For arriving international employees
Greetings from the Director General
Welcome to the Finnish Meteorological Institute!
We are delighted that you have chosen to join our community of around 750 employees comprising of about 35 nationalities. As part of our strategy, we are committed to fostering internationality, equality, and community spirit. The FMI is a world-class player in its sector with influential roles in international networks, which allows for many possible career paths and opportunities for innovation and research. We offer, for example, a diverse work environment, varied employee benefits, and support services for conducting scientific research. We want to ensure you have support for arriving in Finland and finding your path here. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the following information about relocation and contacts to authorities, first steps of your employment, and starting your new life in Finland and at the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
Petteri Taalas, Director General
On this website
On this website you will find information about arriving in Finland and starting work at the FMI. The page also guides you forward to websites of different authorities and public services. Please note that the most current information can always be found on the authorities’ websites.
Contents of the page:
- Useful links
- Formalities and registrations
- Starting your work at the FMI
- Salary, taxes, and social security contributions
- Work conditions
- Life in Helsinki
Your future supervisor or FMI Human Resources will help you with your relocation and official matters, such as residence permits. Please do not hesitate to contact your supervisor if you have any questions about relocating and starting your new work and life in Finland.
Useful links
For employees living in the Helsinki Metropolitan area, a good place to start official processes is the International House Helsinki (IHH). It gathers different official agencies under one roof and offers guidance and events for newcomers and their spouses. If you are starting your work at one of our regional offices, such as in Kuopio or Rovaniemi, local services are available to support your relocation. International House Kuopio provides similar guidance and support for those moving to the Kuopio region. The City of Rovaniemi offers services to help newcomers settle in and manage daily matters in the area.
Work in Finland -guide explains what you should take care of when you are coming to work in Finland.
InfoFinland is a multilingual website providing vital information when you are planning your move to Finland. It offers guidance for families as well.
This is Finland -guide gathers useful and fun facts about Finland.
The Finnish EURAXESS page contains a Guide for International Researchers and Their Families. It is written mainly for people working in Finnish higher education institutions but offers practical information for all international researchers in Finland.
Formalities and registrations
Your supervisor and FMI HR are here to help you navigate the formalities of relocation. When visiting different authorities in Finland, please, keep your passport, employment contract, personal identity code, degree certificate, possible hosting agreement and your residence permit/certificate of registration with you.
Contents of Formalities and registrations section:
- Permission to reside in Finland
- Registration and getting a personal identity code
- Finnish tax card
- Bank account and online identification
- Health insurance and social security
Permission to reside in Finland
Before entering the country, check at the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) what permits you need for staying and working in Finland. Generally, EU citizens need to register their right of residence at Migri if the stay in Finland is more than three months. Nordic citizens must register at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) within a week of arrival if planning to stay in Finland for over six months. Non-EU citizens must apply for a residence permit even if they move from another EU country. You can check what kind of permit you need through this service by Migri. For a citizen of a country outside the EU, the immigration process also usually requires, e.g., identifying yourself in a Finnish embassy in your country of origin and translation and legalization/Apostille of documents before you arrive in Finland. When applying for a residence permit you should have:
a valid passport
a degree certificate or certificate of other education/training (if applicable)
a contract of employment (if available) from FMI and/or a hosting agreement from FMI
you may also need other documents, and they may have to be translated and/or legalized
Once you have made the application for a residence permit, please contact your supervisor or FMI HR. The employer has to give information about your working conditions to Migri.
Registration and getting a personal identity code
For registering yourself in the population data system, please go to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV). To find the nearest office, please visit the International House Helsinki or check out DVV’s website. A personal identity code (“henkilötunnus” in Finnish) is required in various official matters in Finland. To apply, please check these Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) and Tax Administration’s websites.
A personal identity code is issued when the newcomer has been registered in the Population Information System. Sometimes the Tax Administration (Vero) or Migri will issue the personal ID code, in which case you do not have to apply for it again from DVV.
You should also register your address and your municipality of residence at DVV. You can get a municipality of residence if you meet certain criteria (check from DVV). If you have a municipality of residence in Finland, you are in most cases entitled to use the services provided by said municipality, such as public health care and children’s daycare. It is also needed for obtaining a Finnish identity card and a driving license.
