Living in Finland
Permits, Kela, work, a flat, the driving licence. The practical side of moving here, from people who did it, with every rule dated.
First steps after moving to Finland
Get registered with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) for a personal identity code and a municipality of residence, then a tax card from Vero, a bank account and, if you qualify, Kela cover. Almost everything else depends on that first registration. Arriving
Kela benefits in Finland: what a newcomer can claim
Kela pays Finland's residence-based benefits once it decides you live here permanently, or if you work here and earn at least €800.02 a month. The main ones are the general social security benefit for the unemployed, housing allowance, family benefits and student aid. Money and taxArriving
9 guides Moving to Finland: how immigration works
EU, EEA and Swiss citizens register their right of residence; everyone else staying more than 90 days needs a residence permit from the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri), usually applied for online and completed at a Finnish embassy before you travel.
Finland visa guide: fees, rules and permits
A Schengen visa for Finland costs EUR 90, or EUR 45 for children from six to under 12, and covers up to 90 days in any 180. Who needs one, where to apply, what to bring, and when it is a residence permit instead. First steps after moving to Finland
Get registered with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) for a personal identity code and a municipality of residence, then a tax card from Vero, a bank account and, if you qualify, Kela cover. Almost everything else depends on that first registration.
Finnish personal identity code: how to get one
How to get a Finnish personal identity code (henkilötunnus) through Migri, DVV, or Vero, how the number is built, and why you also need a municipality of residence.
Finnish ID card: who qualifies and how to apply
The Finnish police issue identity cards to citizens and permanent foreign residents. Learn the qualifying rules, electronic chip use, fees and how to apply.
Open a bank account in Finland
Learn how to open a bank account in Finland as a foreigner, how strong electronic identification works, what documents you need, and how to get police identification.
Moving notice in Finland: address, power and home
How to notify DVV and Posti of a move in Finland, sign an electricity contract, set up broadband and home insurance, and handle keys on moving day.
EU citizen registration in Finland
How to register your EU right of residence in Finland. The exact order of steps with Migri and DVV, grounds for staying, documents required, and rules for family.
Exchanging a foreign driving licence in Finland
An EU or EEA licence works until it expires; a licence from a Geneva or Vienna convention country works for two years after you move and can be swapped without a test inside that window. Documents, medical certificate, fees and how long it takes.Permits and citizenship
15 guides
Residence permit in Finland: the five main grounds
Anyone from outside the EU staying in Finland for more than 90 days needs a residence permit, granted on a specific ground: family ties, Finnish roots, work, running a business or study. Each ground has its own income rule, fee and processing time.
Finland work permit guide
To work in Finland you need a confirmed job before applying for a residence permit for an employed person. Learn the rules, salary floor, and steps.
Finland EU Blue Card and specialist permit
Compare Finland's EU Blue Card and specialist permit: the €3,937 gross salary threshold in 2026, qualifications, fast track, family rights, and EU mobility rules.
Finland job seeker visa rules and options
There is no job seeker permit for people who have not studied or researched in Finland. Those who completed a degree or research in Finland can get a permit for up to two years to look for work.
Finland startup permit and eligibility rules
Learn how to secure a Finland startup permit, from the Business Finland eligibility statement and team rules to Migri fees, income thresholds, and fast-track processing.
Finland family reunification permit rules
How family reunification works in Finland: which application to submit, the exact income thresholds by municipality, age limits, and step-by-step permit rules.
Marrying a Finnish citizen: the paperwork, in order
Before the wedding, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) must examine impediments to the marriage, which for a foreign partner means a recent marital status certificate. After it, the foreign spouse applies to Migri for a residence permit on family ties, with no income requirement.
Finland residence permit extension
Apply for an extended residence permit in Finland before your current permit expires. Learn application windows, work rights while waiting, fees, and processing times.
Finland permanent residence guide
Learn the requirements for a Finland permanent residence permit (P) and EU long-term resident permit (P-EU), including the application paths, language tests, and fees.
