Everything in Finland connects to everything else: the bank wants your registration, Kela wants your bank, the phone company wants your Kela card. Do the steps out of order and you will wait weeks. Do them in this order and most people are fully set up in a month.
Before you land
- Documents in your hand luggage: passport, residence permit card or decision, employment contract or admission letter, rental agreement if you have one, marriage and birth certificates for family members (legalised or apostilled, with a translation into Finnish, Swedish or English).
- Connectivity: an eSIM activated before landing, or plan to buy a prepaid SIM at the R-kioski in the arrivals hall. See phone and internet.
- Somewhere to sleep for the first weeks: furnished short-term apartments are the usual bridge. See temporary housing.
- Money: a card that works abroad without fees. Your Finnish account will take a week or two.
Days 1 to 3: the personal identity code
The henkilötunnus (personal identity code) is the key to everything. How you get it depends on your status:
| You are | What to do |
|---|---|
| Non-EU citizen with a residence permit | The code is usually printed on your permit decision. Go to DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency) to register your address and municipality of residence (kotikunta). |
| EU or EEA citizen | First register your right of residence with Migri (EU-kansalaisen oleskeluoikeuden rekisteröinti), then go to DVV to get the code and register your address. |
| Nordic citizen | Go to DVV directly with your ID. |
At DVV you also decide on the muuttoilmoitus (notification of move), which you must file within a week of every move in Finland, online at Posti or DVV.
Bring: passport, permit or registration certificate, rental agreement or landlord's confirmation, and family documents. The appointment is free.
Week 1: bank, Kela, tax card
1. Bank account (pankkitili). Book an appointment with a bank; Nordea, OP, Danske and S-Pankki all serve newcomers in English. Bring your passport, permit, DVV registration and proof of income or study. Ask for online banking credentials (pankkitunnukset). These are your strong authentication (vahva tunnistautuminen) for Kela, Vero, Suomi.fi and every other service, so this step unlocks the rest. Compare accounts in cost of living.
2. Kela. Apply for social security coverage and the Kela card (Kela-kortti) online at kela.fi once you have credentials, or on paper at a Kela office. Coverage depends on your permit and work; workers usually qualify from the first day of employment. The Kela card gets you the subsidised price at the pharmacy and public healthcare fees.
3. Tax card (verokortti). Order it at vero.fi with your credentials, or visit a tax office with your passport and employment contract. Give it to your employer before the first payday. Without it the withholding rate is 60 percent, refunded only the following year. See work and tax.
4. Suomi.fi. Log in once with your bank credentials and turn on Suomi.fi messages. Official letters from Kela, Vero, Migri and your municipality then arrive digitally instead of by post to an address you may have left.
Week 2: home
5. Electricity (sähkösopimus). In most rentals you sign your own contract. Choose a supplier online, give your address and the move-in date, done in ten minutes. Compare in electricity; a spot-price contract is usually cheapest.
6. Home insurance (kotivakuutus). Landlords expect it and many leases require it. A basic policy costs a few euros a month. See insurance.
7. Internet. Many buildings have a taloyhtiön laajakaista (housing company broadband) included in the rent or available for a few euros. Ask the landlord before ordering anything. See phone and internet.
8. Phone contract. Once you have a henkilötunnus you can move from prepaid to a monthly plan, which is cheaper for data. Compare in cost of living.
Weeks 2 to 4: services
9. Health centre (terveysasema). You are assigned to the health centre of your area. Save its number and the national 116 117 medical helpline. Emergencies: 112. See healthcare.
10. Transport. Register your HSL card or app in the capital region, or the local equivalent (Nysse in Tampere, Föli in Turku, Waltti elsewhere). Monthly tickets are far cheaper than single fares. See transport.
11. Job seekers and integration training. If you are not employed, register with the employment services (työllisyyspalvelut) in your municipality. The integration plan (kotoutumissuunnitelma) can include free full-time Finnish courses. See courses in Finland.
12. Children. Apply for daycare (varhaiskasvatus) through your municipality; there is a waiting period. School-age children are enrolled in the local school, with preparatory education (valmistava opetus) for newcomers. See family and education.
13. Library card. Free, at any library, with your ID and address. It gives you books, e-books, language courses, a place to study and free sewing machines. Truly.
14. Driving licence. A licence from many countries can be exchanged without a test within a set period after you register your residence. Check the deadline for your country early. See transport and driving.
15. Recycling and waste. Your building has separate bins for bio, cardboard, paper, plastic, glass, metal and mixed waste. Sorting is expected, and bottle deposits (pantti) come back at any supermarket.
The ten words of your first month
| Finnish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| henkilötunnus | personal identity code |
| oleskelulupa | residence permit |
| kotikunta | municipality of residence |
| muuttoilmoitus | notification of move |
| pankkitunnukset | online banking credentials |
| vahva tunnistautuminen | strong authentication |
| verokortti | tax card |
| Kela-kortti | Kela card |
| sähkösopimus | electricity contract |
| kotivakuutus | home insurance |
Each one links to its word page with pronunciation. Say them out loud; you will hear them at every counter.