Welcome to Finland
Moving into a new country always involves surprises.What is the country like? What are the people like?Work and leisure time, the scenery and the climate, the history and the local customs.How are common issues taken care of, how are education and social security organised?Correct information makes the move smoother and more pleasant. This guide answers the questions most frequently asked by those moving to Finland. It focuses on employment and the working life and aims at giving the basic facts and guiding you to the sources of accurate information.The guide is also intended for those returning to Finland.Their immigration process differs slightly from that of other immigrants.The contents of this guide have been designed in cooperation with other public authorities and organisations.As legislation may change after the publication,you should check sources such as the Internet for up-to-date information.It is a good idea to find out about Finland before actually moving here in order to ensure that the practicalities run smoothly. After you have acquainted yourself with our country, learned the basic facts, made the practical arrangements and moved in, then it is time to step into life in Finland.
Religion
In Finland there is a freedom of religion. The official religions are Lutheranism and Orthodox Christianity.Some 85% of Finns are members of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church and 1% of the Orthodox Church. Catholic,Jewish and Muslim congregations and communities as well as a number of other smaller religious communities are established in Finland.
Looking for work
It is a good idea to start looking for a job in Finland before you actually arrive in the country, for example,by checking out the basic information available on the Internet. The website of the Employment and Economic Development Office (TE Office) provides information about jobs, TE Office services, the permits required and the various employment opportunities available.EURES – the European Job Mobility Portal maintained by the European Commission – offers compiled information about job vacancies, living and working conditions and the regional labour markets in Finland and the other EU/EEA countries. The portal provides access to CV-Search, a forum providing jobseekers with the facility to post their CV on the site to advertise themselves to employers. There are also Finnish employers registered.Coordinated by the European Commission, EURES (European Employment Services) is an employment services network covering all of the EU/EEA countries,including the national public employment services.Nearly 800 EURES advisers provide advice and information about issues related to job-seeking. You can search for your nearest advisor on the EURES portal.Citizens of EU/EEA countries can spend three months in Finland looking for work. If you are unemployed, you can claim for unemployment benefit from your country of origin for this period. In this case, you will need a form E303, which immigrant services and EURES advisers trained in helping foreign jobseekers.
Learning the language,opens doors
One of the most important preconditions for integration is learning Finnish or Swedish. When preparing the integration plan for an immigrant, the first is usually to find out about the local opportunities to study Finnish or Swedish. Various forms of language training are available, particularly in larger municipalities. Ways of improving your language skills and knowledge of the Finnish society include independent studies or adult education centres, general upper secondary schools for adults, folk high schools or open universities.
Moving into a new country always involves surprises.What is the country like? What are the people like?Work and leisure time, the scenery and the climate, the history and the local customs.How are common issues taken care of, how are education and social security organised?Correct information makes the move smoother and more pleasant. This guide answers the questions most frequently asked by those moving to Finland. It focuses on employment and the working life and aims at giving the basic facts and guiding you to the sources of accurate information.The guide is also intended for those returning to Finland.Their immigration process differs slightly from that of other immigrants.The contents of this guide have been designed in cooperation with other public authorities and organisations.As legislation may change after the publication,you should check sources such as the Internet for up-to-date information.It is a good idea to find out about Finland before actually moving here in order to ensure that the practicalities run smoothly. After you have acquainted yourself with our country, learned the basic facts, made the practical arrangements and moved in, then it is time to step into life in Finland.
Religion
In Finland there is a freedom of religion. The official religions are Lutheranism and Orthodox Christianity.Some 85% of Finns are members of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church and 1% of the Orthodox Church. Catholic,Jewish and Muslim congregations and communities as well as a number of other smaller religious communities are established in Finland.
Looking for work
It is a good idea to start looking for a job in Finland before you actually arrive in the country, for example,by checking out the basic information available on the Internet. The website of the Employment and Economic Development Office (TE Office) provides information about jobs, TE Office services, the permits required and the various employment opportunities available.EURES – the European Job Mobility Portal maintained by the European Commission – offers compiled information about job vacancies, living and working conditions and the regional labour markets in Finland and the other EU/EEA countries. The portal provides access to CV-Search, a forum providing jobseekers with the facility to post their CV on the site to advertise themselves to employers. There are also Finnish employers registered.Coordinated by the European Commission, EURES (European Employment Services) is an employment services network covering all of the EU/EEA countries,including the national public employment services.Nearly 800 EURES advisers provide advice and information about issues related to job-seeking. You can search for your nearest advisor on the EURES portal.Citizens of EU/EEA countries can spend three months in Finland looking for work. If you are unemployed, you can claim for unemployment benefit from your country of origin for this period. In this case, you will need a form E303, which immigrant services and EURES advisers trained in helping foreign jobseekers.
Learning the language,opens doors
One of the most important preconditions for integration is learning Finnish or Swedish. When preparing the integration plan for an immigrant, the first is usually to find out about the local opportunities to study Finnish or Swedish. Various forms of language training are available, particularly in larger municipalities. Ways of improving your language skills and knowledge of the Finnish society include independent studies or adult education centres, general upper secondary schools for adults, folk high schools or open universities.