The Land of The Uspenski Cathedral, Suomenlinna Fortress

& The Åland Islands

 Information on Relocating to Finland

• The capital city of Finland is Helsinki with about 561 thousand people. The political centre is in Helsinki where the President resides. Finland is a Republic.

• Language: There are two official languages spoken: Finnish and Swedish. The TV programs are in their original languages and subtitled. There are about 5 different channels 4 Finnish (subtitled) 1 Swedish without subtitles. And then of course there is cable and satellite.

• Population: The population is about 5.3 million people - 90.7% are Finn, 5.5% Swede, 0.03% Sami, 3.5 other.

• Expat areas: Popular areas for the Expat community are Helsinki, Oulu, Tampere, and Turku.

• Housing: The rental markets in Finland are small. There are far more possible tenants than available rental properties, and the prices keep increasing. Especially renting a furnished or a larger apartment can be difficult. The rental availabilities in the main areas are of course the largest, but the prices are also higher than in for example Oulu and Tampere. Because of the long cold winter and high heating expenses with imported oil/electricity Finnish apartments and houses are relatively small. Typical 1 bedroom + kitchen is about 45-60 m²,(430-645 ft²) and 2 bedrooms + kitchen around 60-80m² (645-861 ft²). Again because of the winter, the building style is very heat-effective with double or triple glazed windows and good insulation in walls, floors, and ceilings.

• Cost of housing: Varies from area to area and the size of the apartment you'll pay anything from Euro 700-Euro 3500 and higher. The local currency is EURO.

• Schools: There are the American, British, French, German and Russian schools and of course  all the local school systems available. Depending on the age we can tell you about waiting lists, etc.

• Transportation: There is a great public transportation system. Plain, trains, trams, busses, subway, and taxis.

• Banking: The banking hours are generally from Monday-Friday from 10.00 am - 4.30 pm. The banks are closed on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

• Shopping: Monday-Friday 9.00am – 9.00pm, Saturday 9.00am – 6.00pm and Sundays 12.00noon -9.00pm. Shop opening hours may be decided by the shops themselves.

• Climate: The climate of Finland is marked by cold winters and fairly warm summers. In the far north of the country the sun does not set for about 73 days, producing the white nights of summer. In winter the sun remains below the horizon for 51 days in the far north. In summer the temperature quite often rises to 20°C (68°F) or more and occasionally goes up to  30°C (86°F) in southern and eastern parts of the country. In winter temperatures of -20°C (4°F) are not uncommon in many areas. Finnish Lapland invariably has the lowest winter temperatures.

• Culture: There is something for everyone: art, theatre, concerts, cinema, museums and lots of outdoor activities, festivals etc. Sauna is of course the only Finnish word in the world's vocabulary, and for a good reason, as Finland is considered to be the home of sauna. Finns are of course passionate with sauna; even most city apartments have an individual tiny sauna. During the summertime the lake-side sauna, heated with real wood, is however a real experience which everyone visiting Finland should try.

• Public holidays: January 1st-New Year; Good Friday, Easter Monday-(dates vary); May 1st-“Vappu”; June 21st-Mid-summer-day or “Juhannus”; December 6th-Independence day; December 25th & 26th Christmas Day.