10 BIG MISTAKES When Moving to Finland

Many who are moving to Finland make big mistakes that result in loss of money, time, and embarrassing moments. Today, I will share some actionable tips to help you avoid those so you can live like a Finn.
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Mentioned resources:
Finnish resources
🅰️ Duolingo App: aleksihimself....
🅰️ FinnishPod101 App: aleksihimself....
Opeton App: opeton.com/
Katchats KZbin: ‪@KatChatsFinnish‬
Finnished KZbin: ‪@finnished‬
Finnish with Heidi Instagram: / finnishwithheidi
🅰️ Wise.com to send money to Finland: aleksihimself....
Housing sites:
Sato apartments: www.sato.fi/en
Lumo apartments: lumo.fi/
🅰️ Forenom Apartments: aleksihimself....
Facebook Marketplace: / marketplace
Airbnb: www.airbnb.com/
Sherio: sherio.fi/
Maximum medication import: fimea.fi/en/fo...
=Maximum%20import%20amount%20from%20outside,products%20classified%20as%20a%20narcotic
Bolt taxi: bolt.eu/
Uber taxi: www.uber.com/
Living cost analysis: www.numbeo.com/
Free education consultation (in the capital area) ihhelsinki.fi/...

[@AleksiHimself]

How foreigners make Finns feel UNCOMFORTABLE: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hnTdXmSHjaylfMkfeature=shared

[@renanreixach]

I've been living in Finland for about 10 months and your channel really helped me out in the beginning. Kiitos!

[@AleksiHimself]

That's awesome!

[@PersonalNotPrivate-rl8dv]

Most thorough Finnish content ever. Since starting to watch it, I now have my Finnish passport and feel much more comfortable about my options for establishing myself in Finland.

[@AleksiHimself]

Good stuff! 😃🙌

[@bonbuu550]

I dont usually comment often but this is extremely helpful. Thanks for the video. :3👍

[@AleksiHimself]

Good stuff! More to come!

[@artsuomi]

Do not bring your “warm” clothes from southern countries. I have met some French, Spanish, Italian people who purchased expensive “winter” clothing in their countries. They barely were good for +3, and we had -30…

[@mojikatofficial]

As always the best videos about Finland thanks man❤

[@AleksiHimself]

Glad you like them!

[@AntonMitsura]

I am glad that you are back :)

[@AleksiHimself]

More to come!

[@easylearn9350]

definately useful. I wish I had known these at the time I came to Finland. 😄👍

[@AleksiHimself]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bruno-zy3dn]

uusikielemme is another great resource to learn finnish, specially for grammar lessons

[@AleksiHimself]

They are great! Worth mentioning.

[@ShinTokoroAikido]

Kiitos Aleksi! I rarely post comments but your output has helped me immensely! I have watched so much. My Finnish partner and I have a home now near Kotka. Best help was the info about electricity supply. We chose spot pricing because of that. It worked because we're not there all the time. I've been tied to the UK for a number of reasons and not completed my DVV registration so that banking info you gave is great! I'll be able to organise my final move properly! Taas - kiitos!

[@AleksiHimself]

Glad it helped! Spot price is the best imo. I've had it for years. Let me know if you have more questions!

[@KawaiiCat2]

The thing I find interesting and weird is, when we go to another country, we are expected to learn the language of the country. It makes sense. However in the states, where I live, so many people speak Spanish and no English at all. It is not required and we cater to the Spanish speakers almost enabling them to never learn English. Everywhere Spanish is available to communicate in. To the point where jobs such as customer service jobs make Spanish a requirement.

[@AleksiHimself]

Interesting.

[@stevenjohnson7086]

@@AleksiHimselfAbsolutely! Where I live in California, there are many cultures represented. Sikh, Chinese, Hmong, Russian, Latin America, Japanese and more. It’s very common to interact with people with English that often is imperfect and sometimes difficult to understand. But most of the time, people accept that and work through it. Many government forms are printed in Spanish, Chinese, Hindu, Vietnamese and more. So… imagine how difficult it was for me to accept the idea that my pronunciation needed to be nearly perfect when I started learning Norwegian, haha! Apparently, even with the variety of norsk dialects, pronunciation is extremely important. 😊 I imagine it is so with Finnish…

[@Juanjo2083]

It is a super video. Kiitos paljon Aleksi. Now I'm living in Kuopio, but I am learning many things with your videos. Kiitos

[@AleksiHimself]

Good stuff! 😃🙌

[@danielmalinen6337]

