Integration into Finland

When you move to Finland, you have the right to receive basic information about Finland. When you receive a residence permit or residence card or register your right of residence, you will also receive information about Finnish society and working life, your rights and obligations and services to help you to integrate.

If you would like advice or guidance, you can get help from the integration services or advisory services in your municipality. You can ask for advice on issues such

• working life
• education and studying
• integration and services and measures to support integration

Many municipalities offer advice in several languages. If you and the advisor do not speak the same language, you can use an interpreter. 

There are also other services available in Finland to support integration. These services are intended for people who have lived in Finland for less than three years. These services include the assessment of service needs related to integration and skills as well as the integration plan. You may be entitled to these services in certain situations, such as:

• you are unemployed and looking for a job
• you receive income support other than on a temporary basis
• you are caring for your child at home and receive child home care allowance
• you arrived in Finland without a guardian before the age of 18
• you came to Finland as a refugee
• you are a victim of human trafficking

You can also request this kind of assessment yourself.

Assessment of service needs related to integration and skills

The assessment of service needs related to integration and skills means that you take stock of your situation with an employee of the employment services in your municipality or region. You discuss together what your goals and aspirations are, what you have studied in the past, what jobs you have held, what languages you speak and what your work capacity is. Based on this discussion, the employee will assess what services can help you integrate.

The assessment must be carried out within three years of the date on which your first residence permit came into force.

Integration plan

The integration plan is an individual plan on how you can integrate into Finland and, for example, enter the workforce. An employee of the municipality or employment services will draw up the plan together with you. The plan will include your objectives and the services you will participate in. This may include, for example, learning Finnish or Swedish, vocational training, career counselling or job search. You will also agree on how the implementation of the plan will be monitored.

The first plan will be drawn up for a period of up to one year. The implementation of the plan will be monitored and the plan updated if your situation and needs change. The plan may also be extended in certain circumstances. In general, the plan can be valid for a maximum of two years.

Once your integration plan has been prepared, it is important that you adhere to it. If you do not participate in the measures included in the plan, this may affect your Kela benefits, for example.

Integration training and multilingual civic orientation

When the integration plan is complete, you can receive integration training. Integration training is organised by different educational institutes. Integration training includes Finnish or Swedish language studies and studies related to Finnish society and working life.

In addition, a multilingual civic orientation is offered. The idea is that you can participate in the orientation in your mother tongue or in a language you know well. In the orientation, you will get to know Finnish society, culture and working life. Ask your municipality of residence for more information. 

You can study Finnish and Swedish even if no integration plan has been drawn up for you. Courses are organised by adult education centres, workers’ institutes, folk high schools, universities and summer universities, for example. However, if you are an unemployed jobseeker, you should agree on your studies with an employee of the employment services before starting a course.

Read more on the InfoFinland page Finnish and Swedish.