This is why FINLAND SUCKS - 5 Reasons YOU SHOULD NOT Move to Finland!

In this video I will share 5 reasons why you should not move to Finland! These things can make living in Finland difficult for internationals and you really need to know about them before moving to Finland.
5 reasons why you should not move to Finland:
0:00 Intro
0:31 Finland is a very expensive country to live in
2:13 Finland has very high taxes
4:26 Finding a job as a foreigner can be difficult
7:52 Join the channel membership
8:20 Finnish language is insanely hard to learn
10:36 Finland has a stupid amount of bureaucracy
//WATCH NEXT!
○ 10 things to know about everyday live in Finland - kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpe0poBnq9iabZI
○ 10 things that you should know before moving to Finland - kzbin.info/www/bejne/bYSUpKKti5Z-i80
Remember to join us on my weekly live stream every Thursday at 6:30pm Helsinki time!
//SOURCES:
○ Tax brackets (Taxpayers Association of Finland) - www.veronmaksajat.fi/luvut/Laskelmat/Palkansaajan-veroprosentit/#99492dd3
○ Tax percentage calculator (Finnish Tax Administration) - www.vero.fi/en/individuals/tax-cards-and-tax-returns/tax_card/tax-percentage-calculator/
○ European VAT rates (European Commission) - ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/sites/taxation/files/resources/documents/taxation/vat/how_vat_works/rates/vat_rates_en.pdf
○ "Foreign-sounding names still hamper job search" (Yle News) - bit.ly/3mvBt4H
○ "Researcher: If there's a worker with a Finnish name, they'll probably get hired (Yle News) - bit.ly/3kzFDrt
//USE THESE IF YOU MOVE TO FINLAND AFTER ALL:
○ Where I buy my mobile and internet subscriptions (Elisa) - adtr.co/5R9yPC
○ Alternative place to buy mobile and internet subscriptions (DNA) - adtr.co/ScMygF
○ How I save money in groceries (Matsmart) - adtr.co/Y2X5Xn
○ How I save money in food (Fiksuruoka) - prz.io/LoAmEeoCN
○ Where I get my outdoor clothes (Scandinavian Outdoors) - adtr.co/TZ0wLc
○ Where I reserve a cabin for a trip in Finland (Lomarengas) - adtr.co/IFnxCJ
○ Where I get my watches and sunglasses (Aarni) - aarniwood.com/? (use code oliver10 for 10% discount)
//MUST USE APPS IN FINLAND:
○ My favourite electric scooters (VOI Scooters) - adtr.co/C0MMRr
○ Food delivery (Wolt) - wolt.com/en (use the code 7738 for 3 free deliveries)
//COME SAY HI!
Discord: discord.gg/W2guppc
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/oliverrotko/
Instagram: oliver.rotko
//CONTACT:
Subscribers, please use this email: [e-mail]
For business inquires only: [e-mail]
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service using the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my channel so I can continue to provide you with free weekly content!
CREDITS: Subscribe Button by MrNumber112 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fKHWZqmNnLCXopI
#studyinfinland #roadtofinnish

[@alansalmi]

I’ve considered coming to Finland, but I think I will have someone of an advantage being a Finnish American. While I studied Finnish for two years in college, it would still be a bit to brush up on it again. Fortunately, with proving that I have a grandparent born there, the “law of return“ allows me instant immigrant status. Also, since I am disabled, there is a special office for disabled immigrants to help me. Finland, in that way, is fantastic.

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Hey Alan and thanks so much for sharing this! Super interesting to hear from someone with Finnish roots. One thing that really struck me was the fact that you had Finnish language courses in college. I hope you dont mind me asking, what kind of a college has Finnish in the curriculum? 😅

[@gezelgunther]

@@RoadtoFinnish Go to hell Alan

[@MilnaAlen]

I had no idea there was an office for disabled immigrants! My ex was disabled and could have really used that. Nobody mentioned that in Migri or the city's immigration services even tho they knew she was on disability benefits.

[@boathemian7694]

Is this for real? My wife has a grandparent who was Finnish, are you saying we could actually get immigration status??

