Pre-arrival essentials

Check that your passport is valid.

Apply for an entry permit to Finland (if the entry permit is required from you). Entry permit requirements depend on your citizenship, capacity in which you work in Finland and the duration of your stay.

Citizen of the European Union (EU) or the European Economin Area (EEA)

Employees coming from the Nordic Countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) are allowed to arrive and work without residence permits or visas in Finland.

Citizens of the member states of the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA) do not need a residence permit either. However, if you are staying in Finland for longer than three months (90 days) you must register your right to reside in Finland at your local police station in Finland.

As a rule, a foreign citizen must carry a valid passport in order to enter Finland. Since the Schengen Agreement has been applied in Finland (2001), transiting (including flights) from one country to another within the Schengen Area is done without border controls.

Nevertheless, citizens of the Schengen countries must have a passport or an internationally recognised official identity card during their stay in Finland. It is recommended that those coming from the Schengen countries bring a passport with them to Finland. It is absolutely necessary in case you desire to travel outside the EU from Finland, e.g., to Russia.

Links: Schengen Area

Non-European Union (Non-EU) and Non-European Economic Area (Non-EEA) Citizens

Citizens from the non-EU/EEA countries usually need to obtain a visa or a residence permit / residence permit for employed persons before their arrival in Finland. You must initiate the application process yourself. The University of Eastern Finland cannot apply for the entry documents on your behalf.

Visa - an entry permit for short visits that do not exceed the duration of three months (90 days)

Researchers, teachers and specialists coming to work at the University of Eastern Finland on the basis of an invitation or a contract for no longer than 90 days, do not need a residence permit. They must, however, have a valid visa. Citizens from certain countries are exempt the from visa requirement. To apply for a visa and to see if you can enter Finland free of visa, please see the visa requirements at the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

If you are working at the University of Eastern Finland in any other capacity than researcher/teacher/specialist, you must apply for a residence permit / residence permit for an employed person.

Further information:

Right to work without a residence permit

Schengen visa info

Residence permit - an entry permit to work in Finland for longer than three months (90 days)

The required permit depends on your duties and background:

• a researcher (PhD students, researchers, postdocs, professors etc). If you already have a residence permit for research granted by other EU member state, please see more information here.
• a specialist  (teachers, specialists or top or middle management of a company)
• a person who has completed a degree in Finland
• family member (spouse and children)

How to apply for a residence permit

1. Submit your application online

Submitting the residence permit application electronically at Enter Finland is the cheapest and fastest way to get a residence permit decision. Please note that you must attach a hosting letter provided by UEF to your application. You will also need a copy of your passport and a photo that complies with the requirement listed at https://poliisi.fi/en/submitting-passport-photographs. 

Check the video of how to apply a residence permit in Finland https://youtu.be/fmT-PTjJgiQ, and how to use Enter Finland (https://youtu.be/JlZ8F460UUI) (both videos by Finnish Immigration Service).

Good to know when filling in the application:

• UEF´s business ID is 2285733-9
• If you wish to bring your spouse/partner and family to Finland, it is recommended to submit all the applications at the same time. If the spouse/partner and family members submit their applications later, the processing times are substantially longer. For further information, please see here (https://migri.fi/en/moving-to-finland-to-be-with-a-family-member).
• Request for Finnish personal ID number. It is recommended that you request for a Finnish personal ID number at the same time as you apply for a residence permit. The Finnish personal identity code is needed for tax purposes, opening a Finnish bank account etc. Having the personal identity number before your arrival will make many situations easier in the Finnish society. You can request for the ID number by ticking the box in section called population registration and personal identity code in the application.

2.   Book an appointment with a Finnish Embassy

Although the residence permit application can be submitted electronically, you must visit the Finnish Embassy in person to verify your identity and to present the original documents. Your application will not be processed until you have visited the Embassy.

Book an appointment with a Finnish Embassy as soon as possible. Many embassies are busy and getting an appointment might take months.  If there is no Finnish Embassy in your home country, you should contact the Finnish Embassy nearest to your home country.  Please note that applications cannot be submitted to honorary consulates.

Contact information of Finnish Embassies around the world can be found at https://um.fi/finland-s-representation-abroad-by-country
 
3.  Wait for the decision

You can use the processing time checker to see the estimated processing time of your application. Please note that you cannot come to Finland before you have been granted a residence permit.

Make sure that you have the official marriage certificate and birth certificates of children with you if you want to register your marital status and family ties.

