Moving to Finland: Help needed!
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- Posts: 2
- Joined: Thu Nov 16, 2006 3:33 pm
Moving to Finland: Help needed!
Hi all,
Recently I spent one week in Finland (some days in Oulu and some in Lapland) and me and my girlfriend instantly fell in love with the country, its people, its way of life. And even the weather! I love the snow, the ice and the frozen lakes!
We both are EU citizens (Spain) and we both work as freelance translators, which means that a computer and a fast Internet connection is all we need to work.
Could we buy a house in the Oulu region and stay there without any residence permits? Is there any problem for a foreigner to buy a house in Finland (mortages, taxes, etc.)? And, finally, which would be the average price for a house on the Oulu region with 2/3 rooms and some garden (and sauna if possible!)
Thanks a lot!
Recently I spent one week in Finland (some days in Oulu and some in Lapland) and me and my girlfriend instantly fell in love with the country, its people, its way of life. And even the weather! I love the snow, the ice and the frozen lakes!
We both are EU citizens (Spain) and we both work as freelance translators, which means that a computer and a fast Internet connection is all we need to work.
Could we buy a house in the Oulu region and stay there without any residence permits? Is there any problem for a foreigner to buy a house in Finland (mortages, taxes, etc.)? And, finally, which would be the average price for a house on the Oulu region with 2/3 rooms and some garden (and sauna if possible!)
Thanks a lot!
- Karhunkoski
- Posts: 7034
- Joined: Mon Sep 25, 2006 1:44 pm
- Location: Keski-Suomi
Hola!
I'm sure I won't be the first to tell you that visiting for a week and living here are two different things. That said, I know what you mean about the snow!
I would however think very carefully about your choice of house, taking into !"#¤% how much driveway you have and how long it will take you to clear snow when you want to go shopping.
Over to the other.......
Edit: An honest mistake guv'
I meant to write "account" but somehow I wrote a c o c u n t
I'm sure I won't be the first to tell you that visiting for a week and living here are two different things. That said, I know what you mean about the snow!
I would however think very carefully about your choice of house, taking into !"#¤% how much driveway you have and how long it will take you to clear snow when you want to go shopping.

Over to the other.......
Edit: An honest mistake guv'

Last edited by Karhunkoski on Thu Nov 16, 2006 5:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Hank W.
- The Motorhead
- Posts: 29973
- Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2002 10:00 pm
- Location: Mushroom Mountain
- Contact:
10 de Octubre
¡Hola! ¿Cómo va todo por ahí? Yo fenomenal. Hace un par de días que llegué a Helsinki. Tendríais que estar aquí, ¡esto es una pasada!. Bajé del avión y estaba nevando. ¡La nieve es tan bonita!. Parece algodón blanco. Esto está precioso, todo nevado. Eso sí, aquí hace bastante frío, pero me he comprado un abrigo fenomenal. ¡Es tan calentito!
11 de Noviembre
Ya estoy instalado en casa de Fruder. ¿Sabéis lo que me pasó? De camino aquí apareció por la carretera un reno. ¡Qué cosa más bonita! En mi vida he visto animal más majestuoso. Parecía sacado de un cuento. Al llegar aquí resbalé con el hielo bajando la maleta del taxi. ¡Ja ja ja! Está todo helado, ¡es tan divertido! Decía que estoy en casa de Fruder. Me ha dejado un coche para que vaya todos los días a la universidad, ¿no es fantástico?. Ayer por la mañana, cuando fui a sacar el coche del garaje, me encontré con que había nevado por la noche, y tuve que quitar el montón de nieve con una pala.
2 de Februario
¡Era tan auténtico! ¡Me sentía Doctor en Alaska! Esto es fenomenal, me encantaría que estuviéseis aquí. Os envío una postal para que podáis admirar el paisaje, que parece salido de un cuento de Dickens. Creo que me he reconciliado con el mundo. Besos. Volveré a escribir.