[@ricklehtonen7523]

@@RoadtoFinnish no kidding?!? My Father was in the Finnish merchant marine, and was interred in the British Bahamas at the start of WWII. He joined the US Army to gtf out of the Bahamas and settled in the USA after that, and I was born here and you say I can move to Finland with a Special Visa?

[@iwantedtobethatanomaly2270]

As a finnish Person, I can also guarantee that people here do not only care for other people, but we also care about animals, whether that's a wild animal or a pet. About a month ago I was walking my dog and we saw a seagull on a road. They didn't move much so we spent a lot of time speculating and something was wrong with them and turns out that it was severly damaged so we took it out of the road and then called the emergency number, and the police came to take it away to see if it can get better or should it be put down. I bet if I called the emergency number on a damaged seagull in any other country the police would just laugh at me and put down the phone.

[@RoadtoFinnish]

This is very true and im sure that many internationals coming to Finland will be positively surprised by the amount of compassion and empathy that we Finns have towards other people as well as the environment around us. Thanks for raising such an important point 👍

[@madalenaacaciodefreitas9468]

So why you allow sex with animals if you care?!!!

[@Emperoad]

@@madalenaacaciodefreitas9468????

[@777esc]

@@madalenaacaciodefreitas9468 what🙁🙁

[@Emperoad]

@@madalenaacaciodefreitas9468 what the actual fuck are you talking about

[@rachhek]

By looking at the title, I expected to see some complaints about the "weather" but it's not there. But your points are far more serious and appreciable.

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Hey Rachhek and thanks for the feedback! This was actually something that i was considering and i ditched most of the more common complaints. I thought that these topics are actually important and people ask me about them all the time so i wanted to address issues that are actually shitty BUT manageable as long as you know about them beforehand. As always, id love any constructive feedback to make my delivery better. Theres no point in working on this channel if you guys dont get at least some value from my rants.

[@lonewolf333]

That's because there's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing. In any case, just saying "Finland" conjures up images of the frozen north, and most people likely know already that it gets very cold there.

[@Letmegoalready]

Like umm I like live in finland????

[@joesoy9185]

@@lonewolf333 Yes, I've often heard this argument, but I disagree. Not everybody enjoys trudging through muddy field in driving rain and bitterly cold winds.

[@drslothy]

@@joesoy9185 Yeah, like, I lived in Scotland for 20+ years and seriously it rains more than 300 days per year, and summer is maybe high teens for temps, low 20s if it gets insanely hot. Finland has awesome weather, you just need a good pair of boots and a raincoat. In Scotland, you need to be encased in all plastic and basically just buy a boat.

[@fergussaint-john2535]

I have zero intention of living in Finland , but I love finding out this stuff..really entertaining & interesting

[@dotech4128]

I guess my take on taxes is that while it would be nice be taxed less, as long as the benefits from taxation are visible and tangible within the community and I can still afford to live comfortably then I’m completely fine with it. The language is very difficult, my grandfather moved to the USA from Finland in the 1940’s and my grandmother from Sweden in the 1950’s so I grew up hearing both from time to time.

[@RoadtoFinnish]

I totally agree with you. Im 100% paying even relatively high taxes (as we do in Finland) as long as the tax money go towards good things. My personal take on this is that we do get a lot of value for our money in Finland, but things could always be better. This is where we would have to go into a political discussion about each of our priorities and opinions. Ill try to stay away from that discussion because my opinions are just that - my personal opinions 👍

[@kardy12]

Precisely. Being a Finn living in the U.K., the lower taxes paid on income in the UK are more than outweighed by higher childcare costs or school fees for children, tuition fees at university if you’re studying, higher transport costs etc etc. Not to mention that if something god forbid were to happen to you as a parent (be it a car accident or a debilitating terminal illness like cancer), in Finland most schools will give children a decent education at no direct cost to you - in the U.K., the quality of publicly funded schools is enormously varying, and there are far more fees for things on the side like paying for school uniforms and for lunch. But still a substantial part of the U.K. population dismissed a successful footballer from a poor background who tried to campaign for free school lunches as a “woke virtue signaller”. Higher taxes are a form of social insurance even to those who are net payers. Unfortunately some of the barriers to foreigners in Finland raised in the video are also a formidable barrier for families with one foreign spouse who happens to be an experienced professional - the requirement of speaking Finnish virtually as well as a native speaker for many jobs would automatically mean a long period of unemployment (or employment in the low paid sector with less stringent requirements) while they learn the language. Which would be an absolute waste in a country that suffers from a shortage of trained professionals in many fields.