The worst advice I've come across on Reddit is that if someone plans to stay in Finland for a longer period of time, then they "don't need to learn Finnish because in Finland they can get by just using English" and I was surprised that there are people who give advice like this. Of course, I understand that learning Finnish can be difficult and stressful for someone to whom it is a foreign language or it seems pointless because you plan to move out of Finland in a few years, but learning the local language is respectful and non-offensive towards the locals (especially when the current rapid increase of the English language in Finland makes the natives afraid of losing their own language and being marginalized). Good knowledge of Finnish means that the speech is clear, i.e. the number of grammatical errors is low, and that both the speaker and the listener understand what the speech is about, even though it is not nearly at the same level as a native speaker of the language (i.e. when someone asks for "good Finnish" it most often means "understandable Finnish" and there is no reason to be afraid of that). On the other hand, if you plan to stay in Finland for a shorter period of time, say from a week to a few months, then learning Finnish is not as important as for someone who plans to live here, for example, from a year to three years or even longer (and the longer you live in Finland, it is more worthwhile to know more vocabulary).

[@everscamp_]

Thank you for sharing this useful information ☺️

[@AleksiHimself]

Good stuff! 😃🙌

[@livinginthetropics8470]

The Wise card is worth having. Used it in Finland last September while on holidays and it worked really well.

[@AleksiHimself]

I know! It's worth getting.

[@geomattech7891]

very informative and helpful. thanks

[@AleksiHimself]

Glad it was helpful!

[@filipecalado5773]

I've been studying Finnish without any rush for over 2 years. This year I want to go deeper, because it's a language that I love and I'm getting used to listening to it because of the music and videos that I watch. I want to be able to make friends with Finnish people here and maybe make money somehow through work. PS: I'm Brazilian!

[@AleksiHimself]

Best of luck!

[@転狗]

Kiitos paljon:)

[@AleksiHimself]

Good stuff! 😃🙌

[@tamal0167]

Very informative video ! Thanks

[@AleksiHimself]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@itsfarloss]

Alexi is always on point 🙏

[@AleksiHimself]

Good stuff! 😃🙌

[@artsuomi]

International House: They can give consultations on many topics. I had some questions about entrepreneurship and taxes once years before, and they called a guy who answered all my questions.

[@AleksiHimself]

IHH is indeed really helpful!

[@playoholicofficial]

Bro, i have watched more than 30+ videos of yours and now I'm in love with Finland and now I'm searching all the possible options to move in Finland 😅, please help me 😅

[@kekamirza]

Very very helpful video. 👍

[@AleksiHimself]

Good stuff! Which part was the most helpful?

[@kekamirza]

@@AleksiHimself All of them! Though I already gathered some information but I was very concerned about the exact monthly expense in Helsinki and how to take medicines that I might need there. Btw, Can I take normal fever and allergy medicines, first aid ointments, kits without prescriptions?

[@AleksiHimself]

@@kekamirza, monthly expenses really depend on your preferences and lifestyle. Regular medicine doesn't need prescriptions.

[@shahinbaghdasarian7456]

Hey Aleksi me and Aunt went over to Finland back in December (Helsinki and Rovenmeni) and we went to mall of tripla and other coffee shops in Finland. So we accidentally broke one of the mistakes which was that we were supposed to talk in Finnish instead of English and we didn't get in trouble or anything like that Ps I really enjoyed spending my December in Finland it was really amazing and one of the best moment in my life. I'm proud to be happy like the fins even though I'm not Finnish lol

[@AleksiHimself]

You can get service in English in most places. My point was that if you don't learn any Finnish, you won't understand the culture and lifestyle entirely.

[@shahinbaghdasarian7456]

​@@AleksiHimself Oh now I understand lol

[@timosaareste8655]

Did you get a haircut in the middle of the video? 🤣 Nice job 👍Well explained

[@AleksiHimself]

Yes I did. :D

[@avalen767]

Eli tää video on Wise mainos?

[@lusilusi8694]

Mulla on vaimo tulossa Suomeen parin kuukauden päästä ja tämä on todellakin kultakaivos! Kiitos miljoonasti! Lääkäri neuvo oli mahtavaa koska hänellä on astma ja ei ole EU maasta!

[@sanane39]

I plan to move to Finlad from UK. I'd like to ask you kindly could you please share best real estate web pages where I can search for buying properties, house or apartment.