20 de Marzo
Esto es una mierda. Estoy hasta los cojones de este sitio. Esto es como el infierno pero con el aire acondicionado a toda hostia. ¿Quién coño me mandaría meterme aquí? ¡Te lo dije, mamá! Aunque os parezca mentira, aquí el termómetro no sube de 0. ¿En qué cabeza cabe? Por cierto, ¿qué tal las fallas? Bien ¿no? cabrones... Aquí no hace más que caer nieve todo el puto día. ¿Qué digo nieve?; mierda blanca, porque esto es mierda blanca. Esta mañana, después de media hora de intentar arrancar el jodido el coche (se había helado hasta la dirección), abro la puerta y ¿qué me encuentro?. Pues lo de todos los mismos putos días: una tonelada de mierda blanca. El médico me ha dicho que me deje de jugar con la palita, que como se me vuelva a enganchar la espalda me voy a quedar paralítico. Desde que hace un mes pegué un resbalón en el puto hielo (mierda transparente) y me saqué una vértebra del sitio, lo estoy pasando fatal. Luego, de camino a la universidad, he atropellado un puto reno. El cabrón se ha cruzado sin avisar. El reno, en mi vida he visto animal más hijo de puta... Y encima, ¡que te crees tú que me lo he cargado!. El cabrón ha salido por patas mientras yo me quedaba en mitad de la nada con el radiador reventado. Los 20 kilómetros andando por la nieve me han dejado bien jodido.
1. de Avril
Los mocos se confunden con las lágrimas que ruedan por mis mejillas mientras os escribo estas líneas. No sabéis las ganas que tengo de volver. Estoy hasta los cojones de este puto lugar. Tengo ganas de llegar a casa y quitarme la mierda de abrigo que llevo encima desde Octubre y que ya empieza a apestar. Un abrazo a todos. Os quiero.
PD Estoy pensando en suicidarme.
¡Hola! ¿Cómo va todo por ahí? Yo fenomenal. Hace un par de días que llegué a Helsinki. Tendríais que estar aquí, ¡esto es una pasada!. Bajé del avión y estaba nevando. ¡La nieve es tan bonita!. Parece algodón blanco. Esto está precioso, todo nevado. Eso sí, aquí hace bastante frío, pero me he comprado un abrigo fenomenal. ¡Es tan calentito!
11 de Noviembre
Ya estoy instalado en casa de Fruder. ¿Sabéis lo que me pasó? De camino aquí apareció por la carretera un reno. ¡Qué cosa más bonita! En mi vida he visto animal más majestuoso. Parecía sacado de un cuento. Al llegar aquí resbalé con el hielo bajando la maleta del taxi. ¡Ja ja ja! Está todo helado, ¡es tan divertido! Decía que estoy en casa de Fruder. Me ha dejado un coche para que vaya todos los días a la universidad, ¿no es fantástico?. Ayer por la mañana, cuando fui a sacar el coche del garaje, me encontré con que había nevado por la noche, y tuve que quitar el montón de nieve con una pala.
2 de Februario
¡Era tan auténtico! ¡Me sentía Doctor en Alaska! Esto es fenomenal, me encantaría que estuviéseis aquí. Os envío una postal para que podáis admirar el paisaje, que parece salido de un cuento de Dickens. Creo que me he reconciliado con el mundo. Besos. Volveré a escribir.