[@mattivirta]

@@RoadtoFinnish finland have world highes tax system take too lot tax alltime and manytime same money again and again. pension not newer need pay tax other countrys why need because all pension money has pay tax before 2 time, why need pay one time more, totally idiot tax system has in finland. and all this money not go to citicens goods, hospital,etc, all money go out of finland africa scammers and isis terrorist goverment support terrorist lot around world and in finland. all pay to terrorist murders but not own citicens who pay taxes.

[@ellem6050]

@@mattivirta It's like that in the UK too. To work in a care home, for example, an immigrant gets paid £10.10 per hour but a UK citizen is only entitled to between £4-£8. If you're a UK citizen you are a second class citizen in your own country.

[@veritorossi]

In Argentina we have higher taxes, 21% taxes on goods, then we have 65% tax if we want to save in foreign currency, also there is income tax that may even be up to 50% or more of you monthly income and don't even have 1/4 of services I see Finland or any Nordic country has. Yes, we have free education and free healthcare but they are not always the best. University of Buenos Aires is excellent, and some public high schools like the one I went to are top notch not all of them are. I only see my money go to waste or into corrupt politicians pockets like our "beloved" Vice President Cristina Kirchner.

[@covid-keijo4952]

Mä oon ruotsalainen ja mä oon oppinut suomea ihan itse. Enkä oo koskaan käynyt suomessa edes, mietin vaan että ois kiva osata suomea kun mun suku puhu suomea. Vain halusin sanoa sitä teille joille ovat opiskellemassa suomea. Tolla tavalla ehkä te tajuatte että ei ole mahdotonta oppia suomea! Kuuntele vaan suomen musiiki, katsokaa suomalaista sarjaa ja tee suomea tavallisemmiks!

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Super short translation for our international audience: he is a Swede but with some Finnish family. He has learned Finnish on his own without ever visiting Finland by watching Finnish tv and just by using it as much as possible. The core message is that you can learn Finnish also if you really put yourself into it 👍. I think this is actually a really great message to share because even though i have said (as do so many others) that Finnish is an extremely difficult language, it can be learned if you just put yourself into it. You just need to know where to start. If you are interested in starting with learning Finnish, i have a video where i list the best free tools to start learning Finnish: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l53HlYCHrJt7iJY

[@covid-keijo4952]

@@RoadtoFinnish exactlly. and for all of u watching this in my position (i know there are some of u watching this), just do it. it will get u a way in to ur heritage even though u might not have had a part of it during ur life. as for me finland has always been a question mark, which has been like a whole inside my during my teens. knowing that i am finnish but still i am not, when u learn the language u understand the people, u can understand how they speak and that helps. use it as a motivation to start, and it will motivate u to keep on going. when u have gotten to a certain point, the finnish will automatically keep on expanding when u hear some words which u dont understand, ur mind will put the pieces together. thats where the actual learning takes place. anna palaa!

[@jyrki2275]

Minkälaista suomalaista musiikkia tykkäät kuunnella. Voisin kertoa joitakin hyviä

[@nohemie4057]

Inspiring. Understanding the people and the culture a bit more, these were the main reasons of my willingness to learn it.I hope by at least 2 years to be able to understand 80 %of what I see and hear. I have been listening to local radios too, I love it😄

[@libraryofthoughts0]

"Mä oon ruotsalainen ja mä oon oppinut suomea ihan itse. Enkä oo koskaan käynyt suomessa edes, mietin vaan että ois kiva osata suomea kun mun suku puhu (puhuu) suomea. haluaisin sanoa teille jotka ovat opiskelemassa suomea. Tolla tavalla ehkä te tajuatte että ei se ole mahdotonta oppia suomea! Kuuntele vaan suomen musiikia (suomalaista musiikkia), katsokaa(Kattokaa, katelkaa) suomalaisia sarjoja ja (tee suomea tavallisemmiks!)?? " Anteeksi, mun oli pakko korjata vähän sun grammaria. Olet todella hyvä kirjottaa suomea!!!

