{"id":3241,"count":0,"description":"Moving to Finland is a bit particular as it\u2019s a country that is very different from other parts of Europe. With its own culture and harsh weather conditions, it\u2019s essential to prepare for every element of your new life after moving to Finland. Learning as much as you can about the country before you leave is a good idea too and will prepare you for what lies ahead. This guide to removals to Finland will help to make your move easier and to ensure that you\u2019ve ticked off all the essentials.\r\n\r\n\r\n

Moving to Finland: <\/span> About Finland<\/b><\/h2>\r\nLying in the north of Europe, Finland neighbours Russia, Sweden, and Estonia. It has approximately 5.5 million inhabitants and is split into 313 separate municipalities.\r\n\r\nAs you would expect from a northern country, the climate is much colder than in other parts of Europe. During winter you can expect heavy snowfall, and for the snow to persist throughout the whole of the season. It can be challenging to acclimatise at first during the Finnish winters because there is very little sunlight. This phenomenon is more pronounced in the north of the country than in the south; in the north, there is no sunrise for several weeks during the depths of winter. By direct contrast, during the summer months, the days are incredibly long and sunny. In the far north, there are some days when the sun does not set.\r\n\r\nFinland can boast having the best education system in the world. So much so that some people will be moving to Finland for this reason alone. It also ranked #2 behind Denmark in the world happiness report (2012). According to The World Economic Forum, Finland is also 9th for health, 3rd for its workforce, and 1st for enabling environment and follows Iceland as second best in the world for gender equality.\r\n\r\n \r\n

Moving to Finland: <\/span> Where to live<\/b><\/h2>\r\nOne of the most significant decisions you\u2019ll have to make is where to live in Finland as there\u2019s a marked difference between the north and the south. \r\n\r\n

Moving to Finland: <\/span> Helsinki<\/b><\/h3>\r\nThe capital of the country, Helsinki is the largest city in Finland. Destination of choice for many people who decided at some point that Moving to Finland was for them, Helsinki sits primarily on the mainland, but with the shores of the Baltic Sea lapping at the edge, it also spills out onto some of the islands.\r\n\r\nAs you might expect from the capital, there is a very cosmopolitan lifestyle with museums, restaurants and bars in abundant supply.\r\n\r\n

Moving to Finland: <\/span> Greater Helsinki Area<\/b><\/h3>\r\nAs the name suggests, the Greater Helsinki Area borders Helsinki. It includes the second largest city in the country, Espoo. Transport links between Espoo and Helsinki are excellent, so commuting is readily achievable.\r\n\r\nOne of the significant benefits of living in Espoo is that it offers a satisfying blend of city life and country living, with wild natural areas nearby. Vantaa and Kauniainen are two other favourite locations within the Greater Helsinki Area.\r\n\r\n\r\n

Moving to Finland: <\/span> Tampere and Oulu<\/b><\/h3>\r\nTwo large cities, both in the north of the country, that offer a very Finnish way of life. With vast lakes, the scenery is nothing short of spectacular, but there are many important technology firms as well as universities based in this region.\r\n\r\n

Moving to Finland: <\/span> Language<\/b><\/h2>\r\nThe official language of the country is Finnish which is distantly related to Hungarian rather than any of the countries around Finland. However, Finnish is a very distinct and individual language. If you want to learn it, you\u2019ll find attending a language school far easier than trying to learn it alone.\r\n\r\nEnglish is spoken widely across the country, so you may not need to learn Finnish to communicate with friends and work colleagues efficiently.\r\n\r\nHowever, it is always preferable to learn the local language when moving anywhere. The difficulty is that Finnish isn\u2019t the most straightforward language to master and can take some time to learn. If you already speak Swedish, rejoice! Many areas within Finland are bilingual with Swedish, such as coastal areas. But if you decide that moving to Finland is for you, understand that it implies learning the lingo.\r\n\r\n\r\n

Moving to Finland: <\/span> Getting and staying connected in Finland<\/b><\/h2>\r\nIt\u2019s official \u2013 law guarantees access to the Internet. No matter how secluded you are, wherever you live, you\u2019re guaranteed Internet.\r\nMobiles are the primary method of communication; there are virtually no landlines in Finland.\r\n\r\nYou\u2019ll need to pay quite a substantial deposit if you haven\u2019t got a credit history, refundable after approx. two years or set up a prepaid service where no deposit is required, and you are good to go!\r\n\r\nInternet services are fast and reliable with no data restrictions on fixed usage. for comparisons of prices go here.\r\n\r\n\r\n

Moving to Finland: <\/span> Healthcare<\/b><\/h2>\r\nGet ready for a patient and time-consuming wait to see medical professionals. As a resident, you\u2019ll require a European Health Insurance Card to access treatment, and you\u2019ll need to visit the local health centre where you could spend hours making an appointment. Making an appointment over the telephone is impossible. It is therefore wise to subscribe to private healthcare where a relatively simple online booking or phone call will access your private healthcare provider.\r\n\r\nOf course, in an emergency directly call 112.\r\n\r\nPrescriptions are valid for one year; foreign prescriptions aren\u2019t valid unless you specifically request an EU cross-border prescription. Use the Internet search to find the nearest pharmacy.\r\n\r\n\r\n

Moving to Finland: <\/span> Transport system<\/b><\/h2>\r\nIf you are thinking about commuting with your car, you\u2019ll need to be very confident that you can handle the severe conditions. Driving in the winter months means navigating ice and snow, and every car must have winter tyres to be on the road legally.\r\n\r\nMany people choose public transport in Finland; the system is clean and well organised and runs on schedule. Buses are the most common way to get around for short journeys. They offer discounts to children travelling.\r\n\r\nFinland also has a comprehensive train system, and you can buy tickets either online or at the station.\r\n\r\n

Moving to Finland: <\/span> Removals to Finland<\/b><\/h2>\r\nIf you are moving to Finland, you will need the assistance of an experienced International or European removals firm to make the switch smooth and seamless.\r\n\r\nRemovals to Finland are subject to customs restrictions depending on where you\u2019re moving from; European moving rules are much more lenient than when you\u2019re relocating from further afield.\r\n\r\nAs EU members, individuals moving to Finland from other EU countries can transport their goods without any complicated regulations to negotiate. This exemption makes it much less hassle to organise your move. You will, however, need an inventory of what you are taking. Speak to your European moving company.\r\n\r\nThere are a few restrictions on items as well as the usual prohibited items. You can only import dry food into Finland. In addition, the quantities must be reasonable for personal consumption. You must also list any alcohol you import to Finland in full. It will incur import duty even if you\u2019re travelling from the EU.\r\n\r\nFinland moving restrictions from outside the EU are more extensive, as is the case with other countries in Europe. Experienced international moving companies will be familiar with the requirements and will be able to provide useful advice on the matter.\r\n\r\nDue to Finland\u2019s remote location, anyone moving to Finland has the option of using either road, air or sea freight.

Whether you choose our Load & Go<\/a> or our EasyMoves<\/a> solution, European Moving can help you with your removal. We shall be able to help you with the full list of restrictions that apply to removals to Finland and also provide advice on a whole range of removal issues you may not have encountered before.<\/p>","link":"https:\/\/europeanmoving.co.uk\/en\/moving-to-country\/moving-to-finland\/","name":"Finland","slug":"moving-to-finland","taxonomy":"category","parent":0,"meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/europeanmoving.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories\/3241"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/europeanmoving.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/europeanmoving.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/taxonomies\/category"}],"wp:post_type":[{"href":"https:\/\/europeanmoving.co.uk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts?categories=3241"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}