Moving to Helsinki mid of May

[helloespoo]

Hi All,

I got a job in Helsinki and I am planning to move to helsinki in the mid of May. I would be travelling from one of EU countries only and there are connecting flights to helsinki as well.

I was reading the border control news https://www.raja.fi/current_issues/fact ... ings_79409 and it says as per the last update:

Essential travel to work and other necessary traffic will be allowed. Employees crossing the border must have a certificate from their employer stating that the work is essential.

I have a work contract starting mid may and a Finnish Residence Permit card. Will these be enough or there is some other document that I would need to go through immigration.

[FinlandGirl]

I got a job in Helsinki and I am planning to move to helsinki in the mid of May. I would be travelling from one of EU countries only and there are connecting flights to helsinki as well.

I was reading the border control news https://www.raja.fi/current_issues/fact ... ings_79409 and it says as per the last update:

Essential travel to work and other necessary traffic will be allowed. Employees crossing the border must have a certificate from their employer stating that the work is essential.

I have a work contract starting mid may and a Finnish Residence Permit card. Will these be enough or there is some other document that I would need to go through immigration.

I would rather look at the following in the current rules:

https://www.raja.fi/current_issues/guid ... er_traffic

With regard to traffic at internal borders, which means between Finland and another Schengen country, the Finnish border authorities permit the following:
Return to Finland
...
- Third-country nationals residing in Finland with a residence permit

This "Return" might cover your case, but double-check with them.

Current rules are until 13.5., a decision whether there will be changes after that will happen at the earliest next week.

The 14 day quarantine will apply to you, I don't see how you can avoid that unless it gets abolished after 13.5.

[helloespoo]

I got a job in Helsinki and I am planning to move to helsinki in the mid of May. I would be travelling from one of EU countries only and there are connecting flights to helsinki as well.

I was reading the border control news https://www.raja.fi/current_issues/fact ... ings_79409 and it says as per the last update:

Essential travel to work and other necessary traffic will be allowed. Employees crossing the border must have a certificate from their employer stating that the work is essential.

I have a work contract starting mid may and a Finnish Residence Permit card. Will these be enough or there is some other document that I would need to go through immigration.

I would rather look at the following in the current rules:

https://www.raja.fi/current_issues/guid ... er_traffic

With regard to traffic at internal borders, which means between Finland and another Schengen country, the Finnish border authorities permit the following:
Return to Finland
...
- Third-country nationals residing in Finland with a residence permit

This "Return" might cover your case, but double-check with them.

Current rules are until 13.5., a decision whether there will be changes after that will happen at the earliest next week.

The 14 day quarantine will apply to you, I don't see how you can avoid that unless it gets abolished after 13.5.

Thanks for your reply. I tried emailing them today and this is what I got and I don't know what should I conclude from it.

Other essential travel at internal and external borders

Other essential travel refers to border traffic which is related to work that is important for the functioning of society or security of supply, requires work tasks to be carried out by persons from another country, and cannot tolerate delay.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has overseen the process of defining the types of work that are important for the functioning of society or security of supply and cannot tolerate delay. This list of critical tasks does not constitute an advance decision granting entry into the country. The employer must use a separate form to justify why the work of the employee coming to Finland is critical and cannot tolerate delay. The Employer fills in the form entitled ‘Employer's explanation of the employee’s need to enter the country during the state of emergency’ and gives it to the employee. In addition to the other documents required for border crossing, the employee seeking to enter Finland presents this form at the border check.

The border control authority will take into account the list of critical tasks and the employer's explanation when assessing whether the case qualifies as essential travel. Decisions as to what is essential travel are made by the border control authority at the particular border crossing point in question, based on the instructions issued by the Finnish Border Guard and case-by-case consideration.

Here's more information about the situation at our borders:

Finnish Border Guard is receiving a lot of inquiries concerning border crossing restrictions. Here you can find general instructions and links to specific information and FAQ's concerning restrictions.

Due to the threat to public health the border traffic in Finland will be restricted from 19th March to 13th May 2020, with the exception of the return of Finnish citizens and persons residing in Finland and EU (EEA/CH) citizens returning to their home countries via Finland. Freight and goods traffic will continue.

Finnish citizens and persons residing in Finland must not travel abroad.