Lost job on a Finland residence permit: your rules
If you lose your job on a work-based residence permit in Finland, you have three or six months to find work. Here is how the protection period works, who must report it, and what happens to your right to stay.
Health insurance for Finland residence permit
Rules on private health insurance for a Finnish residence permit, minimum cover amounts of €40,000 or €120,000 for students, the €300 excess cap, and when a Kela card or EHIC exempts you.
Finnish citizenship
How to get Finnish citizenship: residence periods, language tests, means of support rules, and the coming civic-knowledge test.
Finnish passport: fees, applying and validity
Apply for a Finnish passport online or at a police station. Learn about fees, photo retrieval codes, identification visits, validity rules, and collection.
YKI test dates, levels and fees
Learn which YKI test levels and subtests Migri accepts for Finnish citizenship, how the registration rules work, the test fees, and key dates for 2026 and 2027.
Finland dual citizenship and citizenship by descent
Find out whether you are already a Finnish citizen, how to submit a citizenship declaration, and how dual nationals keep Finnish nationality at age 22.Money and tax
6 guides
Tax card in Finland
How to get and update your Finnish tax card (verokortti), choose the right forms for your length of stay, monitor your income ceiling, and avoid the 60% default withholding rate.
Finland income tax rate and deductions in 2026
Finland taxes income through a single withholding rate covering state, municipal, church, and health taxes, plus 7.30% pension and 0.89% unemployment insurance.
Finland tax return and refund guide
How the pre-completed tax return works in Finland, April deadlines, deduction rules, and when refunds or residual taxes are paid in 2026.
Average salary in Finland and median pay
Find out the median and average salary in Finland, how collective agreements set wage floors instead of a minimum wage law, and what remains after tax. Kela benefits in Finland: what a newcomer can claim
Kela pays Finland's residence-based benefits once it decides you live here permanently, or if you work here and earn at least €800.02 a month. The main ones are the general social security benefit for the unemployed, housing allowance, family benefits and student aid.
Cost of living in Finland: rent, food and a budget
Median rents by city from Statistics Finland for April–June 2026, 30-day transport passes in Helsinki, Tampere, Turku and Oulu, supermarket prices checked on 27 September 2026, what comes off a salary, and sample monthly budgets for a single person and a family, Helsinki against Oulu.Work and study
15 guides
Finding a job in Finland
Start with Job Market Finland, the public job board, and Work in Finland for international roles; since 2025 public employment services are run by municipalities. Outside the EU you need a job offer before you can apply for a work-based residence permit, and Finnish or Swedish opens most doors.
Probation period in Finland and work rules
Learn how employment contracts, probation periods, notice rules, working hours, and sick pay operate in Finland, including how wages are set without a statutory minimum wage.
Annual leave in Finland
Learn how annual leave accrues in Finland, how the holiday credit year works, when holiday pay and bonuses are paid, and the rules for summer holidays.
Public holidays in Finland 2026
The 2026 public holidays in Finland with dates, the nine weekday days off, which days are statutory and which come from collective agreements, what stays open, and holiday work rules.
Unemployment fund in Finland and allowance rules
How to join an unemployment fund in Finland, qualify for earnings-related allowance, and understand the 12-month work condition, payment cuts, and 2026 fees.
TE office Finland: registering for work
State TE offices closed on 1 January 2025. Learn how municipal employment services work in Finland, how to register on Job Market Finland, and how to keep your benefit.
Learn Finnish: courses, free integration training
Find out how Finnish language courses work in Finland. Learn who qualifies for free integration training, how to study independently on unemployment benefit, and what course levels mean.
Finnish pension for foreigners
Understand how earnings-related and national pensions work in Finland, how pension accrues, what happens when you leave, and how to claim from abroad.
Finnish business culture: what to expect
Finnish working life runs on punctuality, flat hierarchies, first names and doing what you said you would. Decisions can feel slow, but once made they stick, and plain speaking is taken as respect rather than rudeness.
Starting a business in Finland
Pick a company form, file one start-up notification at ytj.fi (from €75 for a sole trader to €400 for a limited company), register for VAT once turnover passes €20,000, and apply for any start-up grant before you start trading. Non-EU citizens need an entrepreneur's residence permit first.
