Tourism, moving and studying in Finland? Ask here!

29 comments

1. [deleted]

2. Is it common for finnish parents to give money to kids who study in university, besides the money the student gets from the government? If so, how much?

3. Hi!

   I’m planning to move to Finland on work basis in some time. The question is not about what I need to do, it’s pretty easy to find this info on the net now. The question is mostly to people who went through this process.

   How much money do you basically need for your first month there (for a family of two + a cat). What should I sum in the amount of money I need to save up beforehand to be able to live through the first month in Helsinki until I get my first paycheck.

   For a notice, I’m talking about moving from Russia, so non-EU country. And it’s all just planning for now without any real job offer on hands.

   Thanks in advance!

4. [deleted]

5. Hi! My wife and I are flying into Helsinki for a week in early May. I keep reading advice for cool stuff in the winter and cool stuff in the summer. But it seems since May weather is rather unpredictable, we are in an awkward in between. Does anyone have suggestions of places to visit or things to do that are great in the spring? We love nature and exploring cities so are definitely open to any and all types of activities. We are planning on using Helsinki as our home base then doing day trips but could have no accommodations booked yet.

6. Hi! I have accepted a job in Helsinki and will relocate to Finland in the following months. I would like to take my vehicle with me, the car is registered in another EU country. How long can I drive my car in Finland with it’s current license plates before having to register it ?

7. Visiting helsinki/espoo in early December. Anything going on during the time relating to Christmas activities/sightseeing etc?

8. I’m hoping someone can help, I have received my permanent residence permit to stay in Finland and registered my permanent residence at the DVV this morning. They told me the average wait time is 9 weeks before I receive my personal identity number and then can I make an appointment at the police station to apply for an identity card.

   After checking the online police system there are no appointments for the rest of the year… I have received a job offer and still am unable to open a bank or even get a phone. Does anyone know if I can just go and wait for an appointment at the police station as I really cannot wait till next year.

   Thanks in advance

9. Hello! I’m strongly considering moving to Finland from the us. I’m having a hard time though understanding what the job market is like. I’m a creative and I’m primarily interested in children’s book illustration. Does anyone know what the illustration market is like or any links would be so appreciated. Thank you!

10. Does anyone know the thread style and sizing of finnish plumbing? Like is it British thread or something else? I doubt it’s NPT thread (national pipe taper). Also, is it in metric or standard? I’m considering bringing over a shower assembly from the US and wondering what type of adapter I’d need. The finnish assemblies are so expensive for mostly plastic and cheap metal!

11. Hey guys. I’ll be visiting in a few weeks and was curious how the mask situation is over there. I’ve looked around on the web before asking, of course, but was met with a lot of conflicting information, some of which seemed to be a bit outdated.

    Are there tons of people just going about everywhere unmasked, or does pretty much everyone stay masked up indoors? Would I be seen as a weirdo if I keep my mask on 24/7 when I get there? My immune system isn’t the best, so I wanted to know how it is on the ground. Kiitos!

12. Hi, everyone!

    I’m a vaccinated tourist from the USA planning to visit in December, specifically the 17th-23rd. I am also a solo traveler and plan to visit and explore Helsinki and the Lapland region, mainly Rovaniemi. I am flying from Prague and have a few concerns I hope you can help address:

    1. The weather. I read I can rent out clothing gear for the cold. Is this true?
    2. Excursions. Some activities such as snowmobiling, I have read, requires at least two people to sign up. Is there a website or tourist center in Helsinki and/or Rovaniemi I could possibly match to join a group or another solo traveler looking to find a partner?

    Thank you for your time!

13. When I am addressing a letter from Finland to a local Finnish address, does the Return address belong on the back of the envelope, or in the top left corner as is typical in the USA?

14. I asked something similar but I’d really be grateful if someone can give me a direct answer.

    I’m graduating high-school in Iraq this year then ill be qualified to study a bachelor’s in Iraq. But I want to study it in finland. Id like to study in åbo akademi in Swedish. (Swedish curriculum) will I be qualified? In that way I mean will I be allowed to study in a Swedish curriculum as an iraqi high-school graduate? ( obviously I would be fluent and have a certificate for it)

15. Hey, I am hoping to visit Finland in March for my 18th birthday! I was hoping to celebrate by getting my first tattoo (of Moomintroll), but I won’t turn 18 until the week after I get back. What are the restrictions like over there? Can I get one with parent consent? I’m from Texas, and the laws are pretty strict, so tattoos are only allowed if covering up something offensive.

16. Hi all, i have tried to find an answer on here but havent been able to so sorry if this is a duplicate.

    Im a british citizen and my partner is finnish, we are planning to travel to Finland for xmas to see her family.

    Im trying to understand as im unvaccinated but I have had covid in the last 180 days and have a Covid Pass/certificate to prove it.

    I called the finnish embassy and they directed me to call the finnish border patrol who said a recovery certificate/covid pass is fine but to check their website. I cant seem to find a straight answer on their website.

    Additionally do I need any particular reason to visit or can I travel for leisure with my finnish partner to see her family.

    The UK government website says a covid pass without vaccination is fine and I dont need a visa, but im not sure how much I trust it and would prefer confirmation from the country I’m travelling to.

