Just Landed in Finland? Your First 7 Days

Finland has some of the fastest and cheapest mobile data in Europe, with strong 4G and 5G coverage even in remote areas and on trains. Prepaid SIMs are sold at every R-kioski and supermarket and need only ID to activate, so you can be online within an hour of landing. Once you have a personal identity code, switching to an unlimited-data monthly contract is easy and cheap.

Typical cost: Around 15-25 euros per month for a contract SIM with unlimited or very large data; prepaid bundles are similar or cheaper

Finland is one of the most cashless societies in the world; contactless cards and mobile payments are accepted almost everywhere, including buses, markets, and small shops. MobilePay is the dominant peer-to-peer payment app for splitting bills and paying private sellers, and most people go weeks without touching a banknote.

Opening an account: Opening a bank account requires your personal identity code and a valid photo ID, and for non-EU newcomers usually a residence permit and proof of address. OP, Nordea, and S-Pankki are the most newcomer-friendly, though appointments can take a week or two. Crucially, the online banking credentials you receive double as your official digital ID (verkkopankkitunnukset) for logging into tax, health, Kela, and government services.

Cash: Cash is genuinely rare and a growing number of venues are card-only, so you do not need much of it. Keep 20 to 30 euros on hand for flea markets, some public saunas, and the occasional rural kiosk, but expect to pay by card or phone almost everywhere else.

Tipping: Tipping is not expected and no one will chase you for it. Service is included in restaurant bills; rounding up or leaving a euro or two for genuinely excellent service is appreciated but never required, and there is no tipping culture for taxis or bars.

New residents are legally required to register their move and place of residence with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) so they receive a personal identity code (henkilotunnus) and are entered in the Population Information System. This registration is the master key to Finnish life: banking, a proper tax card, healthcare access, and Kela benefits all depend on it. Non-EU nationals must first hold a valid residence permit from Migri, while EU citizens staying longer than three months register their right of residence with Migri before completing their DVV registration. Bring every original document, as a single missing paper can mean rebooking weeks later.

Deadline: Register your move within one week of moving to your permanent Finnish address

Where: Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) service points; book an appointment in advance at dvv.fi

Public transport is punctual, clean, and fully integrated. In the Helsinki region the HSL network covers commuter trains, the metro, trams, buses, and even the Suomenlinna ferry on a single ticket priced by zone. For intercity travel, VR runs fast, comfortable trains between major cities, while Onnibus and FlixBus offer very cheap coach routes.

From the airport: From Helsinki-Vantaa Airport the HSL commuter train (lines I and P) reaches Helsinki Central Station in about 30 minutes on a single ABC-zone ticket costing roughly 4.70 euros, with trains running underground straight from the terminal. A Bolt ride or taxi into the centre typically costs 45 to 60 euros, and the 615 bus is a slower budget alternative.

Rentals are found through Vuokraovi and Oikotie, plus local Facebook groups, and competition is stiff in Helsinki, Espoo, and Tampere. Most flats are unfurnished, viewings are often group events, and many properties are managed by large landlords such as SATO, Lumo (Kojamo), or the city-owned Heka for subsidised housing. Move fast and have documents ready, as good flats go quickly.

Typical rent: A one-bedroom flat runs roughly 900 to 1,300 euros a month in central Helsinki and 700 to 950 euros a little further out; smaller cities like Tampere, Turku, or Oulu are noticeably cheaper

Deposit norm: The deposit is usually one to three months' rent (vuokravakuus), paid before you receive the keys, and it is legally protected and returned if the flat is left in good order

Finland has a strong public healthcare system run by regional wellbeing services counties (hyvinvointialue), supplemented by fast private clinics for those who pay or have employer cover. Registered residents get heavily subsidised public care with modest per-visit fees, and standards are high, though non-urgent public appointments can involve a wait.

How to access it: Once registered and covered by Kela, book non-emergency care through your local terveysasema (health station) online or by phone, or through the OmaKanta service. For urgent but non-life-threatening advice, call the national medical helpline on 116117; for genuine emergencies dial 112. Pharmacies (apteekki) are widespread and pharmacists give reliable minor-ailment advice.

Insurance: Public coverage comes through Kela (the Social Insurance Institution) once you are registered as a resident, so apply for Kela cover and a Kela card early. Many employers add occupational health and private insurance, and private chains such as Terveystalo, Mehilainen, and Aava offer quick paid appointments, often within a day.

• Be punctual; arriving on time or a few minutes early is expected for work meetings, appointments, and social plans alike.
• Respect personal space and comfortable silence; small talk with strangers is minimal, and pauses in conversation are normal rather than awkward.
• Always take your shoes off when entering someone's home; it is standard and non-negotiable practice.
• Sauna is a serious social institution, not a novelty; follow your host's lead on nudity, silence, and whether to throw water on the stove.
• Keep to the right, let people off before boarding, and stand orderly in queues, which Finns take seriously even when unmarked.
• Say what you mean and follow through; over-promising to be polite is seen as unreliable rather than friendly.
• Sort your household waste properly, as recycling into the right bins (bio, plastic, cardboard, glass, metal) is expected and often enforced by buildings.

• Winter darkness is more intense than the cold, with very short days from November to January; consider vitamin D and getting outside during daylight.
• Directness is normal and not rudeness; Finns state facts plainly and value substance over flattery, so do not read bluntness as hostility.
• Jaywalking against a red pedestrian light is frowned upon and can draw fines, even on an empty street.
• Icy pavements in winter are genuinely dangerous; use footwear with grip or add-on studs to avoid falls.
• Alcohol above 8% is sold only in state Alko stores with limited hours, so plan ahead as supermarkets stock only weaker drinks.