20 de Marzo
Esto es una mierda. Estoy hasta los cojones de este sitio. Esto es como el infierno pero con el aire acondicionado a toda hostia. ¿Quién coño me mandaría meterme aquí? ¡Te lo dije, mamá! Aunque os parezca mentira, aquí el termómetro no sube de 0. ¿En qué cabeza cabe? Por cierto, ¿qué tal las fallas? Bien ¿no? cabrones... Aquí no hace más que caer nieve todo el puto día. ¿Qué digo nieve?; mierda blanca, porque esto es mierda blanca. Esta mañana, después de media hora de intentar arrancar el jodido el coche (se había helado hasta la dirección), abro la puerta y ¿qué me encuentro?. Pues lo de todos los mismos putos días: una tonelada de mierda blanca. El médico me ha dicho que me deje de jugar con la palita, que como se me vuelva a enganchar la espalda me voy a quedar paralítico. Desde que hace un mes pegué un resbalón en el puto hielo (mierda transparente) y me saqué una vértebra del sitio, lo estoy pasando fatal. Luego, de camino a la universidad, he atropellado un puto reno. El cabrón se ha cruzado sin avisar. El reno, en mi vida he visto animal más hijo de puta... Y encima, ¡que te crees tú que me lo he cargado!. El cabrón ha salido por patas mientras yo me quedaba en mitad de la nada con el radiador reventado. Los 20 kilómetros andando por la nieve me han dejado bien jodido.
1. de Avril
Los mocos se confunden con las lágrimas que ruedan por mis mejillas mientras os escribo estas líneas. No sabéis las ganas que tengo de volver. Estoy hasta los cojones de este puto lugar. Tengo ganas de llegar a casa y quitarme la mierda de abrigo que llevo encima desde Octubre y que ya empieza a apestar. Un abrazo a todos. Os quiero.
PD Estoy pensando en suicidarme.
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.
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- Posts: 2
- Joined: Thu Nov 16, 2006 3:33 pm
Thanks for the replies. Maybe I should have explained that our idea is not exactly moving permanently, but spending half of the year in Finland and the other in Spain, for instance. Given that we have no job restraints, we could come and go freely.
I know that going on holiday is different than living there, but in our case the difference is that our idea is to keep our apartment in Spain (Barcelona) , so that in case we really get tired of life in Finland we can come back.
Anyway, it would be great to know with more detail the process a foreigner has to go through to buy a house in Finland.
Thanks a lot!
I know that going on holiday is different than living there, but in our case the difference is that our idea is to keep our apartment in Spain (Barcelona) , so that in case we really get tired of life in Finland we can come back.
Anyway, it would be great to know with more detail the process a foreigner has to go through to buy a house in Finland.
Thanks a lot!
- Karhunkoski
- Posts: 7034
- Joined: Mon Sep 25, 2006 1:44 pm
- Location: Keski-Suomi
Re buying a property and credit history, it depends what sort of deposit you can put down. I put about 70% down on a new place and repay the other 30% to the housing company. I had no credit hostory in Finland.
Re tax level in Finland, it may be higher than Spain, however certainly no higher than the UK (caveat: based upon my own observations)
e.g. I have a friend who is a teacher in Finland; she complained about the high tax level. We sat down one evening and calculated how much income tax she would pay for the same salary in the UK. The tax burden for the year was virtually identical to what she was paying in Finland.
As a side note, my gf today was also surprised to hear that I used to pay €140/month in local governemnt taxt in the UK (currently called council tax), which goes towards refuse collection, street lights and other local services. In Finland this funding comes from central government?
I would be interested to hear Sinikala's views on the two tax systems.............
Re tax level in Finland, it may be higher than Spain, however certainly no higher than the UK (caveat: based upon my own observations)
e.g. I have a friend who is a teacher in Finland; she complained about the high tax level. We sat down one evening and calculated how much income tax she would pay for the same salary in the UK. The tax burden for the year was virtually identical to what she was paying in Finland.
As a side note, my gf today was also surprised to hear that I used to pay €140/month in local governemnt taxt in the UK (currently called council tax), which goes towards refuse collection, street lights and other local services. In Finland this funding comes from central government?
I would be interested to hear Sinikala's views on the two tax systems.............

- Hank W.