[@masoudfattahghazi9461]

I have moved to Finland since December 2019 and I can confirm that language is such a huge problem especially if you speak swedish and English, as almost everyone speaks decent English for every day life you absolutely need Finnish to have a job.

[@deboraradman9333]

Eh, that really depends on where you live in Finland. I live in Ostrobothnia and work as an LPN and I rearly need Finnish.

[@MrDeicide1]

You absolutely need English to put together a sentence that makes sense

[@TheKentaurion]

Sorry, I didn’t understand. Is it a problem or not? Everyone under 60 speaks quite good english. In ostrobotnia, the archipelago in south west and at ahvenanmaa/ åland, you will find people that don’t understand finnish. There swedish is the mainstream. There are some small IT firms that operate in english and they don’t require finnish.

[@Aventuramt]

You can move back to your country of origin

[@gredulous2444]

If I were to move to a new country, I would behave very humbly and gratefully, learn the local language of the new country as quickly as possible, and at first settle for even a slightly worse job to earn my position in that society and then I would try to progress for something better. I have learned that by doing things like that you eventually receive pretty good life and people will respect you! Some people try by whining about everything, raising some middle fingers up to everyone, demanding to get everything for free without doing anything, but that's usually not working too well. The end result may vary based on what you have earned with your own actions. Good people get nice life and greedy spivs end up to have something not as good.

[@blotski]

As a foreigner who has learned Finnish to a fairly advanced level I can confirm it is a hard task. It takes a long time. Not only is it so different in its structure and vocabulary but the difference between standard written Finnish and everyday spoken Finnish makes it an even longer job. BUT - take heart! Once you reach the intermediate level progress can get a lot smoother. You realize that once you have a reasonable vocabulary, the way Finnish constructs its compound words makes it quite easy to have a sensible 'guess' at what new words mean. Also Finns in general speak clearly and not too quickly.

[@ElinaES1]

Learning a language is always a big job - there are no languages that would be easy and fast to learn. Some are just more common and people hear it more (like English). Finnish is no more difficult to learn than any other. One additional reason maybe that a higher degree of skill is required as Finns are still not that used to communicating with people who speak Finnish with a foreign accent or otherwise not so fluently.

[@KohaAlbert]

I thought you speak about Finland, yet I felt so very home with this at Estonia. Speaking about language barrier, learning one of two, you still have to learn another separately - so no 2in1 there. Estonians probably being even more sensitive (protective) regarding their language, but I suspect pretty much everyone below 40 speaks English in all over country.

[@RoadtoFinnish]

That is super interesting. Thanks for sharing!

[@gjs2500]

Well lets say that i will rather speak finnish with people in finland and if someone who lives here starts speaking english to me im like ehh..

[@ghesak]

As a foreigner who lives and works in Finland after doing my masters, you are super spot on! Great video, wish I had this kind of information available before coming here 4 years ago XD

[@TravelProAlex]

As an American, who doesn’t speak any other languages, I have to say your English is excellent.

[@princesslehaha]

You're very good. I have EXTREMELY short attention span, and I've already watched two of your videos and learned some stuff too even though I live here. Your editing is also stellar.

[@annarasmus8737]

Oh, Aalto university, is that right? You're totally right about these facts about our country - they do suck. Overall though, after living in several different countries, I find our country awesome! 😎🇫🇮

[@VeRa-ko2en]

Idiootti

[@imgonnabeastar127]

@@VeRa-ko2en ai kuka on idiootti?

[@VeRa-ko2en]

Näköjään sinä myös

[@travellingengineer4509]

I have started studying Finnish a few months ago and I can't understand why everyone says that it's a difficult language to learn. Maybe it's difficult to master but to reach a middle point it's easier than English for example. It has logical rules behind word structure and grammar

[@d2rr]

Basics are quite simple but when you get deep into grammar and whatnot its really complex and confusing for a foreigner.