Legalisation of Birth and Marriage Certificates

If you intend to live in Finland for at least a year, you must register at a Digital and Population Data Services. If you are married or have children and you wish to register your family relations officially, you must provide legalised and translated marriage and/or birth certificate upon registration. Legalisation does not mean the same as an original document. Please note that usually legalisation process can be done only in the country that has issued the document. Please make sure that you with the needed documents before your arrival in Finland.

Legalisation is done in two different ways depending on whether the country that has supplied the document has ratified the Hague Convention of 1961 or not. Documents from countries that have ratified the Hague Convention are legalised by the issuance of a so-called Apostille Certificate (a stamp or a paper certificate). Documents issued by other countries are legalised through the so-called Grand Legalisation procedure.

Please note that population register documents in English no longer need to be legalised between Finland and Estonia.

Information sources and further information:

Legalisation of documents (Digital and Population Data Services Agency) 

Finnish diplomatic missions abroad

Joensuu and Kuopio are located in the eastern part of Finland, approximately 400 kilometres from the capital Helsinki.

When you are making travel arrangements, please note that most of the university buildings are open and fully staffed Monday to Friday between 8/9am and 4pm.

Learn more about how to get from Helsinki to Joensuu and Kuopio:

• Arriving to Joensuu Campus
• Arriving to Kuopio Campus

It is important to arrange accommodation in advance. You should start making housing arrangements as soon as your stay at the University of Eastern Finland has been officially agreed.

Short-term accommodation

Even if you are planning a long-term stay, it might be useful to book short-term accommodation at first. Staying in a local hotel/hostel will allow you to get to know the city better and you can get a feel for the local areas and transport connections to the university, city centre and other essential locations.

The University of Eastern Finland has got a limited number of guest rooms and one guest apartment at the Kuopio Campus and guest apartments in Joensuu.

Alternatively you may wish to book short-term accommodation in a local hotel, hostel or Airbnb. For further details, please visit the websites of accommodation in Kuopio region and accommodation in Joensuu region.

Long-term Accommodation

Rented housing can be found via the city, estate agents or private landlords. You can find housing advertisements in the Internet and in the local newspapers. Consulting your colleagues is recommended too. Your colleagues may have some useful tips on issues such as transport, shops and services, schools and childcare etc.

Tenancy agreements are typically signed for a minimum of 12 months. This means that the agreement cannot be terminated during the first year. Making shorter tenancy agreements can be difficult. Apartments are usually rented unfurnished, which means that you need to buy/bring furniture, cooking ware and textiles etc. yourself. However, fitted clothes and kitchen cabinet and cupboards, refrigerator and stove are always included in the rent.

In order to rent an apartment, a security deposit is usually required. This deposit is usually equivalent to 1-3 months' rent. The deposit will be returned to you when you move out of the apartment, provided that you have paid the rent, kept the apartment in good condition and cleaned the apartment thoroughly.

Joensuu (see also nationwide property rental sites below)

• Kotimaailma  Site available in Finnish and English
• Apartamentos Joensuu  Furnished apartments, site available in Finnish, English and Russian
• Lumo apartments in Joensuu
• Joensuun Kodit  (Fin, Eng, Rus)
• OVV-asuntopalvelut 
• Joensuun Elli Student Housing Company- For undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students (Fin, Eng)

Kuopio (see also nationwide property rental sites below)

• Kuopio Student Housing Company, Kuopas (Mainly for undergraduate and graduate students. Postgraduate students can also apply but priority is given to undergraduate and graduate students)
•  Tekma housing (Mainly for undergraduate and graduate students. Postgraduate students can also apply but priority is given to undergraduate and graduate students)
• Niiralan Kulma Oy (only in Finnish)
• m2 kodit- (affordable housing in Kuopio and 30 other locations in Finland) 
• A-Kruunu (State subsidised rental housing in Kuopio and other major cities in Finland) 
• Lumo apartments in Kuopio
• OVV-asuntopalvelut
•  Forenom (offers also furnished apartments)

Nationwide property rental sites

• Vuokraovi (portal for rented housing)
• Oikotie (Oikotie is a portal for renting apartments and selling apartments and cars)
• Tori (Online forum for selling for all kinds of items, also advertisements for rented apartments)
• Realiamanagement.fi (Realia Asuntovuokraus is responsible for the leasing of Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company's flats)

See also

• Information on rental housing in Finland (vuokraturva.fi)
• Finding housing in Finland (expat-finland.fi)
• Rental dwelling in Finland (infopankki.fi)
• Real estate terms Finnish-English  (expat-finland.fi)
• Act of Residential Leases (finlex.fi)

Please note that it is not possible to change foreign currency in Joensuu or Kuopio, so it is not advisable to bring foreign cash with you. If you can't exchange euros before coming to Finland, you can exchange currency at Helsinki airport or Forex branches. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted and cash can be withdrawn from ATMs.