If you are a non-EU citizen, it’s also advised to get a Finnish ID card. It is needed for example for e-authentication, which is very useful in Finland. You can apply for the ID card from the police. You need a residence permit/registration of right of residence, Finnish identity code, and your information (including a municipality) registered in the Population Information System.
Finnish tax card
You need to have a tax card to receive a correctly taxed amount of salary in Finland. If you do not have a tax card, 60 percent of the salary must be deducted.
Please check the Tax Administration’s website on how to order a tax card. For non-Finnish speakers it might be easiest to start the process by calling the Tax Administration’s service number for tax cards. The procedures and information requirements for a tax card vary depending on the length of stay, source of income, etc. The tax card is automatically sent from the Tax Administration to FMI payroll, so you usually do not need to send it to anyone. If you have a tax-at-source card, you should send it to the payroll department. Your supervisor can help with that.
Bank account and online identification
There are several banks in Finland, and they all offer services for people who reside in the country legally. The process of opening a bank account can take some time due to checking the person’s background, so you might need a foreign bank account or cash in the meantime. The documents/registrations you need for opening a Finnish bank account and e-authentication are as follows:
A Finnish ID (at DVV)
An identity card issued by an EU country (you can apply for a Finnish identity card from the police)
Residence permit/proof of registration of an EU citizen (at Migri)
Notification of move to Finland (at DVV)
Proof of registering a Finnish home address in the Population Information System (at DVV)
Ties to Finland (for example an employment contract)
Online services of Finnish authorities require strong authentication when logging in. The most common method is using Finnish online banking credentials, but it may take time to acquire them when moving to Finland. First, you may have to call or visit the authorities' offices to handle matters. More information about authentication from the website Suomi.fi. Some authorities also accept the Finnish Authenticator Service as a means of authentication.
Health insurance and social security
You can apply for the public health insurance card (Kela card) to be covered by Finnish social security. It is needed, for example, when you visit occupational or public health care. Check Kela’s website for more information on how to apply for the Kela card. Remember to keep all your receipts from the doctor or the pharmacy. After receiving the Kela card, you can apply for a refund from the time you did not have the Kela card yet. You can also apply for social security benefits from Kela, but they may have certain criteria you need to fulfill to receive them.
Kela makes the decision of Finnish social security based on your individual situation. Usually, you can be subject to Finnish social security based on your work, or if you live in Finland permanently. Your family’s situation is checked individually as well. Family members not in working life can be subject to Finnish social security if the residence in Finland is planned to be over two years. Read more about family members’ right to social security on Kela’s website.
You can also read information about health care in Finland from the website of Kela.
Starting your work at FMI
You can ask your supervisor for more information on their plans for your first days at the FMI. You will receive the needed work equipment and get to know your peers. The induction process is standardized, and you should go through the general induction plan with your supervisor. Induction to your work tasks is handled by your supervisor and sometimes also colleagues. There are also e-courses available in Finnish and English.
FMI employees’ well-being is supported by, for example, extensive occupational healthcare, training opportunities, sport and culture benefits, holiday benefits, multi-location work, and flexible working hours. The FMI also supports learning Finnish in different ways. Please ask your supervisor for more information. FMI employees also organize all sorts of peer support and free time groups in Finnish and English.
FMI has a hybrid work model that combines working at the office or other place indicated by the employer and remote work, for example, from the employee’s home. Working remotely is possible if the work tasks can be performed remotely. Please check the policy from your supervisor. It is not possible to start your employment abroad and move to Finland later.
FMI takes equality and non-discrimination principles into account in all plans and decisions, and their preparation and implementation. In addition to gender equality, this also means, for example, equality regardless of age, ethnicity, ideology, or sexual orientation.
Salary, taxes, and social security contributions
Your salary is based on the FMI’s salary system. The salary is comprised of a base salary and performance and experience-based percentages on top of the base salary. Supervisors receive an additional percentage pay.
Income taxation (salary, trade income, pension etc.) is progressive in Finland. You can see examples of tax rates on the Tax Administration’s website. Capital income has a fixed tax rate. You need a tax card to receive correctly taxed income. You will also receive a pre-completed tax return yearly, which you need to check and make the needed corrections.
Both the employer and the employee pay social insurance contributions of the salary. The employer deducts the employee’s part automatically from the salary. You can check the contributions from your pay slips. These contributions include pension, health, and unemployment insurance and are separate from income taxation. Read more on Tax Administration’s website.
