Top 10 Things to Do When Moving to Finland

So, since your internet search got you all the way here, you must be thinking about moving to Finland or have already done so. Or you just have nothing else to do than reading my articles :). So, here it goes:

1.) Find a place to live such as an apartment or a house

2.) In order to rent a place you need to get a home insurance. This is not that expensive and will cost you about 200 euro/year. For this you can go to Pohjola

3.) Get internet service. Finland is more connected than most places on
earth :). This highly depends on where you live, but Welho seems to have good deals.

4.) Now, you need to get registered into the population registry and this is done at your local Maistraatti office. All you need is a passport and a couple of weeks later you will receive your social security number which is more important than your name in Finland.

5.) If you are in Helsinki, you might want to ask for a temporary SSN when in Maistraatti, so you can get a travel card right away. Travel cards are used on all public transports in Helsinki and you can either put money on the card or pre-pay monthly etc. etc.

6.) Once you have a job, you should register with the immigration police. This is called registering the right of stay in Finland. Fill in and sign the form "The Registration Information on a Foreigner". If you are an EU citizen you just need your passport, 40 euro, your contract and a lot of patience as it can take many hours waiting to get to actually drop your stuff of. Come at 8am to avoid long queues and do not come after 2pm as they will not serve you. It takes them about 2 months to get a decision on your application.

7.) Now you want to get paid right? So, get a bank account. You probably just need a passport and again your contract for this. Some banks to try are Osuuspankki and Nordea. By the way, the OP bank doesn't have the greatest English interface, but good service.

8.) After you have worked for a couple of weeks and if you are form the last EU countries to join the union, you should submit a form to the employment office to notify them of your employment. The office is located at Mikonkatu 7, 3rd floor (helsinki.kluuvi@mol.fi) and the form is here. However, be wary that nobody will have a clue what you are talking about as they have never seen this form, yet they will be nice and take it off your hands :).

9.) If you are working you don't want to have 60% tax taken out right? You need to apply for a tax card. This process is very simple. If you are in Helsinki, go to Vuorikatu 14, right in the metro station. More information can be found on the tax site.

10.) Last, but definitely not least, you will have to pay a visit to your local Kela office. Kela is a sort of social security in Finland. Find out more about Kela here.
Kela FPA

One site that is very helpful and has a lot of collected information is the Expats Finland page, so give it a shot. And if you are bringing your car with you, don't forget to visit the custom's site for official forms and regulations. You will be looking for a form which will tell you how to bring vehicle as part of removal goods.

Tervetuloa and good luck!

Buffalo Chicken Wing Hunt in Helsinki, Finland

After our initial Prague Buffalo wing hunt, which really wasn't all that successful, so needs to be repeated, we decided to attempt similar in Helsinki, Finland. Now, Finland is not known for its spicy food. Actually, Finnish people are not too keen on spicy stuff, but Helsinki is so international nowadays that it is not a problem to get some spiciness into your life.

Our first stop was the hip restaurant in the center (Kamppi) called Memphis. The chicken wings here weren't the real deal, however, the spicy dip that came with them was not bad at all. Otherwise, the wings were a bit too dry. The next place we went to was a typical American restaurant called Chico's. With that name, one would assume they would have great buffalo wings, however, big mistake. There was no sign of chicken wings on the menu and the burgers we ordered were little to be desired, so this is one is a no go.

Third try was the Southern Fried Chicken fast food joint in Kamppi again. Who else would know how to make some wings than this place. And it wasn't far from the truth. The chicken wings came already dipped in a spicy sauce which was not that bad for Finland, but it still left a bit more to be desired for the real Buffalo wings.

After the different restaurant dining, we decided to visit local supermarkets to see if we can make the spicy chicken wings we desire ourselves. Finland is actually known for having a lot of different already marinated meats available in the stores, so it didn't take long to find two different chicken wings packets soaking in delicious red spicy sauce. After about an hour in the oven, we were munching on probably the best wings we have had in a while. They weren't perfect, but were damn good. Especially if we can add some cayenne pepper and some Thai spicy chili sauce.

Our quest is of course not over yet, so stay tuned for more delicious spicy sticky wing stories.

Hang on now. Breaking news :). Just came across the finnish society of spicy sauces (in Finnish) and got the original Buffalo Wing Sauce from them, so will have to try it out. Will probably be the winner there.