Your first weeks in Finland: the registrations to do after landing

Finland runs on a single number: the personal identity code. Once you have it and are properly registered, almost everything else follows, from your tax card to health services. For Americans arriving on a residence permit, the first weeks are a sequence of registrations that build on each other. This guide sets out that order, based on InfoFinland, the information service of Finnish public authorities, and on Kela, Finland's social insurance institution.

Step 1: the personal identity code

A Finnish personal identity code (henkilötunnus) is an 11-character sequence formed from your date of birth and gender. No one else has the same code. You need it when dealing with authorities, banks and employers.

How Americans usually get it:

• The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) normally issues a personal identity code when it decides on your residence permit. If you came on a first permit, you often already have the code when you land.
• A Tax Administration (Vero) office can issue one if you need it for tax purposes, such as a tax card. Not every tax office issues codes, so check the Tax Administration website for which ones do.
• The Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) can also register you.

To get a code you must reside legally in Finland, for example on a residence permit, and have a reason such as work or study.

### A code is not yet full registration

InfoFinland makes an important distinction: receiving a personal identity code does not automatically register you as a resident of a specific municipality. If your code came from Migri or Vero, you still need to complete your registration with DVV.

Step 2: DVV and your address

When your personal data is registered, an address is stored for you. It can be:

| Address type | Meaning | |---|---| | Temporary | You live there for a set period; usually valid one year at a time | | Permanent | Your ongoing home address | | Postal only | An address for mail |

### Municipality of residence (kotikunta)

The municipality of residence is the registration that opens up local services. With one, you are usually entitled to services from your wellbeing services county, city or municipality, including:

• schools and early childhood education;
• employment and integration services;
• public health and social services, which wellbeing services counties provide.

Once you have a municipality of residence, you have the same rights, services and obligations as permanent residents.

Who qualifies:

• you must move to Finland for at least one year; people staying less than a year for work or study usually cannot get one;
• with a temporary residence permit (B permit) valid for at least one year, you can get a municipality of residence if you can show you intend to live in Finland permanently.

Your municipality of residence is usually the one where you live. You apply primarily with an online form, and afterward you usually need to visit DVV in person.

Step 3: the tax card

If you receive a salary in Finland, you need a tax card. It shows your tax rate, so your employer knows how much tax to withhold. As a newcomer:

1. Visit a Tax Administration service point.
2. Estimate your income for the whole year.
3. Bring your Finnish personal identity code, which is required.

There is only one tax card for all wage income, and you can give the same card to several employers. If your income changes during the year, order a new card. Once you live permanently in Finland, the Tax Administration sends a new card each year in November or December, based on the previous year's income.

If you work at a construction site or shipyard, you also need a tax number, which appears on your tax card once you have one.

Step 4: a Finnish bank account

You need a bank account to handle your finances, and InfoFinland recommends comparing banks' services and prices. To open one, bring a passport, an identity card for foreign citizens or another official identity document.

Expect questions. By law, the bank must ask what you intend to use the account for, and it has the right to check your credit history. Your salary, rent and Kela payments will all run through this account, so open it early.

Step 5: Kela

Kela provides basic social security for people living and working in Finland. When you move to Finland, you can usually qualify for Kela benefits and a Kela card from the day of the move, if you meet Kela's criteria.

Points to understand:

• Citizenship does not matter; Americans are treated like anyone else.
• If you need a residence permit from Migri, you must have it before you can qualify for Kela benefits.
• You can qualify for more benefits if you live in Finland permanently than if you only work there.
• Kela checks your right to benefits based on your application; there is a separate form for each benefit.

Apply in the OmaKela e-service, which is in Finnish and Swedish. If you cannot use OmaKela, mail the forms with form Y 77e, Moving to Finland or employment in Finland.

### What the Kela card does

The Kela card proves your right to Kela reimbursement for part of the cost of private doctor or dentist visits when providers cannot check your information electronically. It does not affect your right to public healthcare, and it does not prove entitlement to other Kela benefits.

A sensible order

| When | Task | Where | |---|---|---| | Before arrival | Residence permit, usually with personal identity code | Migri via Enter Finland | | First days | Register address and apply for municipality of residence | DVV online form, then a visit | | First week of work | Tax card | Tax Administration service point | | First weeks | Bank account | A bank of your choice | | First weeks | Kela benefits and Kela card | OmaKela or Y 77e by mail |

The order matters because each step leans on the previous one: the tax card needs the identity code, Kela needs the permit, and municipal services need the municipality of residence.

Documents to have in your bag

Bring originals of your passport, residence permit card or decision, employment contract and lease. Birth and marriage certificates should be legalized before you move; Finnish authorities accept documents in Finnish, Swedish or English.

Common questions

Do I get a Finnish personal identity code automatically? Usually yes if you received a residence permit, because Migri normally issues one with its decision. You still need to complete registration with DVV.

How long must I stay to get a municipality of residence in Finland? You must move to Finland for at least one year. Shorter stays for work or study usually do not qualify.

Do I need a personal identity code for a Finnish tax card? Yes. You estimate your yearly income and must have a Finnish personal identity code.

Can Americans get Kela benefits? Citizenship does not affect the right to Kela benefits, but anyone needing a residence permit must have one first, and Kela decides based on your application.