Finland attracts Russians with a favorable political and economic environment, incorruptibility of the authorities, good ecology, excellent level of medical care and social protection. You can move there for permanent residence at work, study, to start a business or reunite with your family. You can read more about moving to Finland on various grounds.
Russians in Finland
When planning a move to Finland for permanent residence from Russia, you need to consider many details. Usually, immigrants begin planning their move either by looking for work in a specialty or university for training, or by choosing a place where they want to live. Many are guided by the presence of a community in the city, because it’s easier to get used to it and it’s easier to find friends in a new place.
Russians in Finland today make up only about 1% of the population, but recently the cultural and economic influence of the Russian community on life in the country has been increasing.
Some municipalities have even introduced Russian as a substitute for Swedish in secondary schools. In 2012, the Russian Culture Support Fund was established in the country. Despite all the government’s attempts to intensify the fight against discrimination of Russian speakers, noticeable Russophobia is still observed among the indigenous people.
After the founding of St. Petersburg and the Northern War, the first wave of immigrants poured into these places - Russian peasants, Finns and Ingermanlanders. Moving to Finland then was not difficult, because the country was partly part of the Russian Empire. The current stage is characterized by the division into the old (the immigrants before the 1920s and their descendants) and new (those who moved after the collapse of the USSR) communities.
Residence permit in Finland
All persons arriving in the country for a period of more than 90 days and who are not citizens of the European Union must obtain a residence permit. EU citizens only need to register the right to stay - this procedure is somewhat simpler.
When moving to Finland for permanent residence from Russia, you must first obtain a temporary residence permit, which will indicate the specific purpose of arrival, for example, business, work or training. If the reason for your stay has changed, then you need to apply for a new document on new grounds. This applies only to category A or B cards.
A permanent residence permit (P-EU for third-country nationals) can be obtained if the grounds for issuing previous permits remain valid, that is, you continue to work, study, do business, and so on, you have lived for at least five years under a category A document in Finland and during this time did not live abroad for more than ten months. The issued document has no expiration date.
With questions regarding migration legislation, when moving to Finland, foreigners can contact the Migration Service, official representative offices of the country abroad, and consultants on migration issues in the region of their stay in the country. A lot of things in Finland can be solved via the Internet, so perhaps a personal consultation will not be needed.
Cost and terms of registration
The cost of paperwork varies depending on the purpose of living in Finland and the application form. So, for employees, the state fee is 520 euros for filing in paper form or 450 euros in electronic form. Students must pay 360 or 300 euros respectively. For minors, the price in any case will be 250 euros. Other categories will have to pay 470 euros or 420 for electronic registration. Renewal costs 187 euros.
Minimum terms for consideration of documents are provided for students. The whole procedure will take about a month. But for family reunion, permission can be expected up to 9 months. In connection with employment, a residence permit is usually issued for 3-4 months. You can renew the card on the spot (at the place of residence) for a month. During the consideration of the application, you can live and work or study in Finland, but only if the documents are submitted more than once.
Livelihood
When submitting documents for moving to Finland to the migration service to issue a residence permit, you must confirm that you have a source of livelihood.
In the event that you move to get a job or start your own business, you need to confirm that the money earned or earned is enough for a living. If you are going to a family member, then this person must have sufficient income to provide for himself and a relative who is moving to Finland.
Confirmation can serve as a statement of the state of the bank account, a certificate from the employer about the amount of wages, an extract from the tax and the like.
To work in Finland
Moving to Finland for permanent residence for the purpose of employment requires obtaining the appropriate category of residence permit. Before receiving a document, you need to find a job, and after that apply. All this must be done before moving to Finland. It is important that the category of permits depends on the type of work that you are going to do.
For the au pair, cooks and janitors, a “residence permit for the employee” is required. For employment in the field of culture, science and art, research, for managerial positions in enterprises or for a specialist position, for an internship you need to obtain a residence permit, which is issued not in the migration service, but in the Bureau of Employment and Economic Development.
For seasonal work (agricultural work, forestry, work not festivals), the duration of which is less than nine months, you need to get a special residence permit for seasonal work. If the work lasts less than three months, then you need to apply for a visa for seasonal workers in the migration service, in other cases - for a residence permit.
There is a permit document obtained on a different basis than in reality, then you need to obtain an additional work permit. Separately, you do not need to obtain an employee's residence permit. You can check for permission in the residence permit card. Education in Finland involves the issuance of a permit for job search - this is an extension of a student's residence permit. On this basis, a document can be obtained only once and for a maximum of one year.
In most cases, in order to obtain a residence permit, you need to apply before moving to Finland. The application is submitted via the Internet, but then you need to visit the representative office of the country to confirm your identity and present the original documents. This must be done within three months from the date of filing the application in electronic form. The review process can be periodically checked independently through the site.
If for some reason it is not possible to submit an application via the Internet, you can do everything in paper form by personally appearing at the Finnish mission abroad.
Consideration is paid. You must pay for the procedure at the time of obtaining a residence permit.
A special paper (form TEM054), which is filled out by the employer, must be attached to the application. The employer provides information about the company, if desired, can pay the state fee for the employee. But the employer cannot apply for the employee - he only fills out additional data when all documents have already been submitted.
Foreigners who move to Finland as a specialist do not need a residence permit, but must have a visa. If you plan to work for more than three months, then you need to get the aforementioned document. You can file an application electronically or in paper.