- The Motorhead
- Posts: 29973
- Joined: Sat Jul 06, 2002 10:00 pm
- Location: Mushroom Mountain
- Contact:
Yes but no but yes but no and it wasn't me... The "council" tax in the UK is levied spearately on the grass-roots level. In Finland it is levied, as the "county tax" (the big news this weekend in the papers) and is collected with all the other taxes (like church tax) from the paycheck. Then the VERO does the wealth redistribution so everyone gets their share, also noted that a bit different things are taxable in the county taxation and different things in the government taxation. The average "county tax" percentage is at 19% of the "taxable unit"... some counties more, some less. But say Sweden has it around 35% so what are we complaining about again. But then the county's budget and what money it gets to be used into what and how much they get as a subsidy from the government, thats then a totally different can of worms...sudentassu99 wrote:As a side note, my gf today was also surprised to hear that I used to pay €140/month in local governemnt taxt in the UK (currently called council tax), which goes towards refuse collection, street lights and other local services. In Finland this funding comes from central government?
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.
- Karhunkoski
- Posts: 7034
- Joined: Mon Sep 25, 2006 1:44 pm
- Location: Keski-Suomi

Hmm, so someone in Finland who is paying say, 23%, of their salary as income tax, still has to pay another 19% "county tax" ? I'm of course trying to compare with my earlier comment that someone who may be paying this same 23% of their income in the UK still has to pay another €140 on top of this in the form of local tax.
AFAIK municipal tax in Finland is deducted from your salary each month, in that way you could look at it as coming from central government, but you are taxed by your regional tax office. That is why your overall tax rate can vary depending on where you live. e.g. I heard that Kaunianen has low municipal tax rates. Pori was 1% higher than Hki.sudentassu99 wrote:Re buying a property and credit history, it depends what sort of deposit you can put down. I put about 70% down on a new place and repay the other 30% to the housing company. I had no credit hostory in Finland.
Re tax level in Finland, it may be higher than Spain, however certainly no higher than the UK (caveat: based upon my own observations)
e.g. I have a friend who is a teacher in Finland; she complained about the high tax level. We sat down one evening and calculated how much income tax she would pay for the same salary in the UK. The tax burden for the year was virtually identical to what she was paying in Finland.
As a side note, my gf today was also surprised to hear that I used to pay €140/month in local governemnt taxt in the UK (currently called council tax), which goes towards refuse collection, street lights and other local services. In Finland this funding comes from central government?
I would be interested to hear Sinikala's views on the two tax systems.............
Overall tax rate depends on the income. Here the higher tax rates kick in quicker. From anecdotal evidence, I would suggest that someone on €2k/month is better off in Finland, whereas someone on €4k/month is better off in the UK.
For me, it's not even close, even when you take into account the council tax which is paid in the UK after income tax. Without going into figures, up to last year my youngest brother was earning almost the same as I did before tax and took home more than I do after tax. I can no longer compare as he now earns quite a bit more than I do.


Finns need to opt out of the church tax, AFAIK foreigners don't, we are not members of your church so we don't need to pay.EP wrote:No. That 23 % includes the whole tax package: state, county & possible church.so someone in Finland who is paying say, 23%, of their salary as income tax, still has to pay another 19% "county tax" ?

- Karhunkoski
- Posts: 7034
- Joined: Mon Sep 25, 2006 1:44 pm
- Location: Keski-Suomi
I'm not a church member, a fact which came to light amongst my peers recently when I didn't vote for a friend who was standing for some church post.
I argued that I shouldn't pay as I was not religeous, however their arguement was that the church does a lot of good work for poor people and is perhaps more of a charity.
I don't know for sure what they do, but would appreciate anyone's comments.
I argued that I shouldn't pay as I was not religeous, however their arguement was that the church does a lot of good work for poor people and is perhaps more of a charity.
I don't know for sure what they do, but would appreciate anyone's comments.
I would rather pay tax to the Red Cross or Save the Children than to the church.sudentassu99 wrote:I'm not a church member, a fact which came to light amongst my peers recently when I didn't vote for a friend who was standing for some church post.
I argued that I shouldn't pay as I was not religious, however their argument was that the church does a lot of good work for poor people and is perhaps more of a charity.
I don't know for sure what they do, but would appreciate anyone's comments.
I believe you get your funeral at least partially paid for if you are in the church, I have not looked that far ahead.

