Relocating to Finland

Thinking of getting a job in Finland and moving here? Great! There are a lot of job opportunities around, and we can help you to settle in and build your life and career here along the way.

Moving to a new country is a major change in anyone’s life, so it’s important to be prepared. Let’s dive into everything you need to know about relocating to Finland.

Settling in Finland with Barona

We know it’s not easy to move and start a life in a new country. A new job is always a big change for anyone, so getting a new job in a new country – that’s huge.

But we are here to help! Some of our international recruitment cases have relocation as part of the process, and then you get this from us:

What your rent includes (that is not usually included in the rent in Finland)

• Furnishing (for example bed, sofa, kitchen table, chairs)
• Kitchen equipment, basic cooking appliances, cookware, table ware
• Bedding and other textiles and towels
• Rugs and curtains
• Electricity and heating
• Water usage
• Mandatory home insurance
• Internet connection / Wi-Fi
• Washing machine (wherever it is possible to install it in the apartment)
• Rental deposit (security payment)

Don’t know if a recruitment includes relocation package or not? You can ask us by sending email to nordicjobs@barona.fi. If you want, you can include your CV and any other information you think will help us know you and your career plans better.

Why Finland?

You might have heard something about our beautiful nature, sauna, Santa Claus and us being the happiest country in the world, and it’s all true. 😀  Here are some other facts about Finland:

One of those places in Finland you just have to experience is the old town in the city of Porvoo.

Getting to know Finnish people

Right, so we are not widely known for being outgoing and talkative, but we certainly are friendly, warm and mostly easy to get along with. If you think someone acts cold and reserved, they might just be a bit nervous of what you think about their language skills.

Honesty, reliability and punctuality are important to us both in the workplaces and in free time. We also appreciate privacy and personal space, and you might find that strange or funny at times. (Have you seen those internet memes about us standing at a bus stop as far from each other as possible? They are all true.)

So don’t lie, be on time and only promise what you can keep – that’s the way to interact with people in Finland.

Finnish nature and climate – and what you need to wear

For a country of only 5,5 million people, we are geographically very, very long – 1157 kilometers from south to north. That’s more than from south of England to north of Scotland, and we are bigger than Great Britain in square kilometers.

So, the nature and climate might differ a depending on where in Finland you live. There might be a day in May when someone in Helsinki is eating lunch on a terrace at a restaurant wearing a t-shirt and someone in Lapland goes skiing in a nice snowy spring weather.

Four seasons – four reasons

We have four seasons when nature changes its appearance completely – color, light, temperature, sounds and smells. Each season is unique, and everyone has their favorite. 

Winter. This is the season we’re most known of. Winters usually are snowy and cold (–5°C on average in the south, –20 °C in Lapland) but there might be winters with little or no snow at all in Helsinki region. Sun is up only for a few hours (or not at all in parts of Lapland!) but if there’s snow, the dark hours can be very beautiful everywhere.

Spring. Winter changes into summer through the spring months, usually March, April and May. The temperature is warmer, and ”luonto alkaa heräillä” – nature starts to wake up in beautiful colors, and the promise of what’s coming is everywhere around. In the end of spring, sun is up quite a lot, and there might even be proper summer days every now and then.

Summer. There’s a saying that ”the Finnish summer is short – last year it was a Wednesday” but luckily the situation rarely is that bad. Usually it’s nice and warm from June to August. Finns tend to like temperatures of little under or over +20 °C the best but we’ve started to get accustomed to temperatures nearer +30 °C too. The sun is mostly up in the summer. In the most northern part of Finland, the sun is up 74 days straight. In Helsinki, sun is up about 19 hours straight at most.

Autumn. Ok, so the summer is over, but it’s not that bad – when leaves turn from green to yellow, the beautiful summer turns into gorgeous autumn. Forests await for berry and mushroom pickers, and this might be the greatest time of year to enjoy nature and hiking. In the end of autumn, the sun is not up much, and the weather might by rainy and cold. Then usually everyone hopes the winter and snow to be soon back again.

About those clothes, then

Basically everyone already has right clothes for Finnish summer, so this is all about clothes for those three other seasons.

Winter is mostly cold, but spring and autumn both can have warm days and very cold days, so having warm-enough as well as not-too-warm clothes is important. You can never be exactly sure in advance what you will need to wear tomorrow.

You should get yourself 

• a winter jacket and a mid-season jacket
• winter shoes and warm socks
• gloves: lighter ones for autumn and mittens for winter
• a woolly hat
• a scarf to cover your neck
• warm underwear layers
• quilted winter pants are recommended, especially if you are going to live in the north.

All clothing stores in Finland sell winter clothes, and you can find good offers from flea markets, recycle centers and outlets as well.

Commuting – getting from place A to place B

The best way of commuting depends on where you live (and work). Public transport is generally quite good inside big cities but rare in smaller ones. Walking and cycling are good options for moderate distances, and cycling is possible in many places during the winter, too. If you need to get from one town to another, you will usually need to take a bus or a train.

Rush hours in Finland are rarely as busy as people relocating are used to, but heavy snowing in winter might present a challenge for being on time – no matter how you are commuting.

You can of course drive a car in Finland if you have a valid license. Buying and maintaining a car here is considered expensive, as taxes, insurances, fuel, tires (you need one set for summer, and another set for winter), inspections and maintenance cost quite a lot.

Health care – it’s for you and it doesn’t cost much if anything

Finnish health care system is very good in global comparison. It covers those who live in Finland on a permanent basis and those who work here, and it is for the most parts financed with general tax revenues. 

When you relocate to Finland, you will be enrolled in the Finnish social security system after filing Moving to Finland notification.

There are both public and private sector health care providers. The primary place in non-work-related issues is public health care. It is mostly free, but some fees may be charged.

When you work for Barona, you can also use private health care services in work related matters and cases of acute illnesses. You should always ask about the details from your superior or contact person.

Adapting to a new country – welcome to an emotional rollercoaster

Moving to another country usually comes with a culture shock guarantee, and Finland is no exception. At first, new things like the scenery, your job and your apartment are exciting. After a couple of months, things become more normal, and some things even start to frustrate.

Some dark rainy day in November you get on a bus and wonder why no-one talks to you, sits next to you or smiles back to you. You might feel that you have made a mistake in coming here.

So, what to do when feeling homesick?

Don’t know if a recruitment includes relocation package or not? You can ask us by sending email to nordicjobs@barona.fi. If you want, you can include your CV and any other information you think will help us know you and your career plans better.