[@dieweltisteinbuch1962]

I’ve been studying Finnish for 2 years, it’s only the beginning being easy…

[@travellingengineer4509]

@@dieweltisteinbuch1962 I totally agree with you guys. At this point the most difficult thing is to understand spoken language. Especially when they use slang language, simplified terms and speakers too fast, but reading a newspaper is doable. Also, not living there makes it even more difficult.

[@elmokelmu]

problem is, if you study finnish the words you learn are not what people typically use while talking, because of "puhekieli" "murteet" and slang ofcourse.

[@moges720]

Language’s difficulty to learn is measured in relation to the language you already speak. It is a subjective matter and not based on facts.

[@corinna007]

Canadian here. I've been to Finland twice, and my dream is to be able to split my time between here and there. Expense-wise, I wasn't too surprised; it's pretty comparable to here. I'm currently learning Finnish, so hopefully it won't be too terribly hard to find a job (if I'm not able to figure out how to start my own online business). There are also quite a lot of similarities between the cultures. I guess I'll find out about the bureaucracy for myself soon enough, especially as my name would be very obviously foreign. I really do love Finland, though, and I would love to be able to live there part time.

[@rebeccafridaylover]

I am thinking the same thing, Canadian also. I am sure we can handle the weather. Any luck founding good resource to learn Finnish? Also, how you going to try get that resident permit.

[@Dave-ip7hs]

Canadian here too XD. Welcome to Canada. Here's you tax, no pay up! If that's what Finland is then should be no surprise. Personally I won't be able to move to my ancestors birth places because I have such a short attention span. Learning a language is impossible

[@Beregar79]

Hello and welcome. I think it's a good thing that you are putting effort into learning Finnish. This is not specifically aimed to you but more as a general musing: What I think a lot of people fail to understand when they hear that in Finland "everyone speaks English" is that it's a huge exaggeration because the skill level varies a *lot* and many are not comfortable speaking English even if they know how. It definitely applies to people under 40, too. Let's keep in mind that Oliver comes from academic background (he is a university student) so his opinions and experiences by default are going to reflect those circles. The people under 40 are not a homogenous group - and neither are the rest. I've more colleagues who are not comfortable speaking in English than those who are - and I work in a multinational company where the official language is in fact English. There's a huge difference between what company's official stance is versus what is reality. The management may speak English and our managers definitely must be able to do so to a degree, but for example for our division all instructions are in Finnish because most of the division doesn't like to (or simply can't) read English. If you plan to use mostly English you have to look for larger cities (probably our capital) and the job market there can be very competitive which is probably the primary reason foreign named people are not selected (sans speciality positions like researchers or in IT) for jobs. If you are capable of writing your CV both in Finnish and English, and can back it up in the interview, you have a high chance of getting hired - if the job demands international experience or academic knowledge. For those planning to apply into low level positions you can skip the English and just apply in Finnish. If your application is in English it just gets scrapped. Naturally you can find immigrants in low level positions but those aren't usually permanent employees or technically employees at all. They have gotten those positions through employment programs which means they are unemployed people who are temporarily hired because unemployment office covers their cost (basically it's unpaid labor).

[@idraote]

I agree with you when you say that, if the country desperately needs certain skills, it could teach the language as part of the university classes. That said, I also think that moving abroad to study is not something one improvises and I think it reasonable for the person wanting to move to try to learn at least the basics BEFORE actually moving. Of course, there might be situations such as receiving a grand job offer for a country you never thought about moving to before, but I don't expect it to happen that often.

[@helenwhitlock4503]

Thank you Oliver for sharing this so that a person can make a thoughtful well informed decision before moving to, studying or working in Finland.

[@carlamichelson4715]

Always interested in learning about Finland and other Nordic countries. I have watched some of your enjoyable videos. This one made me laugh (at your antics and frustration) over the difficult things to know if you want to live in Finland. I am a Scottish person who lives in Texas right on the border with Mexico. It makes me want to do a lot of head smacking at the lunacy going on here.

