People in Finland are happy and satisfied with their lives. This is confirmed not only by annual ratings and studies, but also by personal experiences of those who decided and moved to this country. Such a personal story of relocation is waiting for you in this material.

When moving to Finland, you will need to solve a lot of practical issues, plus prepare mentally for the important step. Our text will help you in this, because personal experience always helps, and does it better than any «dry» guide. 

Irina Skomorokh, who moved to Finland with her family, told us about her relocation-adventure in detail. She shared all the details of her move: how she and her family ended up in Finland, what was required for the move, what makes her attracted to the country, what it is like to live there financially, and what is remarkable about the Finnish rhythm of life.

«Not we chose the country — the country chose us»

— My name is Irina Skomorokh. I am from the Belarusian city of Baranovichi. In Belarus, I worked as a lawyer and also ran a wedding business (I had a wedding salon and also held weddings). 

I’ve been married for many years and my husband’s name is Andrei Lopukh. By education he is also a lawyer ( actually, the university is where we met). However, after a few years of work in his profession, he also opened his own business — he was engaged in freight across Belarus. We have a son named Zakhar. He is now eight years old. 
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Now about how we ended up in Suomi (it is the name of Finland in Finnish). My husband went there for work, on Sep.5, 2021: he works in the bus depot, preparing buses for the trips. My son and I moved a little later, on Oct.13, 2021, on a «family reunion» basis. I am now taking language courses and my son is in 2 grade in a Finnish school.

— When people ask me why we decided to move and why exactly to Finland, I am always stumped, because I don’t know why. We lived well enough in Belarus and had never thought about moving before. 

I thought for a long time and realized that we didn’t choose the country, the country chose us. As strange as it may sound, it is true. There was no thought that we felt bad in Belarus and wanted to move somewhere else, we did not surf the Internet and did not study the top countries for a better life. We had only one option — Finland. 

Our introduction to this country happened in 2019, when we vacationed here for two weeks. Of course, we liked everything: both the vacation itself and the country; but the thought of moving came much later, to be exact — a year later.
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Exactly one year later, I started to write posts about our vacation in Finland, about the country in general, about my observations about Finns, in general, about everything I knew. And then an unprecedented nostalgia came over me. I started reading more about this country, about social guarantees, education system, customs, etc. And I fell in love again, but this time so much that I wanted to live there. It became my dream and goal at the same time, because my dreams are just goals that I set for myself.

«In that moment, I realized what the double feeling is»

— After setting the goal, we moved on to developing a plan.
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So, there are the following options for moving to Finland:

  • get married/marry;
  • go to study;
  • get a job.

The first option fell away by itself, but we took the second two into consideration.

In Finland you can study for free only if you study in Finnish. That’s why I started learning Finnish right away. At the same time, we monitored the labor market and sent our resumes to all the suitable jobs.
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After 8 months of hard searching we got the employment contract. Then we collected all the necessary documents from us and the employer to increase our chances. If we did not present all of the documents at once, the application would take too long, so we scanned everything and even more. It took us another two weeks. 

On May 4, 2021, we applied for a residence permit, after which we had to confirm our identity. Since there is no diplomatic mission of the Republic of Finland in Belarus, we signed up at the Finnish Embassy in Moscow.
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On June 18, having a folder with the original documents, Andrei went to Moscow. Ten minutes, and all done — all checked, all verified, so wait. And how long — an open question. And waiting, I tell you, it is difficult. I went to a personal cabinet every day hoping that I will see the long-awaited decision. But it’s not a matter of one day, especially in the middle of a pandemic.

A month... Two... And I keep on checking my mail.

On August 4, exactly 3 months after the application was submitted, I see the updated information on the website: «Decision made, card ordered.» In that moment, I realized what a double feeling is. I rejoiced that our dream had come true, and my heart wept because I was about to be separated from my family. 

Two weeks after making the decision, Andrew’s residence permit card was ready, and that means we have to go to Moscow again. This time we decided to go together.

There were 9 days before school, during which we had to solve all the issues in Finland (to find an apartment, buy a car, get all the necessary documents, SIM card...) and return before Sep.1. So, with varying success we did the essentials, and went to first grade with our son.

And then came Sep.5, the day Andrei flew to Finland. We stayed in Belarus, and at the time it was completely unclear how long we were going to be separated. I remember how we walked him to the bus, returned home to an empty apartment, and I just started crying. But thank God our parting was short and we saw each other in October.

«The labor exchange is designing a three-year adjustment period for you»

— So, we needed to reunite with my husband as soon as possible. We did not want to apply for reunification from Belarus, because we would have to wait for a decision there (which is 7-8 months — at least, that’s what everyone told us). So from the first days of our separation, we started to deal with the issues that prevented us from moving to Finland.
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First, we had to solve the issue of visas: we had to find out if I could stay in Finland after my visa expired after applying for a residence permit, plus we had to get a visa for Zakhar. Secondly, there was the question of school: we had to find out whether Zakhar would be accepted to school while we were waiting for a residence permit. 
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In fact, all these questions were solved, and on Oct.13 we arrived in Finland.