Studying in Finland: applying, fees and permits
Degree places are applied for through Studyinfo, mostly in a January joint application for English-taught programmes. Students from outside the EU/EEA pay a €100 application fee and tuition fees, and need a residence permit for studies with €800 a month of funds.
Student life in Finland
University degree students belong to the student union automatically, lunch in a student restaurant costs at most €3.10 with Kela's meal subsidy, and degree students at universities and universities of applied sciences use the FSHS health service for a fee of €35.35 a term in 2026.
Student housing in Finland
Student flats in Finland are let by student housing foundations such as HOAS in the Helsinki region, not by universities themselves. Apply as soon as you accept a study place: in the big cities the wait can be weeks or months.
Working as an au pair in Finland
An au pair in Finland must be 17 to 30, a first-time au pair, and already have basic Finnish or Swedish or knowledge of Finnish culture; the family provides a room, meals, insurance and at least €340 a month in 2026, for up to 25 hours a week and one year at most.
Seasonal berry picking work in Finland
Farm and berry work in Finland needs a seasonal work visa, a seasonal work certificate or a seasonal work residence permit depending on your nationality and how long you stay, and since February 2025 foreign wild-berry pickers come as employees. Pay, hours and housing follow Finnish labour rules, with an agricultural minimum of €10.18 an hour from 1 May 2026.Health and family
7 guides
Healthcare in Finland
How healthcare in Finland works for foreigners, including the municipality of residence requirement, 116117, fees in 2026, and occupational healthcare.
Neuvola: maternity and child health clinics
Learn how Finland's maternity and child health clinics work, who can use neuvola services for free, how to book appointments, and the official check-up schedule.
Maternity leave in Finland: parental benefits
Finland replaced maternity and paternity leave with pregnancy and parental leave. Learn how Kela allowances, day quotas, and employer rules work.
Daycare in Finland: fees, rights and applying
Every child under school age in Finland has a right to daycare, but you must apply four months ahead. Learn about income-capped fees, English centres, and Kela allowances.
Kotihoidon tuki in Finland: child home care guide
Child home care allowance (kotihoidon tuki) supports families caring for a child under 3 outside municipal daycare. Learn who qualifies, payment rates, and how to apply.
The Finnish education system
Compulsory education in Finland runs from age 6 to 18: a year of pre-primary, nine years of basic education, then general or vocational upper secondary. Higher education is split between universities and universities of applied sciences.
International schools in Finland and English classes
Comprehensive education in Finland is free, with English-language schooling available in the largest cities. Getting a place depends on English tests and residence, while authorised private schools may charge fees.A home
7 guides
Finding a flat to rent in Finland
Most rented flats in Finland are found through two listing sites, private landlords and city-owned housing companies. Expect a written lease, a deposit of about two months' rent and a one-month notice period for you as tenant.
Tenant rights in Finland
Understand your tenant rights in Finland: deposit limits, return deadlines, notice periods, rent increases, moving day rules, and legal dispute options.
Buying property in Finland
In Finland a flat is usually bought as shares in a housing company, and a house or plot as real estate — two different transactions with different forms, taxes and registers. Transfer tax is 1.5% on shares and 3% on real estate, and non-EU/EEA buyers of real estate need a Ministry of Defence permit.
Getting a mortgage in Finland
A Finnish housing loan is capped at 90% of the collateral's value, or 95% for a first home. For a house the security is an electronic mortgage entry at the National Land Survey; for a flat it is a pledge of your housing company shares.
Renting out your property in Finland
Rent from a flat you own is capital income in Finland, taxed at 30% up to €30,000 and 34% above, after deductible costs. The Act on Residential Leases sets the landlord's side: deposits, notice periods and rent rises. A ground lease on land is a different thing and can be registered.
Property register and cadastre in Finland
Every piece of land in Finland is a registered property with an identifier like 740-555-2-0, kept in the National Land Survey's cadastre. When you buy part of a property, a cadastral survey called parcelling turns it into a property of its own.
