The first two days in Helsinki, in priority order: what has to happen, what should, and what can wait. Tick things off as you go.
For Helsinki
How long you are staying
Must do
Elisa, DNA and Telia sell prepaid SIMs in supermarkets and kiosks, with generous data. A contract needs a personal identity code and a clean payment record.
In the HSL app, buy the zones you cross: the centre is A, inner Espoo B, the airport C. A single is a time ticket with free transfers: 80 minutes on AB, 90 on ABC.
Before your first payday, or your employer must withhold 60 per cent of your salary. Bring your passport, contract and an estimate of your annual income.
Online, then book the in-person visit within a month; everyone being registered attends. The identity code and municipality of residence come from this.
Should do
112 for emergencies, answered in English. 116117, the Medical Helpline, for urgent problems that are not emergencies, before you go to an emergency department.
At Ratapihantie 7, Migri, DVV, Vero and Kela have desks under one roof, mostly by appointment. Book before you cross the city.
Credentials are a separate application and the login for nearly every public service. Ask the bank which ID documents it accepts before you go.
Enter your address on the city's Service Map to find the health station that serves it, and set up Maisa for bookings once you are registered.
Kotivakuutus is cheap, and most landlords require it before you move in.
Nice to do
Many embassies run a registration or alert service for nationals living abroad. Two minutes now saves a scramble in an emergency.
Most blocks have a shared sauna booked by the week, often for a small monthly fee. Ask the house manager how to reserve a slot.
The HSL ferry runs all year from the Market Square on an ordinary ticket. A first look at the city from the sea.
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