Work without a residence permit
What is needed to move to Finland without the need for permits? Some categories of professionals can really work in the country without a residence permit. This is possible on the basis of a call as a teacher, sports judge or translator (less than three months), for permanent employees of companies from other EU or EEA countries that arrive to perform temporary work (also for a period of less than three months).
In addition, workers who already have valid travel documents can cross the border without problems, but an asylum application must be submitted (three months must pass from the application). Work in Finland can citizens of other states who have already been in the country for six months, but who do not have valid travel documents, and the asylum application is being considered.
You can clarify these issues on the official website of the Migration Service.
Finding a job in Finland
Information about vacancies is posted on the state website for labor and employment issues and the “Finland Business” portal. To work in the municipal or public sector, you must have permission from the Department of Education on the suitability of foreign professional education. In practice, this means undergoing the recognition of a diploma. You can recognize a diploma for work in other areas, but this is not necessary. Although this conclusion will be good support for finding a job. The suitability of a foreign diploma for continuing studies at a university in Finland is decided by the higher education institutions themselves. Some professions (for example, doctors) require special permits.
While in the country, to find a job, you should use all available channels: newspapers, websites, state portals, a database of the employment service and so on. In the labor market, at work, and in the profession of migrants, the same requirements apply to Finns. The working culture in Finnish society is equal. The employee must clearly follow the instructions and carefully carry out his work, and the employer must offer work and safe conditions, provide preventive health care and pay wages.
Business activities
For EU citizens, a residence permit is not required if the visitor plans to open an enterprise. For immigrants from third countries, it is mandatory to obtain an appropriate residence permit. Business should be cost-effective, ensure the receipt of a sufficient amount of livelihood. The first application must be submitted before moving to Finland from Russia.
The reviews indicate that in Finland various persons fall into the category of entrepreneurs. These are start-ups, and partners in partnerships, and members of the cooperative, and shareholders, and directly individual entrepreneurs. To obtain a residence permit you need to work in your company.
Their activities must be registered in the commercial register before applying for a residence permit. Each application is first considered by the Center for Economics, Ecology and Transport, which assesses the profitability of the company, and then by the migration service, which decides on the issue of a residence permit to the entrepreneur. Startups must be approved by Business Finland.
Moving to study
Reviews about moving to Finland for permanent residence indicate that the most successful option for young people is to study at Finnish higher education institutions. A student can calmly get comfortable in society, get a profession in the country where he has to work, and then quickly search for a place. You can get a job even while studying or at the place of practice. In addition, further recognition of the diploma is not required.
Before applying for a residence permit, you need to get a place to study. Documents to universities are submitted in spring or autumn as part of a nationwide recruitment. All papers and applications can be submitted online.
At home, you should purchase a full coverage insurance policy and get a certificate of sufficient means of subsistence. For one year of study you need to have 6 720 euros in the account. In some cases, the amount will be less, for example, if the university provides the possibility of free accommodation in a hostel or free food. The sponsor (relative or friend) cannot be the source of financing, and the entire amount must be on the student’s account.
After admission to the university you need to request a study permit. Students shall attach a passport, photo, certificate of study at a Finnish university, proof of availability of funds, insurance, certificates of previous education, proof of payment of tuition, certificates of employment (if the training does not require a diploma). A package of documents is submitted to the representative office of the country.
Immigration to a family member
Is it possible to move to Finland with her husband? In this case, you need to have a residence permit for family reasons. The document may be provided to the spouse of a person living in Finland, minor children or parents of a minor child. A standard requirement is the availability of a sufficient amount of funds for the maintenance of a relative of a person permanently residing in the country. They often ask about moving to her husband in Finland, because families often move gradually due to lack of funds, so the question is urgent.
Form filling rules and documents
You need to submit an application to the consulate, representative office of the country or via the Internet in the appropriate form, provide the original and a copy (scan) of the foreign passport, justification of the purpose of arrival, real estate paper (for example, a property agreement), income statement and receipt of payment of the state duty.
The current application form is always on the official website of the migration service. There you can download or view examples of filling. In some cases, additional paper may be required.
At consulates and representative offices, there are companies that assist in moving to Finland, but their services usually consist in filling out the questionnaire, so it makes no sense to pay for it - you can do it yourself.
After moving to Finland
The most difficult actually begins after arriving in the country. Reviews about moving to Finland for permanent residence fully confirm this. New arrivals need to do a lot in an unfamiliar environment and often without sufficient knowledge of the language. You should rent a house (take care of this in advance), register at your place of residence, get a personal identification number, take care of social security, open an account and settle tax issues.
Apartment rental and insurance
Most visitors first live in rented apartments. At least one month must be allocated for housing searches. If you have your own apartment, then you need to purchase insurance that compensates for possible damage. This is not necessary, but very desirable.
Personal identification number
In the reviews about moving to Finland, migrants tell their compatriots that when applying for a residence permit, you can simultaneously apply for a personal identification number. You can then apply to your local municipality or to the tax office.
Registration and Social Security
When moving to Finland for permanent residence, you need to register at the place of residence. In this case, the foreigner will be able to use the services of his municipality. For those who reside permanently in the country, the right to social security is provided. In addition, the social security sector is also influenced by the country from which you arrived. Without such registration in all instances, a foreigner will not be able to get an appointment with a doctor or use other social services and payments.
Banks and tax
Necessarily need a bank account. To open an account, you need a passport or other official identification card. Compare prices and services offered by different financial institutions, it is best already in place. it’s easier to find the most profitable option in each case. For employees or entrepreneurs, you need a tax card, which can be obtained at the office of the place of residence.