Moving to Finland From US

Blessed with scenic landscapes and excellent work ethic, Finland is the perfect destination that expats can ever choose. Ranked as the happiest place in the entire globe, this Nordic country will never disappoint you as an expat. Back in 2016, Finland’s capital Helsinki became an excellent choice for the expats as it serves outstanding opportunities in terms of work, family security, settlement, and educational opportunities.

On that note, if you are moving to Finland from US, this guide is all that you need to go through! Before you pack your bags, don’t forget to connect with a professional packer. Having served innumerable clients, we are the international US to Finland Movers that offer an outstanding set of relocation services. On that note, here we present you with a comprehensive country guide about Finland. Without further discussion, let’s dive into Finland!

Finland is excellent when it comes to working conditions. Creating an exceptional balance between work and life, the equality practiced in the workplace is remarkable.

As a whole, there are 10 public holidays in Finland. The minimum holiday allowance in a year is 24 holidays only. Working hours in Finland include 8 hours a day which makes it 40 hours a week. However, the timings and shifts definitely differ from sector to sector.

A huge population of people working in Finland work in the service industry viz, education, commerce, hotel and restaurant service, social and health service, transportation, etc. On the rural side, forestry is an essential industry and is practiced widely. One of the largest employed parts of Finland is the capital city Helsinki. This public sector offers an extensive variety of jobs in the field of transportation, maintenance, health care, education, social services, etc.

Expats moving to Finland from US must be aware of the industries that require labor. Some industries that demand workers frequently are technical sales, accommodation and catering, hospitality, administrative, and support services. Qualified job seekers can try in such sectors.

On that note, small and medium-sized enterprises are introducing new employment contracts for expats. In such cases, self-employment is an excellent option for business-oriented minds relocating from US to Finland.

Finland enjoys universal healthcare offered by Kela. It is a Finnish Social Insurance Institution. In case you reside in Finland on a permanent note, Kela has got you covered.

Generally, Finland offers both a publicly funded healthcare sector and a privately funded healthcare sector. Although, all the health care services come under the municipalities. Hence, once you are done emigrating to Finland from US, connect with your local municipal health center to help you with all the health-related issues.

Regardless of the financial status of residents, public healthcare is available to every permanent resident. Expats who have moved to Finland from US for a temporary stay are also available for state-based medical treatment. However, in such cases, they need to offer a European health insurance card. Usually, public healthcare is not entirely free, but it charges a minimal amount of around €20.60 to see a doctor in primary health care.

Private health insurance is also available. However, maximum Finns prefer public insurance. Additionally, public healthcare systems are comparatively costly as well.

With the Internet, you can hunt for the house of your choice easily. A few popular websites to search for accommodation include Lumo, Oikotie, Jokakoti, Etuovi, and Vuokraovi.

In Finland, people are more inclined towards buying a house instead of renting. Speaking of foreigners, there are no restrictions when it comes to buying properties. Many cities offer rented housing. This option is quite cheap and affordable than renting individually.

Ideally, housing in Finland is expensive. In fact, it is even higher in Helsinki. To be more precise, an average of Finland residents spend around 22% of their income on housing and accommodation.

Although the rental price does not count gas and electricity, the tenant thus pays all these bills directly. At times, even water is excluded from the rent. However, when you find an ideal rental house, you need to pay a certain security deposit. The security deposit is a sum of the monthly rent for 3 months.

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Compulsory Education in Finland starts once children turn 7. The total duration of complete school life is 9 years. The faculty of every school in Finland is phenomenal. Teachers pay special attention to students who need extra care thereby providing individual support.

In case you are relocating from US to Finland with your family and toddlers, you can sign them up in daycare. Apart from municipal daycare, there are several private daycare centers. Although they can cost you a bit more, daycares are important.

There is absolutely no doubt when Finland is referred to as the happiest country. Here, children attend school for relatively fewer hours as compared to any other country. School in Finland involves more hours in playing and growing.

One excellent approach in Finland’s education system is that children are not required to complete any standardized tests before their last year in school. Remarkably, this approach yields excellent results in terms of education on a global level. Public schools in Finland teach two official languages: Finnish and Swedish. Children are taught English as well. This indicates that Finns have excellent command over 2 foreign languages. For expats emigrating to Finland from US, the educational life of their children is going to be highly enriching.

There are a few independent institutions in Finland including international, Steiner schools, and religious ones. However, there are no other private schools in Finland. This is because Finnis highly believe in the concept of equality.

All and all, the Finnish education system maintains equality. Hence, regardless of the school expats approach, the quality of education remains the same.

International Schools

In all the International Schools in Finland, English is the official language. Several institutions instruct in German and French as well.

One excellent international school for expat’s kids is the International School of Helsinki. Apart from this, Ressu Comprehensive School in the very same capital city teaches in Finnish as well as the English language. They do not charge any tuition. The English School in Helsinki teaches in English and Finnish but does not charge any tuition fee again. École Française Jules Verne offers instruction in French. The Deutsche Schule Helsinki teaches in German.

Coming outside Helsinki, several other international schools involve the Finnish International School of Tampere, the Turku International School, the International School of Vantaa, and the Oulu International School.

Higher Education

Finland offers exceptional opportunities for higher education. Expats emigrating to Finland from US can have access to several university programs available in English, Finnish and Swedish. Ideally, Helsinki offers 6 Universities among which many are specialized like the Finnish Academy of Fine Arts, the Hanken School of Economics, and the Theatre Academy.

When it comes to the cost of living, Finland is recognized as the 8th most expensive country on the continent. This focuses on the cost of tobacco, beverages, and food in 38 European countries. All and all, when you move to Finland from US, note that Finland offers an exciting and high standard of living.

However, coming back to the cost of living, Finland is strict when it comes to beer. Finland charges the highest price for all alcoholic beverages. Here is a quick breakdown of the prices of food, beverages, and petrol.

A few desirable expat destinations in Finland include,

Helsinki

Being the capital city, Helsinki is home to almost the greater population of expats. It offers an ideal work-life balance. Helsinki is a vibrant city known for maintaining eclectic nightlife, a brilliant atmosphere, and proper gender equality. If you are relocating to Finland from US for work, Helsinki is your place.

Tampere

Being the third-largest city, every 5th citizen in this city is a student. The cost of living in Tampere is relatively much lower as compared to the capital city. If you are immigrating to Finland from US for study purposes, Tampere is the ideal destination for students.

Espoo

Espoo is the second-largest city in Finland. Apart from this, it is ranked as the second safe city to reside in the country. If you are relocating to Finland from US for work purposes with your family, Espoo is the best location. It has an excellent facility of public transport that is connected with the working hub of the country, Helsinki. Additionally, Espoo offers a top education system. Hence, while immigrating to Finland From US with family, try relocating to Espoo.

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Finland is undoubtedly an intriguing expat destination. However, moving to Finland from US is what it all takes. In case you are worried about how to ship your goods and belongings to Finland, give us a call today. We at US to Finland Movers provide an excellent set of relocation services besides calculating all the essential custom processes. Our moving company in US offers shipping, packing, unpacking, etc at excellent cost-effective rates. Being a certified and licensed US To Finland Movers, our team of professionals provides quality services to help you move across country. Give us a call today and allow us to help you with packing to move across country efficiently and effortlessly thereby saving your time and energy.