[@englishruraldoggynerd]

I’d love to read about these one day, I can imagine a broad Scottish accent swearing up a storm! Weather is finally changing here, first light frost in Kent, and light snow on the Cairngorms. 👍🏻😷🏳️‍🌈

[@guzzar100]

The most difficult part is, its really tough to get close friendship with Finnish people as an outsider. We dont understand them, they dont understand us, simple fact. Person who is married to Finnish women, even not married to Finnish women more or less feel the same. The isolation feeling starts right from university when you feel as a colored person you are not welcome into the elite class of "tall blonde Finns", this feeling only grows over the years, eventually after studying, working, paying tax for over several years the person realises "enough is enough" & leaves Finland. I studied all day in uni lab or library, worked in supermarket almost every evening for 4 hours, soon after 3rd semester started working in a SW company, paid taxes each month for nearly 7 years, was discriminated & humiliated in my first job place, never took one cent benefit from KELA, I left Finland after 8 years, i am glad I did & life doesn't feel that isolated here in Germany. I know few German friends here, who stepped way out of their comfort zone to help me settle down as a new comer to Germany. If there was a problem with my child or my wife they didnt hesitate to give their best shot. If i compare the sympathy & respect the Germans showed to me i never had even 10% of that from my fellow Finnish friends. I dont have one single Finnish friend in Finland who i call or they call me, it was 8 long years! 8 long years!

[@wenyaliini]

Jamal, I'm sorry to hear you felt so isolated and shunned in Finland. I know it's not at all easy to integrate here, and making friends with Finnish people can be hard even to Finnish people themselves when trying to socialize in a new town for example. Good to hear that you have now found a place that feels more like home. To maybe ease some fears that other readers could have based on your post or other similar stories, I wanted to explain a little why I think Finnish society is difficult to slip into. I don't doubt that racism plays a part, but I find it a bit difficult to believe that many Finnish people would have felt themselves as the elite and looked down on less blond people. More likely the problem is pure fear of the unknown. Anyone who looks different and speaks different immediately makes people a bit uncomfortable, because we don't know what to expect and what the other person is expecting from us. I think that a lot of Finnish people are very afraid of saying or doing something wrong, and in those situations the default accepted reaction here is to say and do nothing at all. This fear could be both fear of speaking and trying to understand another language, and the fear of not knowing the culture the other person is coming from and maybe doing or saying something "wrong" because of that. Also, often people from almost any other culture break some unspoken Finnish cultural rules that makes them more intimidating. They can be very small things that are easy to miss, such as talking a little bit too loudly, or not knowing how long to wait for the other person in the conversation to start talking. I have had the latter problem with several foreigners who seemed like really nice people, but they seemed to be just talking endlessly without any breaks where I could chime in, so I ended up being uncomfortable and silent. I'm sure they in turn wondered why I wasn't saying anything and maybe were talking so much to fill what they saw as an uncomfortable silence. And when the conversation seems uncomfortable, it's so much easier to avoid it than to push through it to learn to know those people and find a common ground. I'm not saying this is anyone's fault, or that the people from different cultures should just learn to act like a Finn in every aspect to integrate. I'm just hoping, that maybe if more people, both Finnish people and foreigners in Finland, understood where the communication goes wrong, maybe more people could find friendships across cultures. Like any country we have our racists who simply despise anyone who isn't blue-eyed and speak perfect Finnish, sure. But probably more often people are simply a bit scared and uncomfortable when faced by something new, than actually thinking anything bad about the foreign people they meet. Perhaps knowing that could help in some situations to break through that ice. You might even find out that Finnish people can actually be really good and loyal friends once you get to that point where you can call us friends.

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Im really sad to hear that things turned out like this with you. Ive heard way too many stories like this and its actually one of the key reasons for this channel. I really want to communicate about these issues to as many internationals as possible even before they step into Finland so that they can take these into account from day one. My goal on this channel is to get as many international students successfully into the Finnish job market and a key thing is to get them feel as welcome as possible. Unfortunately its not all up to me but its also the job of other Finnish students, employers and the society as a whole. Im seeing a lot of good progress happening but there is still a lot of work to do so that people dont feel isolated like you did. Again, im so sorry for your experience and i wish (a long shot but cant do anything else) that people in Finland read some of these comments and realised how much work there is to do to make you guys feel more welcome and included.

