Helsinki.
So I ended up in Helsinki. The first thing that struck me in this city was the purest air. When I arrived at 2200, I went to the hotel and went to the office this morning. I always did more backend work, but at the final interview I got a day's assignment to implement a new frontend feature. After spending the whole day in the Finnish office I had a strange feeling that it had always been like this, I felt very comfortable. And the team had quite happy faces, which was a good sign. In the evening we discussed what I had done during the day and I went to the hotel, at 6am I had a plane home.
A week later they sent me a letter asking me to move to Finland with a contract. I had to read the letter several times to realize that everything was really happening. I was given a month to get ready to go, I quit my previous job, made a multiple Schengen that allowed me to stay until I got my residence permit in the country, packed two huge suitcases (maybe something might be needed in the north) and set off on the road.
Documents in Finland.
In order to stay in Finland for a long time, I applied for a residence permit for special expert. To do this, I had to fill out a form on the EnterFinland website and attach a list of necessary documents. The main document is a contract with a company and then a set of different papers - a notarized translation of a higher education diploma and in my case a work record book, because the diploma was not a profile, and for this type of permit it is necessary to prove that you really are a specialist. The first permit is issued for one year, it cost me 450 euros. Extending permit is much easier and costs twice as much, the second permit is issued for a period of 2 to 4 years. The timing of the decision to issue permit varies from two weeks to n months. After visiting the migration office, you will receive a code that you can use to stay in the country until you receive the decision.
The next step was to obtain a henkilötunnus or a social security number by visiting the Helsinki City Hall as soon as possible, because without this number you will not be able to move on and you will hardly be able to rent an apartment without it.
You will then need to visit the Verotoimisto Tax Office to get your tax card. After the long-awaited residence permit card, the following chain of quests opened up for me. Obtaining a Finnish ID (since the residence permit is not an ID, it is a visa), opening a bank account (which is not possible without an ID) and obtaining a Kela social security card.
Search for an apartment.
At first, I was staying at the hotel while I was processing the necessary documents and applying for permit. The process of finding an apartment looked like this. I printed out a form from the website where I could find an apartment for rent. On the site indicate the time when you need to come to the address where they arrange to view the apartment, the view can come in addition to you from 3 to 23 people, which complicates the search. If you like the apartment, you leave the form and leave, hoping that you will receive a call. Of course, Finns will be the first to be considered. But I'm lucky here too, I found an apartment after the third viewing. My nest became an apartment of 23 square meters near the center of Helsinki.
A little bit about Helsinki.
- The cleanest air and water you can drink from under the tap. I couldn't get used to it a few weeks after I moved and still boiled it with suspicion.
- Magnificent nature, which can be found even in the city. Beautiful parks, islands, the sea and of course the city centre with its beautiful architecture.
- The majority of the population speaks fluent English, I've been living here for a year and I've never had a problem explaining myself, which is a huge plus, because Finnish is not an easy language.
- Prices in Finland are considered high, but the wage/price ratio is quite acceptable. Products are generally more expensive than in Russia. Apartments near the city center are quite expensive. But it is quite possible to find a one-room apartment for 700 euros a month. The farther from the center, the cheaper it is, of course, so if living in the center is not the key point, then in more remote areas you can find excellent two-bedroom apartments in new houses for 800 euros a month.
- The transport system is well developed. Tickets for all types of transport within the area of Helsinki city will cost 55 euros per month.
- Higher education in Finland is of high quality and free for residents. If you have a certain type of residence permit, you can enter any Finnish university and study for free.
- Lack of bureaucracy. In my opinion, it is quite easy to get a document in Finland.
- Finns respect their privacy, so there is a chance that someone will stand at a bus stop and breathe into your back when there is no space around. The Finns are pretty friendly, though, judging by their harsh faces, you can't say that. So feel free to ask for help.
The year in Finland has gone by unnoticed.
I'm fine with it, and if you're planning to move, but you're not sure you can find a job, I can tell you that's fine! I proved to myself that this is possible.
Read the first part here: