto University, campus in Otaniemi: 16,000 students, 5,200 employees and six schools	Helsinki Airport in Vantaa, 20 km from Helsinki city centre	The Hello Espoo – Welcome to Espoo guide and the Hello Espoo event on 24 October 2026; Employment Services at Piispanportti and Sello; the Information Point at Iso Omena

Espoo calls itself Finland's second-largest city with five urban centres rather than one downtown. Leppävaara is the largest and busiest, built around its railway station, Sello Hall and the Sello library. Tapiola is the garden city, with the WeeGee exhibition centre and the Espoo Cultural Centre. Matinkylä has the Iso Omena shopping centre with the city's service centre and library, and Espoonlahti is the seaside district in the south-west with the Lippulaiva library. The city's own website has district pages for these four.

Tampere

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
265,609 (preliminary, end of August 2026, Statistics Finland); 263,337 at 31 December 2025, of whom 12.0 per cent speak a foreign language; the city region has around 500,000 residents	Nysse (Tampere Regional Transport): buses, trams and trains in three zones, tickets for at least two adjacent zones; adult 30-day season ticket AB €65.00, ABC €84.00; single ticket AB €2.50 with a travel card	Tampere University and Tampere University of Applied Sciences, together the Tampere Universities community of more than 35,000 students	Tampere-Pirkkala Airport, about 17 km from the city centre; a Finnair connection to Helsinki Airport from October 2026	The Relocation guide to Tampere; International House Tampere at Rautatienkatu 10

Hiedanranta is the one to watch: a new lakeside western city centre for about 20,000 residents, Finland's first environmentally certified district, whose first residents moved in in August 2026, 12 minutes from the centre by tram. Hervanta, the suburb at the other end of the tram line, has the Hervanta Market and the Duo shopping centre at Insinöörinkatu 38, the health and social services centre at the same address and Migri's service point nearby at Tekniikankatu 1. Tammela, by the centre, is home to Tammelantori, the market with the widest variety of goods in the city and a lunch spot all year round, and is part of the city's Five-star city centre programme.

Turku

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
212,324 (preliminary, end of August 2026, Statistics Finland); 209,633 at 31 December 2025, of whom 17.9 per cent speak a foreign language	Föli (Turku region public transport): adult 30-day season ticket €57.00; single ticket €3.15, valid two hours on buses and water buses	University of Turku, an academic community of 25,000 students and staff, and Åbo Akademi University, the Swedish-language university of Finland	Turku Airport, about 8 km from the city centre; a Finnair link to Helsinki Airport from October 2026	The Information for a Newcomer in Turku pages; Monitori at Aurakatu 8; the Soft Landing Service

Turku has more than 200,000 inhabitants in nine major areas divided into 87 districts: the City Centre (Districts I–IX, Kupittaa, Ruissalo and the Harbour), the island area Hirvensalo-Kakskerta, Skanssi-Uittamo, Varissuo-Lauste, Nummi-Halinen, Runosmäki-Raunistula, Länsikeskus, Pansio-Jyrkkälä and Maaria-Paattinen, which includes the airport. Students should note that DVV Turku runs pop-up registration days for higher-education students instead of individual appointments; the next is Monday 28 September 2026, 9–15.

Oulu

Population	Public transport	Universities	Nearest airport	Newcomer service
218,064 (preliminary, end of August 2026, Statistics Finland); 217,469 at 31 December 2025 (the city's own site says 217,556), of whom 6.9 per cent speak a foreign language	OSL (Oulu region transport), a zoneless fixed-price system for Oulu and six neighbouring municipalities: adult 30-day season ticket €64.00; single ticket €2.90 in the app, valid 90 minutes	University of Oulu, founded in 1958, with 14,800 students in 8 faculties	Oulu Airport, the third busiest in Finland; local buses 8 and 9 run from the airport	The Immigrants and Foreign-language Speakers page; International House Oulu; Villa Victor; BusinessAsema at Uusikatu 52

