Tervetuloa Espooseen!

Welcome to Espoo!

Espoo is situated in Southern Finland, on the shores of the Gulf of Finland. Espoo, with Helsinki, Vantaa and Kauniainen as its neighbours, is the second largest city in Finland, with a population of around 240,000.

At the beginning of 2008, 7.3% of the city’s residents spoke a language other than Finnish, Swedish or Sami as their mother tongue.

The City of Espoo website contains more information about Espoo, together with links to useful sites, in Finnish , Swedish and English . The site also contains a Pocket Statistics pdf document in Finnish , Swedish , English , German , French , Russian and Chinese .

The Info Bank Welcome to the Helsinki Region page contains information about the area, available counselling services, decision-making and citizen participation, public transport and cycling, as well as the Helsinki Region’s most important authorities.

Counselling in different languages

The counselling centre In Espoo (In Espoo) advises immigrants in different aspects related to living in Finland, such as residence permits or matters related to social security. The counselling centre In Espoo (In Espoo) is located in Leppävaara, in the library of Sello shopping centre. Counselling is available in Finnish, Swedish, English, Arabic and Turkish.

Contact information and opening hours can be found in the City of Espoo website .

The brochure for In Espoo (In Espoo) service: in English , Arabic , Somali , Turkish , Russian , Estonian , Chinese and Farsi .

The City of Espoo website has its own page dedicated to immigrants, available in Finnish and English. Information covers topics such as libraries, health services and education.

Multicultural local service centres

City of Espoo local service centres provide free counselling on language courses and education, social welfare and health services, accommodation, residence and work permits, use of computers, working life, preparing job applications, leisure activities and the activities of associations.

Language courses and group activity (food preparation, exercise, etc.) are also organised by the centres themselves. The groups, which are often free, involve learning Finnish through joint activity. Computers are available at the centres for the use of customers.

Service points can be found at Espoonlahti and Leppävaara. Counselling at the local service centres is given in Finnish and English, and also in other languages depending on the centre. Contact details and the available languages can be found on the City of Espoo website in Finnish and English.

Young immigrants

The youth information and counselling service yESBOx provides counselling and guidance for young people in the questions that concern them . The service operates at the shopping centres of Sello (in connection with the library) and Iso Omena.

Citizen’s offices

Citizen’s offices in Espoo provide service information and give customers counselling and guidance concerning the city’s specialist services.

Services available at citizen’s offices include free use of customer computers, photocopying (a charge is payable), the sending of faxes and the charging of public transport travel cards. Some citizen’s offices also sell tickets for a variety of events.

Citizen’s offices can be found at Espoon keskus, Espoonlahti, Kalajärvi, Leppävaara, Matinkylä and Tapiola. Services are provided in Finnish, Swedish and English, and where possible in other languages. The City of Espoo website contains citizen’s office contact details along with further information in Finnish , Swedish and English brochures in Finnish and Swedish (page 2), as well as in English.

Online services of the City of Espoo

The inhabitants of Espoo can take care of some matters via the internet. You can, for example, fill in a daycare application online.
More information on the City of Espoo webiste in Finnish , Swedish and English .

City of Espoo information

The official information channels are the Notice Board page in Finnish on the city’s website and the notice board at the Entresse shopping centre.

Entresse Shopping Centre (Kauppakeskus Entresse)
Siltakatu 11
02770 ESPOO

Espoo-magazine (Espoo-lehti)

Espoo-magazine is a public notice magazine published by the city for the citizens of Espoo. The magazine is delivered to every home in Espoo four times a year. The magazine is printed in Finnish and Swedish, but the online version is also available in English. You can read the magazine online in Finnish and English .

The magazine is also available in libraries and citizen’s offices (yhteispalvelupiste) . The citizen’s offices of Espoo in Finnish, Swedish and English.

Feedback and initiatives

Compliments and complaints, as well as questions and proposals for city services can be made via the City of Espoo website in Finnish, Swedish and English.

The progress of current issues can be followed, or new items added, on the Open Espoo (Avoin Espoo) page in Finnish. More information on participation and making a difference can be found on the city’s website in Finnish and Swedish.

The Initiative Channel (Aloitekanava) serves as a conduit for young people to present their ideas, comment on the ideas of others, and take part in voting .

Multicultural Advisory Council

The City of Espoo Multicultural Advisory Council develops the city’s multicultural policy. The council includes immigrant and citizen’s associations, authorities and party representatives. Suggestions and questions can be addressed by e-mail to the Multicultural Advisory Council at mk.neuvottelukunta(at)espoo.fi .

The Info Bank Politics and Administration in Finland page contains more information on citizen participation in Finland.

Important authorities in Espoo

Police

Länsi-Uusimaa Police Department, (Länsi-Uudenmaan Poliisilaitos) Espoo’s main police station, serves the citizens of Espoo at

Nihtisillankuja 4
02631 ESPOO

Tel. 071 8730 281 (switchboard)

More information can be found at Info Bank from the Police page. Info Bank also has information about permits on the Permits page.

Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela)

Kela offices in Espoo can be found by using the search field on the Kela website in Finnish, Swedish and English.

Read about the role of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland on the Info Bank Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) page.

Espoo Employment and Economic Development Office

Employment and Economic Development Office in Espoo

Espoo Social Welfare Office

Social services in Espoo

Tax office

The Info Bank Welcome to the Helsinki Region page contains tax office contact information for the entire Helsinki Metropolitan Area.

The service point for Espoo is located in Tapiola. The service points provide services relating to tax issues for private individuals.

Tapiola tax office (Tapiolan verotoimisto)

Länsituulentie 4
02100 Espoo

Open 9 a.m.−4.15 p.m.

The Info Bank Tax office and Tax pages contain more information on taxation in Finland.

Register Office

Read about the role of the Register Office on the Info Bank Register Office page.

Espoo Register Office
Itätuulentie 1
02100 Espoo

Open Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-4.15 p.m.

Switchboard: 071 87 302 01

Registration of foreigners: 071 87 313 50 (Finnish, Swedish, English and where possible other languages)

Interpretation services in Espoo

In Espoo the ordering of interpreters is always carried out by the authorities. The City of Espoo website has information on interpretation services in Finnish.

More about interpreters can be found on the Info Bank Do you need an interpreter? page.