Tervetuloa Helsingin seudulle!
Welcome to the Helsinki Region!
Helsinki Region is formed by the cities of Helsinki (population 578,000), Espoo (population 241,000), Vantaa (population 195,000) and Kauniainen (population 8,500) and 10 surrounding municipalities. Around 1.3 million inhabitants, one fifth of the Finnish population, live in the Helsinki Region.
Helsinki Region is the fastest growing metropolis in Europe. By 2025 the region is estimated to house 1.5 million people and 800,000 jobs. Helsinki and its neighbouring municipalities constitute one of the world’s safest metropolitan areas.
Helsinki Region forms a homogenous commuter zone with a public transport system acknowledged among the world’s best. The area has an environment that is close to nature, where it is pleasant to live, study, work and do business. The area also places focus on the functionality of urban services and on general cleanliness.
Living in the Helsinki Region possesses an international flavour. The number of immigrants has grown substantially since the beginning of the 1990s, and today around 90,000 live in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The three largest foreign language groups are formed by Russians, Estonians and Somalis.
For those moving to the region, this page contains useful information on joint services in the Helsinki Region and, particularly, Helsinki, Espoo , Vantaa and Kauniainen, the four cities of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Information on the services provided by the individual cities is available on their own “Welcome to…” websites.
Welcome to Helsinki!
Welcome to Espoo!
Welcome to Vantaa!
Welcome to Kauniainen!
The City information and statistics page on the HelsinkiRegion.fi portal tells more about the Helsinki Region in Finnish, Swedish and English. The portal also has a map of the Helsinki Region in Finnish , Swedish and English .
Russian-language information (Venäjänkielistä tietoa)
The Helsinki.ru website is the joint website of the St. Petersburg Helsinki Centre and the cities of Helsinki, Tampere and Kotka. The website’s Helsinki section offers information, statistics, news and topical items concerning the Helsinki Region, and serves the Russian media and tourists, as well as other Russian target groups interested in various other services, business life, culture and events. The website is maintained by the Helsinki Centre in St. Petersburg. The Helsinki.ru website in Russian .
Immigrant counselling services in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area
In to Finland
In To is the service point operated by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) and the Finnish Tax Administration (Verohallinto) for those coming to Finland to work. In To offers advice and guidance during the preliminary stages for foreigners moving to the Helsinki Metropolitan Area . In addition to those coming to Finland for employment reasons, In To serves immigrant jobseekers, entrepreneurs and students, as well as enterprises employing and supplying foreign labour, on questions involving social security and taxation.
Linguistically trained customer service operators at the In To service point offer counselling to immigrants, assist with the filling in of forms and direct customers to the appropriate authorities. The service languages are Finnish, Swedish, English, Russian and Estonian.
In To
Salomonkatu 17, Entrance A, 2nd floor
E-mail info(at)intofinland.fi
The In To service point does not provide a telephone service.
Open Mon-Fri 9-12 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.
More about In To in Finnish, Swedish, English, Estonian and Russian.
Families with children
The Family Federation’s Centre for Multicultural Expertise (Monikulttuurinen osaamiskeskus) offers advice and guidance to immigrants, by telephone and e-mail, on questions relating to family life, bringing up children and parenthood. The Centre for Multicultural Expertise also arranges peer groups for parents and publishes guides in various languages in support of child rearing.
More about The Centre for Multicultural Expertise in Finnish, Swedish and English.
Decision-making and citizen participation in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area
Helsinki Metropolitan Area residents can obtain information about opportunities for citizen participation and influence in their own city of residence via the links on the Citizen Participation and Democracy page at the HelsinkiRegion.fi portal in Finnish and Swedish.
Transport in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area
Public Transport in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area
Public transport is the cheapest and easiest way to travel in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The most convenient method is to apply for a travel card which can be used to pay for travel throughout the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Journeys using a travel card are cheaper than those paid for with individual tickets. There are two types of travel card: Personal Travel Cards for use by the card holder only, and Multi-user Travel Cards which can be used by several specified users.
Travellers may buy an internal ticket for one of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area cities, or a regional ticket. The internal ticket is for use when travelling within city limits and the regional ticket when travel involves more than one city within the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The regional ticket is the more expensive of the two alternatives.
The travel card may be loaded with a travel period (kausi) of between14 days and one year. The longer the travel period loaded, the more economical the travelling. The travel card may also be loaded with value (arvo) which can be used to pay for individual journeys.
Personal Travel Cards may be obtained from a Travel Card service point (matkakortin palvelupisteestä) Finnish , Swedish and English . In addition to service points, Multi-user Travel Cards can also be obtained in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area from R-kiosks and from service points displaying the Trave Card logo. A fee will be charged for the Travel Card. Permanent residents in the Helsinki Ragion Transport (HSL) regional ticket area (Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen, Kirkkonummi, Vantaa and Kerava) can load a season ticket on their Personal Travel Card. This is less expensive than the general period tickets on sale to those living in outer areas or the period ticket that can be loaded on a Multi-user Travel Card.
A travel period may only be loaded on a Personal Travel Card. Personal Travel Cards may be obtained from a Travel Card service point (matkakortin palvelupisteestä). The card will cost less for those living in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. You will need to present a certificate from the Administrative Council as evidence of your place of residence to obtain a ticket at the lower price.