[@AleksiHimself]

etuovi.fi or oikotie.fi

[@SetbackZach]

Aleski Nimeni on Jeremias Heikkinen ja vanhempani kertoivat minulle, että olen muuttamassa kotoa Suomesta Utahiin Amerikkaan. Onko sinulla neuvoja minulle, kiitos

[@AleksiHimself]

En osaa neuvoa koska en ole ikinä asunut Amerikassa.

[@Cryness126]

i am a 28 years old hongkongese learning Finnish But I dont have special/professional skill The job I am doing is so unique that only appears in Hong Kong I think it is quite impossible for me to move to Finland, so I just plan to visit Finland more and hope to live in Finland someday I retire

[@rafaelbriganti502]

What is the name/channel of the first content creator? That part went by too fast, couldn't make this out.

[@AleksiHimself]

All links in the description.

[@TheGenesario]

Please make discount offer again for your Speak Finnish Like a Boss - The Ultimate Bundle!

[@AleksiHimself]

Coming soon!

[@holden_fella]

You see, the problem is getting to Finland and Finland letting you stay! There are only two options: either you come to work for a Finnish company or you come to study. I myself am the #1 fan of Suomi, but I'm a business owner (including some in Finland!) and becoming a hired Prisma employee is not on my bucket list, and the university option lands you right in the first option after you finish studying. Of course, there are fraudulent ways around this conundrum, but Finland is so pure and heavenly that it feels wrong to even think of those.

[@AleksiHimself]

Why don't you become a business owner in Finland? Finland offers permits for entrepreneurs and start-up entrepreneurs.

[@holden_fella]

@@AleksiHimself Yeah, I do have a small 20-room hotel in Finland. I've studied the subject, consulted a migration lawyer and it appears owning business grants you no benefits in that regard. I can make a business managing company, then make them hire me to manage my own property and there - as a hired employee - I can submit a permit request, but otherwise it's basically "you got business in here? Good, you can manage it remotely".

[@jessejohnson94]

If I’m visiting from the US and have a prescription I absolutely can’t go without, is that a problem?

[@AleksiHimself]

Yes, because Finland does not recognize foreign prescriptions. You need to bring enough medicine with you for the trip.

[@jessejohnson94]

@@AleksiHimself Kiitos! I found out that I can’t have more than a 14 day supply for the type of Medication it is. Usually it’s 90 days for non EU prescriptions for travelers. Now I know though!

[@kushlinfield7106]

Re: opening a bank account: If I’m a Finnish passport holder (through my mum) and I’m moving to Finland for the first time, do I still need to book weeks in advance?

[@AleksiHimself]

Yes you need.

[@kushlinfield7106]

@@AleksiHimself Good to know

[@turpasauna]

The importance of learning the language, please read if you are interested in moving here: It's not just about getting respect from the locals, nor is it about managing better in everyday life. The language is the key to any culture; unless you make an effort understanding it, you will feel like an outsider in your new country. Finnish absolutely can be learned, and nobody expects you to do it quickly. The resources are there, you just need to make an effort. Ps. If you read a little about our history, you will gain massive insight on many current themes.

[@AleksiHimself]

Excellent comment!

[@daffy1981]

New videos!🍿 Welcome back! :)

[@AleksiHimself]

Yes! Thank you!

[@VictorBorretRibeiro]

@AleksiHimself Thanks for sharing so useful tips!

[@AleksiHimself]

Glad it was helpful!

[@LifeIsGood-qg3xv]

You might just be the most famous Finn that I know.

[@AleksiHimself]

Thank you!

[@oldschoolgamergirl]

This is good advice for people in EU countries but still leaves a lot of missing info for americans who want to migrate to Finland without a spouse sponsorship.

[@AleksiHimself]

That's a topic for another video.

[@Nikhil007.]

I would like to move to Finland

[@Ginger_on_paws146]

Moi

[@holoholopainen1627]

Have You ever seen or heard Finnish ? IT takes some time to learn - but You have to leave Your native language to minimum - while learnig ! I went to military - just to learn Swedish - in 11 months !

[@AleksiHimself]

WTF: Welcome to Finland!

[@oldschoolgamergirl]

The USA passport is a 90 day tourist visa, if you can afford to live in Finland 3 months with no income and then get a job that doesnt require a residence permit, you will have go back to the USA to your local us embassy to get the visa stamp to stay and work in Finland. I think this needs to change if USA and Finland are Nato allies. The cost is going to be 60,000 dollars if you want to have your butt covered. Minimuim migri will let you stay is 12,000 dollars. So anyone from USA saying they got to Finland broke is not telling the whole truth. Next attending a university will not give you the 8 years you need to become a Finnish citizen so if from america your shooting yourself in the foot if you plan to stay in Finland.