All persons arriving in Finland through the internal and external borders are, during their stay in Finland, obliged to follow the instructions of the Finnish health authorities and to remain under quarantine-like conditions for 14 days starting from the day of their last arrival to Finland. The quarantine requirement does not apply to emergency medical service and rescue services personnel or personnel in freight transport and logistics while performing their duties.

[FinlandGirl]

I got a job in Helsinki and I am planning to move to helsinki in the mid of May. I would be travelling from one of EU countries only and there are connecting flights to helsinki as well.

I was reading the border control news https://www.raja.fi/current_issues/fact ... ings_79409 and it says as per the last update:



I have a work contract starting mid may and a Finnish Residence Permit card. Will these be enough or there is some other document that I would need to go through immigration.

I would rather look at the following in the current rules:

https://www.raja.fi/current_issues/guid ... er_traffic

With regard to traffic at internal borders, which means between Finland and another Schengen country, the Finnish border authorities permit the following:
Return to Finland
...
- Third-country nationals residing in Finland with a residence permit

This "Return" might cover your case, but double-check with them.

Current rules are until 13.5., a decision whether there will be changes after that will happen at the earliest next week.

The 14 day quarantine will apply to you, I don't see how you can avoid that unless it gets abolished after 13.5.

Thanks for your reply. I tried emailing them today and this is what I got and I don't know what should I conclude from it.

Other essential travel at internal and external borders

Other essential travel refers to border traffic which is related to work that is important for the functioning of society or security of supply, requires work tasks to be carried out by persons from another country, and cannot tolerate delay.

"essential travel" does not apply to you.

Due to the threat to public health the border traffic in Finland will be restricted from 19th March to 13th May 2020, with the exception of the return of Finnish citizens and persons residing in Finland and EU (EEA/CH) citizens returning to their home countries via Finland.
...
All persons arriving in Finland through the internal and external borders are, during their stay in Finland, obliged to follow the instructions of the Finnish health authorities and to remain under quarantine-like conditions for 14 days starting from the day of their last arrival to Finland.

As said I think you might be considered "returning" to Finland for these purposes, but better try to give them a call if email doesn't work.

[helloespoo]

I would rather look at the following in the current rules:

https://www.raja.fi/current_issues/guid ... er_traffic


This "Return" might cover your case, but double-check with them.

Current rules are until 13.5., a decision whether there will be changes after that will happen at the earliest next week.

The 14 day quarantine will apply to you, I don't see how you can avoid that unless it gets abolished after 13.5.

Thanks for your reply. I tried emailing them today and this is what I got and I don't know what should I conclude from it.

Other essential travel at internal and external borders

Other essential travel refers to border traffic which is related to work that is important for the functioning of society or security of supply, requires work tasks to be carried out by persons from another country, and cannot tolerate delay.

"essential travel" does not apply to you.

Due to the threat to public health the border traffic in Finland will be restricted from 19th March to 13th May 2020, with the exception of the return of Finnish citizens and persons residing in Finland and EU (EEA/CH) citizens returning to their home countries via Finland.
...
All persons arriving in Finland through the internal and external borders are, during their stay in Finland, obliged to follow the instructions of the Finnish health authorities and to remain under quarantine-like conditions for 14 days starting from the day of their last arrival to Finland.

As said I think you might be considered "returning" to Finland for these purposes, but better try to give them a call if email doesn't work.

Thank you for your help FinlandGirl!

I finally got the answer I was looking for at https://www.raja.fi/current_issues/qa

Q: I have a residence permit and I’m arriving to Finland for the first time. Is this possible?

A: Third-country nationals with residence permit, arriving to Finland for the first time, are allowed to arrive starting from 1.5.2020. Seasonal residence permits are not considered in the same category. It is required that third-country nationals with seasonal residence permit, arriving to Finland for the first time, are listed on Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland’s seasonal worker quota.

[FinlandGirl]

I finally got the answer I was looking for at https://www.raja.fi/current_issues/qa

Q: I have a residence permit and I’m arriving to Finland for the first time. Is this possible?

A: Third-country nationals with residence permit, arriving to Finland for the first time, are allowed to arrive starting from 1.5.2020. Seasonal residence permits are not considered in the same category. It is required that third-country nationals with seasonal residence permit, arriving to Finland for the first time, are listed on Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland’s seasonal worker quota.

It is good news that you are allowed to enter Finland.
The 14 days quarantine after arriving in Finland still applies.