What I have learnt recently

MC Deli · Post by **MC Deli** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 3:55 pm

Hi - I haven't lurked for a while but I have been doing lots of red tape related stuff. I have learn some things the hard way...

1/ Join a union as soon as you get a job
2/ Get your foreign driving license swapped for a Finnish one within 18 months of arriving in Finland
3/ Plan to go on working holidays to Oz/NZ before you are 30
4/ Keep all of your pay slips and get a "työtodistus" every time you leave a job (says when you stopped and started)

The reasons are...
1/ Big financial benefits if you are out of work for any reason
2/ You have to take a Finnish driving test when your foreign license runs out if you don't swap within 18 months
3/ You can't get a working holiday visa after 30 years old, so you have to work illegally or go through some kind of complex emigration procedure (not that again:))
4/ Kela presume you are still working at a job unless you can prove otherwise. And you need to prove you have worked enough time in Finland under certain circumstances

...and where is my ice rink? I only came for the winter - how am I gonna learn to skate if winter is this mild from now on...

**Sponsor:**

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Mon Feb 18, 2008 4:07 pm

1/ join an "unemployment fund" (which can be done via union as well)

Also:
if you work as a salaried employee => http://www.ytk.fi (67 e/year) - read the English pages for the ABS of how the "system works"
if you're self-employed/enterpreneur => http://www.ayt.fi - also read the small print.

2/ also your Finnish drivers licence has your personal number and passes as ID and store clerks don't get confused... "you're Finnish"

Oombongo · Post by **Oombongo** » Tue Feb 19, 2008 2:23 pm

deserves a sticky

antstar · Post by **antstar** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:31 pm

MC Deli wrote:Hi - I haven't lurked for a while but I have been doing lots of red tape related stuff. I have learn some things the hard way...

2/ Get your foreign driving license swapped for a Finnish one within 18 months of arriving in Finland

2/ You have to take a Finnish driving test when your foreign license runs out if you don't swap within 18 months
...

This confused me??? driving licence running out??? which country are you from?

MC Deli · Post by **MC Deli** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:42 am

antstar wrote:
MC Deli wrote:Hi - I haven't lurked for a while but I have been doing lots of red tape related stuff. I have learn some things the hard way...

2/ Get your foreign driving license swapped for a Finnish one within 18 months of arriving in Finland

2/ You have to take a Finnish driving test when your foreign license runs out if you don't swap within 18 months
...
This confused me??? driving licence running out??? which country are you from?

UK - my UK (EU) driving license card is valid until 2011. It means that, as a resident in Finland, I will have to take a Finnish driving test in 2011 to get a new license. As the UK will not renew if you are not a UK resident and the Finns will only do you a swap within 18 months of becoming a resident...

antstar · Post by **antstar** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 8:21 am

Ah! i always took it the licence expired when you were 65 or something, (maybe the old type) i just looked at mine and it expires 2014, but surely you can get a new one posted from DVLA to a uk address, say family member?

blaugrau · Post by **blaugrau** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 8:24 am

MC Deli wrote:As the UK will not renew if you are not a UK resident and the Finns will only do you a swap within 18 months of becoming a resident...

Slightly off topic question, but how does the UK know you're no longer a resident? (in the absence of registration laws etc.) Good old electricity bills again?

antstar · Post by **antstar** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:20 pm

DVLA wouldn't so you just get your licence sent to a UK address i suppose, also nothing stopping anyone returning to the UK at anytime.

blaugrau · Post by **blaugrau** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:26 pm

deleted (double post)

blaugrau · Post by **blaugrau** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:26 pm

But isn't it so that the driving licence also includes your postal address (or am I wrong)? Wouldn't they get suspicious if they sent your driving licence to a different address than stated on the licence?

antstar · Post by **antstar** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:32 pm

People are allowed to change their addresses i suppose. so you just say you have moved. and as their is nothing to stop me working aweek at a time in different countries in the EU i'm sure they have to be flexible in this situation. Your certainly not going to be made to re-take your driving licence.

sinikettu · Post by **sinikettu** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:40 pm

blaugrau wrote:But isn't it so that the driving licence also includes your postal address (or am I wrong)? Wouldn't they get suspicious if they sent your driving licence to a different address than stated on the licence?

So you use a family members address and they forward the licence to you..
The problem comes when you reách the age of 70..happens to us all eventualy..
Then your UK licence expires..
For renewal...The UK licence authority require that your GP provides a certificate of health/eye sight etc. ..
Not a UK resident = no GP= no certificate= no renewed licence...

By the way if you change address you have to notify the licence authority..Change of Address form at the UK post office.
They are not flexible...You have to send old licence with the form they issue a new one...
This is also a way to get a free of charge new format licence (with the photo) as change of address is the only way to get the new format licence FOC.

antstar · Post by **antstar** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:46 pm

sinikettu wrote:
blaugrau wrote:But isn't it so that the driving licence also includes your postal address (or am I wrong)? Wouldn't they get suspicious if they sent your driving licence to a different address than stated on the licence?
So you use a family members address and they forward the licence to you..
The problem comes when you reách the age of 70..happens to us all eventualy..
Then your UK licence expires..
For renewal...The UK licence authority require that your GP provides a certificate of health/eye sight etc. ..
Not a UK resident = no GP= no certificate= no renewed licence...

I'm not sure how old McDeli is, but i certainly don't know what country i'll be a resident in when i'm 70! also i could move many times until i reach that age. the sky could fall on us all this time tomorrow

i think this is a good thread as it shows what "things" the free for all EU as thrown our way.

blaugrau · Post by **blaugrau** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:56 pm

deleted

Hank W. · Post by **Hank W.** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 1:32 pm

Yeah, the thing is the Finnish license doesn't expire until you're 70 when you need to provide a medical.
So it is not a "Finnish problem" if some funny foreign countries have expiring licences. Its "their problem".
Just that "funny foreign licences" can be exchanged to a Finnish one within the 18 months.
If it expires in 18 years, then it is the "funny foreign country" problem if they renew licences and how.
People with Finnsh licences just do not have such problems.
And exchanged licences are funny as they should be exchanged back to the funny foreign licence once you leave the country.

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