It is also possible for the employee to take separate earnings-related unemployment insurance to get earnings-related allowance in case they become unemployed. The insurance can be obtained via a trade union or an unemployment fund.
Work conditions
The FMI is part of the Government of Finland. The legal status of civil servants is laid down in the State Civil Servants Act, and that of employees under the Employment Contracts Act. In addition to labor legislation, work for the government is also defined by a collective agreement for public officials and government employees. The agreement is negotiated between the employer and employee unions.
You have a right to belong to a Finnish trade union. Trade unions negotiate with employer unions on working conditions on behalf of employees. Trade unions provide services and help to their members. You can read more about trade unions and unemployment funds on InfoFinland’s website.
You can familiarize yourself with Finnish work conditions on the website of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. You have a right to receive information about your work conditions in a language you understand.
Life in Helsinki
Get to know Helsinki through the city’s welcome page or this guide by MyHelsinki.
If you work in a regional FMI office, you can receive the best tips from your supervisor and colleagues. The areas’ own websites also offer resources and tips for you:
Contents of Life in Helsinki section:
Transportation
To get around Helsinki and the capital region, you can download the HSL mobile app or get a travel card. You can buy either season tickets or single fare tickets. They should be bought before boarding the vehicle. You can also use contactless payment at card readers for adult single fares when boarding a vehicle. Instructions, prices, and routes can be found on the HSL website.
You can use Journey Planner for planning routes with public transportation. The maps also include walking and biking options. Helsinki has hundreds of kilometers of cycling routes, most of them paved. Also, city bikes are available from April to October. During spring, summer, and autumn the weather is often good for biking but in the winter, it can be dark and slippery. You can read more about cycling from the city of Helsinki.
There are electric scooters available for rent around the capital region. The service area for rental scooters depends on the rental company, so make sure to check the company’s app or website first. Please check further information about safety while using electric vehicles.
Please note that to drive in Finland, you must have a valid driver’s license; check the rules on licenses in Finland from the website of the Finnish police.
Healthcare
In an emergency, please always call 112.
Public healthcare in Helsinki is handled by HUS. They provide Helsinkians with health station services, dental care, mental health and substance abuse services, as well as rehabilitation and therapy services. Read more about public health care in Helsinki or general information about health services in Finland on InfoFinland’s website.
The FMI offers occupational health care. You can always ask first from the occupational health care provider whether the service you need is provided, and if not, seek services from public healthcare.
Health insurances are available in Finland, for example if you or your family members do not have access to Finnish social security or if you want more comprehensive services. You can also go directly to a private health care provider without an insurance policy, but you then have to pay for the visit yourself. Please check the prices beforehand.
Housing
When looking for housing, you can start by reading this guide by InfoFinland. When living as a tenant, a written contract must always be made. Usually, the landlord requires a home insurance and proof of your financial situation.
Water, electricity, and internet costs are usually not included in the rent. Most apartments come unfurnished. It is easy to acquire things second-hand, everything from furniture to children’s clothes on sites like Tori (in Finnish), or from recycling centers, for example Kierrätyskeskus.
It is more common to rent for a minimum one-year lease term but there are options for shorter time as well to get settled into the city. Please do not send money or your passport information to anyone before you have seen the apartment and signed a contract.
Family
Read more about different family situations on InfoFinland’s website.
If you have children and want to know about their schools, language matters, health care and social security, turn to the local authorities in your new home municipality. You need to have a municipality of residence to receive services in said municipality. More information about education in Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa.
Free-time activities
Finland is known for its clean and diverse nature. There are nature destinations around Helsinki, as well. You might be interested to see sheep at Kuusisaari or the outdoor museum of Seurasaari. National parks of Nuuksio and Sipoonkorpi are located within the Helsinki metropolitan area and are accessible by public transportation. You can find a list of outdoor activities on the website of Helsinki.
There is an array of public saunas all over Helsinki. You can check out sauna etiquette on Helsinki’s website. If you are interested in a sauna experience, please review this list of public saunas in the Helsinki region.
Finland has extensive library services. In the capital region, the library system is called Helmet. You need to have an accepted ID card, a Finnish ID number, and an address in Finland to get a library card.
We hope this guide helps you with your relocation. Don’t hesitate to contact your supervisor if you have any questions.