After obtaining your card you may load it at any Travel Card loading point. Loading points are at all R-kiosks in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen and other kiosks displaying the Travel Card sign, Travel Card service points, ticket machines, VR booking offices and Stockmann department stores.
Tickets are valid for travel on buses, trams, metro and VR local trains, as well as ferries to Suomenlinna (excluding JT-Line water buses). An adult with a small child (0-6 years) in a pram or pushchair may travel free on internal or regional journeys within the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Children under 7 years of age travel free.
The Helsinki Metro in Helsinki
The Helsinki Metro runs every few minutes between Ruoholahti, the city centre and eastern Helsinki . Metro timetables in Finnish, Swedishand English.
Trams in Helsinki
Helsinki has 12 tram routes. Tram routes and timetables in Finnish, Swedish and English.
More information on public transport services, tickets and timetables in the Helsinki Region can be found from the Helsinki Region Transport HSL website in Finnish, Swedish and English .
Transport advice by telephone
The Travel Information Centre (liikenneinfokeskus) telephone service 0100 111 provides information on public transport timetables, routes and travel tickets for Helsinki , Espoo , Kauniainen, Kerava and Vantaa .
Individual advice Mon-Fri 6 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sat-Sun 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (€0.98/call+local network fee).
Automatic timetable information 24 h (€0.49/call+local network fee). Services on this number are provided in Finnish, Swedish and English.
Journey Planner
The Journey Planner calculates the fastest and most convenient route between two places within the Helsinki Metropolitan Area for the time period specified. The Journey Planner is available in Finnish, Swedish and English.
Park-and-ride facilities
Park-and-Ride means that you can drive to a car park next to a railway or metro station and continue your journey by public transport.
Park-and-Ride in Finnish, Swedish and English. Park-and-Ride map in Finnish.
Ordering a taxi and pre-booking in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area
Ordering a taxi in Helsinki , tel. 0100 0700 (€0.99/call + €0.08/10 seconds + local network fee) and pre-booking, tel. 0100 0600
Ordering a taxi and pre-booking in Espoo , Vantaa and Kauniainen, tel. 0100 7300 (€0.98/call + €0.082/10 seconds + local network fee)
The nationwide pre-booking fee is €6.
Taxi fare calculator in Finnish, Swedish and English(prices approximate).
Cycling
The Journey Planner for Cycling gives hints on cycling in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area in Finnish, Swedish, English a nd Russian.
Helsinki Metropolitan Area electronic Cycling and Outdoor Map in Finnish, Swedishand English.
Important authorities in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area
Important authorities in Helsinki
Important authorities in Espoo
Important authorities in Vantaa
Important authorities in Kauniainen
Police
The Info Bank nationwide Police (Poliisi) website contains information on the tasks of the police in Finland .
Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela)
The Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) pays social security benefits to those permanently residing in Finland who fall within the scope of social insurance.
Kela offices in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area can be found by using the search field on the Kela website in Finnish , Swedish (ruotsiksi) and English (englanniksi).
Read about the role of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland on the Info Bank Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) (Kela ) page.
Register Office (Maistraatti)
Information on the tasks of Register Offices in Finland can be found on the Info Bank Register Office page.
Register Office in Helsinki
Register Office in Espoo and Kauniainen
Register Office in Vantaa
Employment and Economic Development Office (Työ- ja elinkeinotoimisto)
Contact information for the Employment and Economic Development Offices in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area can be found on the Work pages of individual municipalities.
Work in Helsinki
Work in Espoo
Work in Vantaa
Work in Kauniainen
Tax office (Verotoimisto)
The Info Bank Tax office (Verotoimisto) and Tax (Verotus) pages contain information on taxation in Finland .
In To service point (In To -palvelupiste)
Situated in the Helsinki city centre, In To is the service point operated by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) (Kela) and the Finnish Tax Administration (Verohallinto) for those coming to Finland to work.
More about In To in Finnish, Swedish, English, Estonian and Russian.
Tax offices (Verotoimistot)
The Helsinki Metropolitan Area operates a joint tax office situated in Vantaa . The customer service point of the metropolitan area tax office provides guidance for both professionals and entrepreneurs. The service point also provides basic services concerning personal taxation.
Metropolitan Area Tax Office ( Pääkaupunkiseudun verotoimisto)
Rajatorpantie 8 A
Vantaa (Myyrmäki)
Postal address: PL 400, FI-00052 Vero
Switchboard 09 7311 20
Fax 09 7311 2791
Open Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-4.15 p.m.
8−9 a.m. document reception only.
Other service points in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area provide basic services concerning personal taxation.
Service point for Helsinki :
Vuorikatu service point
Vuorikatu 14 (Fennia Centre, 1st floor)
00100 Helsinki
open Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-4.15 p.m.
Service point for Espoo :
Tapiola service point
Länsituulentie 4
02100 Espoo
open 9 a.m.-4.15 p.m.
Answers to many questions relating to taxation can be found on the Finnish Tax Administration website in Finnish, Swedish and English.
Religion
Information on practicing different religions in Finland is available on the Info Bank page Welcome to Finland .
The Evangelical Lutheran parishes of Espoo, Helsinki and Vantaa have published a website for immigrants. The site contains information on the activities of the Evangelic Lutheran Church in different languages. Read more in Finnish, English, Estonian, Chinese, Arabic or Hungarian.