Oulu is European Capital of Culture in 2026. The city groups its districts into neighbourhoods: the City Centre (Hollihaka, Intiö, Myllytulli, Raksila and Vanhatulli, among others); Hiukkavaara, with its own library, youth centre, school and the Sankivaara ski and biathlon centre; Kaakkuri, with the Kaakkuri, Metsokangas and Oulunlahti schools; Kaijonharju-Ritaharju, which includes Linnanmaa; Tuira-Toppila, with Tuira, Toppila, Hietasaari and Pikisaari; and Oulunsalo, with four schools including an upper secondary school.

Embassies in Finland

Your embassy issues passports, registers births and helps in an emergency. These are the embassies most people moving to Finland need – 43 countries. Addresses, phone numbers and e-mails were read on each embassy’s official website or the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ list of foreign missions on 24 September 2026. Most consular services are by appointment only – book before you go.

Good to know

Finland's national languages are Finnish and Swedish (section 17 of the Constitution), and under the Language Act everyone, foreign citizens included, has the right to use either with state authorities and with the authorities of bilingual municipalities. You may choose Swedish as your integration language, although most jobs require Finnish. Health services are given in Finnish and Swedish and often in English, and you can ask for an interpreter when you book; at Kela, interpretation is free if you cannot manage in Finnish, Swedish or English.

Finland uses the euro and prefers cards: it is very common to pay even small purchases by debit or credit card, and in most places you do not need cash. There is no general legal duty on shops to accept cash, only the Bank of Finland's policy position that cash must remain an accepted form of payment at least for essential everyday purchases. Phishing for online banking codes is the most common scam in the country: no bank or authority ever asks for your codes by phone or e-mail, and nobody legitimate asks to take remote control of your device.

Alcohol rules are national. Drinks over 1.2 per cent are sold only to people aged 18 and over and drinks over 22 per cent to those aged 20 and over, and shops may sell alcohol only between 9.00 and 21.00. Since 10 June 2024 grocery shops, kiosks and petrol stations may sell fermented drinks up to 8 per cent; anything stronger comes from the state monopoly Alko, which checks the ID of everyone who looks under 30. Amendments allowing home delivery are in force in stages from 3 July 2026, but deliveries themselves can start only from 3 January 2027. Tobacco and nicotine pouches are sold to those aged 18 and over. Shop opening hours have not been regulated since 1 January 2016. According to the University of Helsinki almanac, 2026 has nine public holidays on weekdays, among them Good Friday on 3 April, May Day on 1 May, Ascension Day on 14 May and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on 24 and 25 December; Midsummer Eve, 19 June, is a day off for most employees because collective agreements make it so.

Driving is simpler than in much of Europe: Finland has no road tolls, no vignettes and no emission stickers. Winter tyres are required on passenger cars from November to March if the weather demands it, and every car must have motor liability insurance, for which Finnish insurers normally want to see a Kela card. The Driving Licence Act changed on 29 May 2026, with a night-time driving ban for 17-year-olds and no need to return an expired licence, and for driving tests taken from 1 October 2026 the risk training for a first licence grows from 8 to 12 hours. In Helsinki, street parking costs €4 an hour in the centre and €2 an hour elsewhere in the inner city, charged weekdays 9.00–21.00 and Saturdays 9.00–18.00.

Finland is on Eastern European Time (GMT+2), the country code is +358, and you drop the leading zero of a domestic number when calling from abroad. Punctuality counts: for a 12 o'clock appointment you arrive a little before 12, and 12.10 is late. Shoes come off indoors, a handshake is the normal formal greeting, first names are used even with strangers and colleagues, and tipping is not expected. Because of the dark winters, vitamin D supplements are officially recommended for everyone in winter, and all year round for children and for people who spend most of their time indoors.

Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice. Numbers, prices and opening hours were checked on 24 September 2026 – check with the agency before you visit.