[@turpasauna]

Please don't get this the wrong way, but we don't really plan on having a ton of US citizens on our land just because of NATO. You are well-received here, but we want stay in charge as much as possible.

[@AleksiHimself]

It's better to apply for the jobs from your home country. I'm currently assisting an American to move to Finland as she got a job from a Finnish company. She applied from USA and the whole process was done remotely.

[@loislewis5229]

I’m American but I speak some Swedish. Would the Finns accept me?

[@AleksiHimself]

Of course but learning some Finnish will help, too.

[@holoholopainen1627]

Many Swedes speak also Finnish !

[@holoholopainen1627]

I mean Finnish - Swedes ! Not Swedes in Sweden !

[@kahvipaputyyppi]

The west coast of Finland has much more Finns who speak swedish as their first or second language!

[@Benovip]

Not to sound like an ungrateful stupid foreigner, but the thing I've experienced the most when speaking Finnish to Finns, is that the SECOND they hear that my accent is off or I use the wrong conjugation or something they IMMEDIATELY switch to English. And I'm by no means good at Finnish at all (I am better than I was when I started because I understand more, although I don't know exactly what level I am) but how exactly do people expect foreigners to learn/speak the language when whenever they do, they are instantly met with responses in English? And it's not just beginners like me. I have read that foreigners that even are able to hold conversations in Finnish at a normal pace get "Englified" if their accent is off. And the "Well, store workers, baristas etc. aren't here to help you practice Finnish"-argument, doesn't really work because when I go to the store it's because I want to buy something, not because I have homework to do. I will say though that gladly not all Finns switch, although I've had people switch at small requests like hot chocolate, but I also went to the police station once where the worker there didn't switch and spoke in the normal pace, and I only understood 5% of what she said, but it was still so awesome. If I'm in a gathering with only Finns, I don't want them to switch to English just to accommodate me. If I can't understand what you're saying, that's not your fault. That's mine, and I have to be the one getting better. Hopefully this won't be taken as negative-only vomit, but I just wanted to give a comment on how it is when you're a foreigner and you actually are trying to speak Finnish I absolutely love and enjoy Finland which is why I try to speak Finnish when I can (and why I bought a book dictionary and a grammar book because I really want to learn the language)

[@AleksiHimself]

Thanks for sharing your experience. Next time that happens, say "anteeks, en puhu englantia." = Sorry I don't speak English. People have reported this works like magic. Alternatively, say "puhutaan suomea. " = Let's speak Finnish. You need to take proper action to dodge this kind of sitautions

[@turpasauna]

They switch because they don't want to trouble you. :) I agree on what Aleksi said; "puhutaan suomea/puhutaanko suomea?" will work just fine.

[@5anttu7]

👍👍🙂

[@AleksiHimself]

Good stuff! 😃🙌

[@Esther_R143]

If you learn a little bit Finnish language, it is likely that you may not get finished in Finland 😊

[@smv_-re5rb]

Moving to Finland... - that was the biggest mistake ever.

[@AleksiHimself]

what happened?

[@holoholopainen1627]

From What country ? Everybody asking - IS there a safe return - to Your native Country ? Please be Honest !

[@tamal0167]

Why

[@5anttu7]

✌️👍👍🙂

[@AleksiHimself]

Good stuff! 😃🙌

[@jamesbond-nx2ns]

I thought you left youTube for good

[@AleksiHimself]

I'm back.

[@emekambaebie8309]

Saving and bookmarking this video

[@AleksiHimself]

Good stuff! 😃🙌

[@billw.overbeck8913]

Don't move to finland! There is currently a far right government in charge here and immigrants will have a difficult time from now onwards. Thanks to orpo and purra oligarch group

[@josersleal]

no! Finns will switch to english immediately if they smell you speak poorly suomi. then they leave.

[@AleksiHimself]

Try saying "en puhu englantia."

[@LeslieLanagan]

I didn’t know where to leave this comment because your Instagram messenger isn’t receiving messages. I would like to work with you and I’m an American. I have a proposal that will take about five minutes if you have them.

[@gettinggiggywithit7456]

I'm learning Finnish, I would like to get somebody to communicate with Finnish so I can improve faster and easily. If you can be of help please contact me.Thank you.

[@AleksiHimself]

Try this: aleksihimself.com/italki