    Any help would really be appreciated!

    Thanks in advance

17. # Is finding a job in Finland without knowing Finnish a realistic expectation?

    hi everyone, I’ll try to keep this as brief as possible

    I’m an exchange student to Finland, but I have found a pretty extensive series of reasons that make me want to stay here some more time and complete my high school education here; (my high school told me it is possible, that’s not my concern)

    This means that, since an exchange organisation wouldn’t support me and give me another host family, I’ll have to find some place to stay and work while I’m here. I don’t know if there are other exchange students that have taken a similar path so I’m asking here if, like the title says, it is possible realistically, for an 18 year old to find a job in Finland without knowing Finnish. I speak Italian (N), English (C1+), French (B2), German (B1-2), Norwegian and Swedish (B1), I don’t know if it can help.

    I would really like to continue this wonderful experience here in this amazing country, as this would be an opportunity for me to also try out life on my own, as an independent adult all before going to university and I’d really love to find some way to make this happen.

18. Terve Finns!

    We are 4 students from Denmark who will study abroad in Hämeenlinna from December until June (six months). We were only greenlit yesterday, and so we are in a hurry to arrange housing for the period.

    One problem we are experiencing is, that it seems you need a finnish identity number in order to rent ‘normal’ (non-study) apartments. Is this correct?
    We’re left fairly confused and don’t know where to start 😅

19. Hello! My wife and I will be traveling to Helsinki from Oct. 20-25. I recently started watching døds contests on YouTube and am hooked. Are there any døds competitions in Helsinki or is the weather too cold? Also, are there any public pools with 10 meter platforms? Thanks in advance.

20. What’s the temperature currently like in Helsinki? Im planning on going there for 2 weeks, would I be able to go only with hoodies or should I bring a winter jacket.

21. So I am an international student applying to HAMK’s Electrical and Automation engineering program (using a joint application). From what is known I will be taking finnish UAS exam and I have a question about the difficulty of this examination. Problems on my preparation courses aren’t that challenging. Is there a catch? Or is the exam not that hard?

    And how is studying at HAMK?:)

    P.S. I’m not a genius in any way. Just really want to
    know.

22. Hi all,

    I hope you are all doing well,

    Could someone please help me with extra information as I’m planning to apply to the University of Vaasa, I’m a Business student who’s living in a foreign country and planning to apply for masters, and I saw the University of Vaasa as a good option, so I need help with some question:

    1. Is the university of Vaasa recommended, if yes can someone give me the cons and pros of the university?

    2. What are the Pros and Cons of the city of Vaasa?

    Thank you!!

23. What’s the deal with citizenship application times for those who applied for a first residence permit after arriving in Finland? Are Migri accurate in saying that this will take at least 1.5y (a year longer than if you answered that you applied in advance), or is this just a case of “we’ll say that it will take forever and pleasantly surprise you” like with our residence permits pre-pandemic?

    I just found it odd because it seems to be almost punitive, which I haven’t really seen elsewhere dealing with the authorities here.

24. Probably a stupid question… but I live in Hong Kong and have never experienced negative temperature. Can someone explain how cold it is near Espoo/Aalto Uni area in Jan/Dec and what do the people usually wear in Finland when it’s like -3 Celsius outside?

25. Any recommendations for a high speed internet service provider for Arabianranta area of Helsinki?

    My landlord said he always just used a mobile data hotspot, which to me as an American seemed insane but I guess mobile data seems to work much better here than in the states.

    Is that really a viable option?

26. I have relatives coming from the U.S. in a couple weeks who are vaccinated from covid-19. Some finnish citizens, some not. I’m just wondering is there some sort of covid passport or test they have to get when coming here? Some are only staying a week, so waiting a couple days for test results is a no-go, even though they are already vaccinated.

27. Hello, good evening, I have a couple of questions about Finland. I am a man and I am currently less than twenty years old. I am getting an English degree and I am studying telecommunications (I am not liking it but I am going to get it and then do programming (I still do not know which branch of programming)). My question is the following is it very difficult to find a job / to be able to live in Finland, the weather for me is not a problem, the problem is that I have been watching your fantastic studio systems and various documentaries about your country and I think that I will not be able to To live there, I feel that your academic skills are superior (by far) to mine, and to add the language is very difficult. Currently where I live, Galicia there is no certified place to learn Finnish, and I would have to move to Madrid (capital of Spain ) in order to learn it. I imagine that in total it would be almost 8 years of my life if I did all this. My question is, will I have a chance to live there? Do you recommend that I study something else or not try it since it is very difficult? I have been around my head for a while and I am writing this text, to be able to clarify my ideas. Thank you very much to all who answer this post and please be honest with your answers, thank you.

28. Any best place to go hiking (without getting hiking tour packages) in Rovaniemi to see Aurora Borealis? Do some hills/mountains/lakes have entrance fee? I need to know how much it would cost as we will only be on budget trip. What are the ways of getting there? Do buses operate late? Also, what do they normally bring aside from warm clothes?

    Thank you!

29. Could anyone please walk me through the process of applying to a finnish university as an international student ?
    I’m very confused guys, I could do with some help.
    (Seperate question: does Finland charge tuition fees for international students?)