Moving to Finland: The Complete Overview for Newcomers

Moving to Finland is less about one big decision and more about a sequence of small, official ones — each unlocking the next. Get the order right and the whole process feels manageable; get it wrong and you can find yourself stuck, unable to open a bank account because you lack an ID number, unable to get the ID number because you haven't registered, and so on. This guide lays out the full roadmap so you can see where every piece fits before you start.

Throughout, we point you to the official Finnish sources — Migri, DVV, Kela, Vero and InfoFinland — because rules, fees and processing times change. Treat the specifics here as a verified-as-of-2026 snapshot, and confirm current figures at the linked source before you act.

The Big Picture: How the Move Actually Works

Settling into Finland comes down to a handful of institutions, each owning one part of your new life:

• Migri (Maahanmuuttovirasto, the Finnish Immigration Service) decides whether you may legally live here — through a residence permit for non-EU citizens, or registration of the right of residence for EU/EEA citizens.
• DVV (Digi- ja väestötietovirasto, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency) registers you in the Population Information System, gives you your henkilötunnus (personal identity code) and decides your kotikunta (municipality of residence).
• Kela (Kansaneläkelaitos, the Social Insurance Institution) handles residence- and work-based social security and issues the Kela card.
• Vero (the Finnish Tax Administration) handles your verokortti (tax card) and everything tax-related through the OmaVero portal.

Almost every step after the first depends on having your henkilötunnus, so the central thread of the whole move is: become legal, then get registered, then everything else opens up.

Step One: Your Legal Right to Reside

The very first question is whether you need permission to be in Finland at all, and that depends entirely on your nationality.

EU/EEA, Liechtenstein and Swiss Citizens

If you hold citizenship of an EU or EEA country, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you do not need a residence permit. You may simply move. However, Migri states that if you will stay in Finland for longer than three months without interruption, you must register your right of residence with the Finnish Immigration Service. The clock effectively resets each time you leave and return.

You apply online via Enter Finland (or on paper) and visit a Migri service point to prove your identity. According to Migri, this registration carries a fee of 53 euros as of 2026 (the same for online and paper applications). Accepted grounds include employment, self-employment, study, family ties to an EU citizen, or having sufficient financial resources to support yourself. Nordic citizens (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden) follow a lighter route and register directly with DVV rather than Migri.

Non-EU/EEA Citizens

If you come from outside the EU/EEA for longer than 90 days, you generally need a residence permit before you arrive. Migri notes that a first residence permit application usually has to be submitted abroad, not in Finland — so this is something to start well before your move. Applications are made through the Enter Finland online service, and you visit a Finnish mission or service point to prove your identity and provide biometrics.

There are many permit categories — specialist, ordinary employee, EU Blue Card, self-employed/entrepreneur, student, and family ties — each with its own conditions. Processing times vary widely by category, so check Migri's processing-time pages for your specific permit. As a reference point, Migri states that producing and delivering a residence permit card itself takes roughly 10–14 days once a decision is made. Note too that amendments to the Aliens Act tightening the conditions for permanent residence permits entered into force on 8 January 2026; first and extended permits are a separate matter, but it is one more reason to read the current Migri pages rather than older guides.

Step Two: Register with DVV and Get Your Henkilötunnus

Once you have the legal right to reside, the keystone of the whole move is the henkilötunnus — your 11-character personal identity code. DVV describes it as the identifier used across both public authorities and private companies; you need it to open a bank account and to get a phone subscription, among countless other things.

The process, in brief: you submit the foreigner registration form online at dvv.fi, then attend a DVV service point in person to complete the registration. (Children must attend too.) Bring your passport or photo ID, your residence permit card or EU registration certificate, and proof of your grounds for staying, such as an employment contract or study acceptance. DVV then decides whether you can be entered into the Population Information System and whether you receive a kotikunta.

That municipality-of-residence decision matters more than it sounds. DVV states that having a kotikunta usually entitles you to municipal services such as public health care and day care, and that it is needed to obtain a Finnish identity card and a driving licence. If you are moving to Finland for one year or more, you are expected to notify DVV of your move; stays shorter than a year may instead lead to a more limited foreigner's identity number rather than a full henkilötunnus. We cover the registration mechanics in depth in our dedicated DVV guide.

Step Three: Social Security and Your Kela Card

Kela administers Finland's residence-based social security, which is tax-funded, alongside earnings-related, work-based benefits. Whether you are covered — and from when — is the question that catches a lot of newcomers.

According to Kela, when you move to Finland you can usually receive benefits and a Kela card from the day of your move if either of two things is true: Kela considers that you live in Finland permanently, or you are working in Finland. Whether your residence counts as permanent is judged by the purpose of your move — a permanent employment contract, a contract of at least two years, or moving for family reasons generally qualify. For the work-based route, Kela states your wage in Finland must be at least 800.02 euros per month.