— I remember very well the long-awaited meeting with my husband. We had two planes, one connecting flight — we were very tired, so we wanted to rest sooner. We quickly loaded our suitcases and drove home.
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Once in Finland, we did two things in parallel: we settled the apartment and made application for residence permit for me and Zakhar. We filled out all the documents as carefully as possible, and on Oct.21 we pushed the cherished button «send». Within 3 months of submitting the application, we had to make an appointment for a personal meeting at the migration service. As a result, we received our residence permit on Jan.25.

After getting a residence permit card, you need to register as a job seeker at the labor exchange. It is necessary in order that, first, for you (taking into account your wishes) will be developed a plan of adaptation (it lasts 3 years). Secondly, it enables you to receive unemployment benefits. The registration process consists of several steps: the registration itself, the meeting, the interview, the determination of the language level and the decision from the employment exchange.

Note. If you move to Finland, you do not need a residence permit if you are a citizen of a Nordic country, an EU Member State, Liechtenstein or Switzerland. The only requirement is that you register your right of residence at the Finnish Immigration Service (Maahanmuuttovirasto) within three months of your arrival in Finland. More information can be found here.

«It’s often more profitable to take out a home loan than renting one»

— Now, I will tell you about renting an apartment. In Finland, you can rent a public apartment (the cheapest option), an apartment from a company and from a private person.
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To get an apartment in the first two options you need a Finnish personal code (henkilötunnus), which my husband did not have at the time of looking for an apartment. 
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Consequently, our only option was to rent an apartment from a private individual. Having edited the search filter (2 rooms, sauna) there were not many options. But there was one, after visiting which my husband realized that this is our apartment. In the end, we signed the contract, paid the guarantee and got the keys.

Guarantee is a sum of money (equal to two months rent), which is paid in case we damage something in the apartment; if everything is good — we will get this amount back. Since we had a long renovation of the bathroom, the landlord made a discount on the rent and we paid €650. Consequently, the owner now has €1300 of our money.
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As for prices, since Jan.1 the rent has risen to €760. For water we pay €25 per person — €75 for the whole family. The light depends on how often we turn on the sauna, but about €50 comes out. So we pay €885 monthly.

Real estate in Finland is also expensive. And the closer to the capital, the more expensive. For example, in our city (which is 25 km from Helsinki), more or less good housing will cost about €250,000. There are also options for €150 thousand, but it is a small wooden house closer to the airport. Saving is difficult, but you can always take a loan, especially since it can be taken at 1-2% and for 25 years. Often the cost of renting even exceeds the amount on the loan, so the purchase of housing is affordable.

— Prices for equipment are even very affordable. Many items are even cheaper than in Belarus (although the salary is several times higher). Food is not cheap, but even when my husband worked alone (he earns the average salary in Finland), we did not deny ourselves anything. 

In general, in Finland you will not die of hunger, because in the cities there are places for free food. Often this is food that is about to expire, but it is suitable for eating. There are fruits, vegetables, meat, bread, and ready-to-eat meals. The point is that if you have a difficult financial situation, you can always go to the place of distribution (this is handled by churches), stand in line and get food. All in all, with both spouses’ average salaries, you can live in your own house, eat well, keep 2 cars, and rest in a nice place.

Note. The average wage in Finland, after taxes, is €2,500 (per month).

«Life in Finland is notable for its measuredness»

— Life in Finland differs from life in Belarus, first of all, by its measuredness. People are happier (Finland has been recognized as the happiest country in the world 5 times in a row), smiling and free. To make you understand, their favorite phrase is «ei stressiä» (no stress). 

I am very impressed here by equal treatment and respect for all professions. For example, I did a little part-time job in cleaning. I have experienced that for Finns, all professions are important, all professions are needed. There is no disrespect because I walk around with a mop.

There’s a lot less entertainment here than in Belarus. But we like a quieter life, so Finland is perfect. Here you can feel the unity of people with nature. The forest is nearby, the parks. A hare often comes running into our yard. There are a lot of free places for sports, landscaped lakes with places to grill, and there’s free firewood. That’s the kind of recreation we like.

By the way, people are really active here. Nordic walking in general is a Finnish invention. In winter everyone actively goes skiing. Last winter I was too lazy to ski, until one day I saw a woman about 80 years old (and there are a lot of people of that age on the track), who came by car to the track, took out all the equipment and went skiing in circles. At that moment I realized that I was doing something wrong. 

I also remember walking around the lake last winter and being amazed at people who swim in such cold weather. A year has passed, and I am now among those people who run to the lake after a sauna. In the summer, like many Finns, we ride bicycles as a family.

Maybe I haven’t lived in Finland long enough, but so far there is nothing I don’t like.

As for the attitude toward foreigners, I guess you can’t say unequivocally. Using the example of our family, I can say that the attitude is good. All our neighbors talk to us and say hello, and they are all Finnish ( even strangers can say hello). There was never a situation where, because we are Russian-speaking, they stopped talking to us or showed with all their faces that they were uncomfortable.

As for advice: before you move, I would recommend to visit the country, read about it, learn the local traditions, for some time follow bloggers who show life in this country.

When moving to another country, it’s important to be sure it’s right for you. You need to know in advance all the nuances of employment, life, the financial aspect — in short, to prepare the ground, and then move. Development in the new country depends largely on our active or inactive position. Everything is possible — you just need to get up off the couch and start acting.