THE WHAT, HOW AND WHY OF RELOCATING TO FINLAND
Setting up a life in a new country is a lot of work and full of details. You need to know what to do, when and how to do it, and also preferably, why you should be doing all of it.
International Fox Agency can help with all these questions. To start, do read our description of the overall process of moving to Finland. And if you have any further questions, join our webinar later this year (see below for more information).
The Relocation Process in a nutshell
The Finnish system includes many interconnected points and taking care of everything in the right order is important. It will ensure that you have met the legal requirements concerning coming to, residing and working in Finland, and make organizing your life much easier. It is good to know that most registrations and applications are free of charge, except for immigration documents and private services, such as using a bank account.
The first steps, preparation, immigration and local registration, are of utmost importance. The other steps are much easier to take care of once these are in order. So even if you do nothing else, make sure you
1. get your immigration documents ready early enough
2. visit the Finnish Immigration Service and/or
3. visit the magistrate first thing when you come to Finland.
THE PUZZLE OF RELOCATING TO FINLAND
You need to take care of several things from translating documents to finding a home when you move to another country. Usually the process has many steps and the different points in the process can affect others. Relocating is a puzzle and with our help you can easily connect the pieces.
PREPARATION PHASE
What? Before your move, prepare your official documents. You need to make sure you have
- original versions of birth, marriage and other significant certificates
- translations of the above, if they are not in Finnish, Swedish or English
- legalisations of the above, if they have not been issued in Finland
- for more information see https://www.maistraatti.fi/en/
List of required documents (coming soon)
Also, consider contacting moving services for any furniture or personal items, check import regulations for cars or pets, and take care of your insurances.
Health issues: It is advisable to get a health check before coming to Finland, especially if you come from areas with infectious diseases. Finland is a risk-free area in that you do not need any vaccinations against diseases in Finland. Unfortunately, there is no vaccination against mosquitoes, rainy summers or the cold and dark winter nights. We will provide tips on surviving those in a later blog post.
Why? Making sure your documentation is in order will help you take care of all the official things related to immigration, local registration, taxation, renting apartment and much more. If the documentation is lacking, you will have difficulties and experience delays with many things throughout your settling-in phase.
How? You need to:
- contact the official who issued your certificates and ask for legalization of the documents
- contact an official translator who can translate the documents into Finnish, Swedish or English
- if the translations are done by an authorized translator in Finland, the translation does not have to be legalized
- contact your doctor to get a health check if you come from an area with infectious diseases
IMMIGRATION
What? Your first priority is to ensure legal entry into Finland. Depending on your nationality and length of stay in Finland, you need either a visa, a residence permit or an EU registration.
You should apply for your visa and residence permit from your home country. In some cases, you can enter the country without a visa or residence permit. For more information see www.migri.fi.
EU citizen: register at the Finnish Immigration Service, if your stay exceeds 90 days.
Non-EU citizen: Check if you can enter Finland without a visa, or if you need a visa or residence permit for a stay exceeding 90 days.
Nordic citizen: Register at the local magistrate within 1 week of arriving in Finland.
Successful application of immigration documents requires visiting the immigration officials or authorized representative in person. This includes children.
Residence permit type
If you apply for a residence permit, the permit type depends on your reason for staying in Finland. Most common reasons are family ties, work and studies. If you have a work contract, the type of residence permit depends on the type of work you do. For instance, specialists, researchers and management positions have separate residence permit applications.
Let’s assume you are an experienced ICT professional coming to work in Finland for over 3 months with a monthly gross salary exceeding 3000€. In this case you would apply for a residence permit for a specialist.
Why? You have a legal requirement to make sure your immigration documents are in order. This affects entering Finland, taking care of your local registration, and your right to work in Finland, among other things.
How? You need to
- check the Finnish Immigration Services website and/or the website of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to confirm what type of entry documents you need to enter Finland
- fill in an application for the document
- pay the document application
- present yourself at a Finnish mission or authorized visa center (if you are abroad) or the Finnish Immigration Service (if you are already in Finland)
- wait to receive the document before entering Finland
LOCAL REGISTRATION
What? In addition to getting your immigration documents in order, you should register at the local magistrate. Registration is recommendable in all cases. Nordic citizens must register their move to Finland within one week of arrival.
To register your right of residence at the magistrate, you need:
- proof of legal entry (i.e. EU registration certificate or residence permit)
- original versions of required documents
- translations of the above, if they are not in Finnish, Swedish or English
- legalisations of the above, if they have not been issued in Finland
- for more information see https://www.maistraatti.fi/en/
- work contract or other document that verifies the length of your stay in Finland
Registration at the magistrate must be taken care of in person. This includes children.
Why? Your local registration, i.e. registering your right of residence will give you access to cheaper local services, such as health care services and local public transport, as well as opening a bank account and applying for social security coverage and benefits.
How? You need to:
- visit the local magistrate office in person
- have all the required documents with you
- fill in an application and leave it with an official for processing
- in the capital area, go to International House Helsinki
International House Helsinki also gives information on taxation, social security, pension etc. For more information see the website.
NB! At the very least, take care of your legal entry into Finland and local registration!
OTHER SERVICES ETC.
In addition to the above, you should take care of the following:
- Taxation
- Social security coverage
- Insurance coverage (home, health, car insurance etc.)
- Health care
- Bank account
- Phone and internet connection
- Driving license
- Finnish ID card
- Accommodation
- Family matters
- Finnish courses
It is also advisable to familiarize yourself with Finnish culture and learn the language. Learning about the host country will help you understand local habits and culture related to everyday life, and will make your experience more enjoyable. It will also make it easier to make friends and join the community. You can learn more about Finland in advance or find a suitable information source or training to help you when you have arrived in Finland.
If you have any questions on the above, do join our next live webinar on 13.12.2018 at 4 pm Finnish time. Attendance is free of charge, all you need to do is register via this link in advance. https://fi.surveymonkey.com/r/LNW7SVW
The webinar has a top limit of 100 participants. Registration ends 12.12.2018 or when the 100 person limit has been reached.
For other services, do email us at internationalfoxagency@gmail.com.
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