The Kela card is your everyday proof of entitlement, used at pharmacies and for some reimbursements. Importantly, your right to public health care in Finland is generally tied to having a kotikunta (from DVV), not just to Kela — which is one more reason the DVV step comes first. Citizenship does not affect your right to Kela benefits, but if your nationality requires a residence permit, you must have one.

The Coverage Gap Before You Arrive

There is one window the Finnish system does not cover: the period between leaving your home country's coverage and actually being registered and accepted into the Finnish system. Processing can take weeks, and you may not be eligible for public healthcare on day one. For that gap, expat or travel medical insurance — providers such as SafetyWing are built for exactly this in-between phase — is worth lining up before you fly, so you are not uninsured during your first weeks. Once your henkilötunnus, kotikunta and Kela status are confirmed, you can let interim cover lapse.

Step Four: The Tax Card (Verokortti)

If you are going to earn money in Finland, you need to deal with Vero, and the practical artefact is the verokortti — your tax card. It tells your employer how much tax to withhold. Without one, withholding defaults to a punishing rate (commonly cited as 60%), so this is not a step to postpone.

Your tax treatment hinges on length of stay. According to Vero, if you stay in Finland for more than six months you are normally a resident taxpayer, taxed on your worldwide income, and you obtain a tax card through OmaVero (the MyTax portal) or a Vero office. If you stay six months or less, you are usually a non-resident taxpayer who pays tax at source on Finnish income — Vero states this is usually 35%, with a deduction of 510 euros per month or 17 euros per day available via a tax-at-source card.

A catch worth flagging: to get an ordinary tax card you generally need your henkilötunnus first, reinforcing the sequence above. Once issued, your tax card can be delivered electronically to your employer. We go deeper on rates, deductions and the pre-completed tax return in our Finnish tax system guide.

Step Five: Banking and Moving Money

With a henkilötunnus and ID in hand, you can open an account at a Finnish bank — Nordea, OP, S-Pankki, Danske and Aktia are the main names. The real prize is not just the account but the online banking IDs (pankkitunnukset), which function as your strong electronic identification across Suomi.fi, OmaVero, Kela and a huge range of services. In practice, those bank credentials become your digital passport in Finland.

Opening an account can be slow for newcomers, and some banks ask for proof of a Finnish address or an employment relationship. In the meantime — and for receiving a first salary, paying rent, or sending money home — many expats use a multi-currency account such as Wise or Revolut, which can be opened quickly online and give you euro account details before your Finnish bank is sorted. For ongoing low-cost international transfers, these services are typically far cheaper than a traditional bank wire. We compare the Finnish banks and the interim options in our banking guides.

Step Six: Housing

Housing is one of the few steps that does not strictly require a henkilötunnus to start, so you can begin researching before you arrive — though signing a serious lease is easier once you are registered. The main rental portals are Oikotie, Vuokraovi and Tori; agencies and student housing foundations (such as HOAS in the Helsinki region) are alternatives.

Expect competition in greater Helsinki, deposits typically of one to three months' rent (vakuus), and a choice between fixed-term and open-ended (continuous) contracts. Scams targeting newcomers exist, so never pay a deposit for a flat you (or a trusted contact) have not seen, and be wary of below-market listings demanding upfront transfers. Once you have an address, remember to register it with DVV so your kotikunta and official mail are correct.

Step Seven: Work and Settling In

If you are not arriving with a job already, Finland's public Job Market Finland service (tyomarkkinatori.fi) and LinkedIn are the main starting points, with a meaningful number of English-speaking roles in tech, research and international companies — concentrated in Helsinki, Tampere, Oulu and Turku. Finnish work culture tends toward flat hierarchies, punctuality, directness and a genuinely protected work-life balance.

Beyond the official checklist, the soft side of settling in matters: a mobile subscription (the major carriers are DNA, Elisa and Telia, and unlimited data is the norm), a public transport card (HSL in the capital region, VR for intercity trains), and bracing for the practicalities of a Finnish winter. These are smaller steps, but they are the ones that make a new country start to feel like home.

A Realistic Timeline

No two moves are identical, but a typical sequence looks like this:

• Before you arrive: non-EU residence permit application (often months ahead); line up interim health insurance; research housing.
• Week 1: arrive, secure temporary or permanent housing, get a local SIM, submit the DVV registration form and book your in-person appointment; EU citizens submit their right-of-residence registration to Migri.
• Weeks 1–4: attend DVV in person, receive your henkilötunnus and kotikunta decision, then open a bank account, order your tax card and apply to Kela.
• First few months: start work, register your permanent address, settle into the tax and social-security systems, and begin (if you wish) integration and language courses.

The single biggest mistake newcomers make is treating these as independent errands. They are a chain. Knowing that — and starting the residence and DVV steps as early as possible — is what turns a daunting bureaucratic move into a series of manageable appointments. For a day-by-day version, see our first-week arrival checklist.