Occupational accident insurance for staff members

All staff members whose employment has continued nonstop for at least one month are insured by the University of Eastern Finland. The staff are covered by the University insurance at work, on their way to/from work and when travelling on business. For further details, please see the UEF Heimo (login required).

No leisure time coverage

UEF's occupational accident insurance and the occupational health care services provided by the University of Eastern Finland do not cover leisure time or any family members. Therefore, taking out a private health insurance for you and your family members is strongly recommended. More information can be found below.

European Health Insurance Card

If you live and work in Finland and belong to the Finnish social security scheme (Kela), you can order the EHIC card from Kela. Please see here for more information. Please note that the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is not an alternative to travel insurance.

Insurance for researchers working on a grant

Grant recipients are not entitled to use occupational health care services provided by the UEF. If you have a municipality of residence registered to you, you are entitled to use the public health care services and pay the same client fees as local residents.

However, if you don't have a municipality of residence in Finland or come from the EU countries, you are not entitled to use public health care services. As a temporary resident in Finland, you will receive acute treatment in a hospital in case of an emergency, but you will have to cover the full expenses yourself.

Grant recipients without a municipality of residence should primarily use health services provided by private health care centres. Private health services are considerably more expensive for the client than public ones.

Private health insurance

Finnish insurance companies provide health insurance only for permanent residents of Finland who can speak Finnish, taking out a private health insurance before your arrival in Finland is strongly recommended.

The University of Eastern Finland has negotiated together with other higher education institutes in Finland an insurance with MARSH/SIP. Their insurance is primarily intended for students, but also staff members and their families are eligible for this insurance. You are welcome to choose any reliable insurance broker. Please consult the insurance brokers in the country of your residence or contact international insurance providers.

Further information

• Sip Insurance
• ACS
• Swisscare

If you are moving to Finland with your spouse/partner and family, it is important to carefully consider the practical arrangements for the family members, so that they would also have a fulfilling and productive stay in Finland. The following information is intended to help make the transition to Finland as smooth as possible for new staff members and their families.

For further information on schooling and day care, please see here.

If you move your personal possessions from your home country to Finland, please contact the relocating / shipping companies in your country of residence, or see some alternatives at: www.expat-finland.com/moving_to_finland/international_movers.html

Unless you know the size of the apartment where you are moving to, you should only bring the essentials. Inexpensive furniture and items for your home can be bought in second-hand shops or shops such as Ikea. If you wish to bring electrical appliances and/or electronics, you might need a voltage converter and a plug adapter unless you have dual-voltage electronics.

Bringing a car to Finland as removal goods

If you intend to bring a car to Finland as removal goods you must declare it to customs. 

The use of a vehicle in traffic also requires:

• A declaration of use confirmed by Finnish Tax Administration
• A valid EU/EEA registration or a transfer permit
• A traffic insurance valid in Finland.

Temporary tax-free use of car

If you live permanently outside Finland you may, on certain conditions, use a car in Finland without having to pay car tax. The extent of the right to tax-free use depends on whether the vehicle has been imported for the person’s use (a so-called tourist car) or if it is used for business purposes.

The following conditions are to be met for tax -free use:

• Your permanent place of residence is registered abroad
• The car is registered abroad
• You only use the vehicle up to 6 months in a 12-month period
• The motor insurance is valid in Finland

See also:

• Taxation of removal goods and importation of vehicles (tulli.fi)
• Car registration and taxes in Finland for EU nationals (europa.eu)
• Using a motor vehicle registered abroad in Finland if you are a student (tax.fi)

Make sure that your routine vaccinations are up-to-date. At least the following vaccinations/immunisations should be reviewed and updated if necessary:  measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, and polio vaccine. Bringing immunisation records is recommended.

• https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations/europe-russia/finland
• Guidelines for border traffic during pandemic

Bringing your medical records and your children's immunisation records is also recommended.  If you are on continuous medication, please make sure you will be able to get the appropriate medicine in Finland. You may check the availability of a specific medicine on the National Agency for Medicines website.
If you have an illness that requires permanent medical treatment, it is advisable to bring the prescriptions with you.

• Customs instructions concerning medicine