[@guzzar100]

@@RoadtoFinnish Hi Oliver, thanks for your comment. My son Hamza Muhammad is a Finnish national or we can say "Suomalainen Poikka" 😅😅, he is only 22 months old now, i dont see any chance of me returning to Finland so he will grow up in Germany. but I really hope when he becomes adult & serves his compulsary time in the Finnish army he will experience a different Finland (more positive) than his father did.

[@guzzar100]

@@wenyaliini Kaisa, thanks for your answer. It was not 100% fault of the Finns, it was 70% blunder from my side as well, i didnt knew what should be my priorities, which actions/place/people should i focus & take steps, which actions/places/people to avoid. I was blunt to not think properly of my situation, what i want? Where am i? Where i want to be? I cant blame the Finns for those! But anyway when my son Hamza Muhammad (only 22 months old now 😅 & "Suomalainen Poikka" 😅) will come to Finland after 16 years to serve his compulsary period in Finnish army he will be smarter than his father (I really hope!) I agree with your points, i really appreciate your long & thoughtful comment.

[@isaacnuketon]

I'm currently 14 and I started learning Finnish at 13 I can speak a fair bit of finnish it's a cool language and the finnish music is amazing (Säkkijärven polkka and ievan polkka)

[@it-girl2203]

Try to listen to this song called pulp fiction by halo helsinki its amazing ❤️

[@onlyme112]

And the incomparable Jean Sibelius -- Swan of Tuonela, Symphony No. 2, Violin Concerto, Finlandia

[@isaacnuketon]

@@it-girl2203 I like the song thanks for suggesting it

[@isaacnuketon]

@@onlyme112 Very peaceful sounding and relaxing

[@diegotorrescordero4564]

This is my first time here, and your channel is really good, I have learned more about things in Finland, and know about your culture, this is an incredible video, greetings from Colombia, and here is your like and a new subscriber.. 🇨🇴

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Hey Diego and thanks so much for the positive feedback! I do appreciate it 👊. Do let me know if you have questions that youd like me to answer here in the comments or perhaps with a dedicated video. Also, i hope you dont mind me asking, are you perhaps interested in doing your degree in Finland?

[@dodopson3211]

After reading the research paper article about discrimination the following sentence stood out to me; "If young people begin to feel that society is unjust, it can lead to them rejecting it." I can totally relate to that. However; I am native Dutch, living in the Netherlands and feel that way ;) but then I thought about it a bit more; I may have 100% Dutch DNA; I don't, in fact, have a Dutch sounding first name; maybe it does contribute to not even being invited for job interviews.

[@jenarutberg9323]

I enjoy the honest way you put forth the information about your country so people can make intelligent decisions, not emotional mistakes. It does look like a beautiful country which I would love to visit one day.

[@Mizufluffy]

I'm glad I was born in Finland and lived here my whole life so I don't have a language barrier problem but that language meme at 9:22 was so funny. The best part was definitely when the others thought it was already over and then comes "And now for the plural forms...". For any foreigners who might suddenly be worried about declension and conjugation in Finnish language: It's true there's a lot but in daily use you won't come across nearly as many of them. If someone asked me to list all of them then there is no way I'd be able to do it even as a Finn.

[@nasaspacemanwho6711]

Came to Finland about 15 years ago for a business meeting. Enjoyed the people and the vibe. Haven't been back but I do enjoy these videos.

[@eugeniatobultoc2238]

I left Finland 2 years ago after living there for 2 years and yes, the prices are "interesting", however now in Vienna Austria, I would not say that the rent differs so much, the other things tho.... The salaries are higher, but still, all that salary goes in food and rent most probably :D :D :D :D The Alko is another painfull subject, now my favourite sport is to send pictures with the beer prices here in Austria to my finnish friends, just enjoying them crying :D I was NOT satisfied with the healthcare system at all! I felt like you are indirectly forced to buy the private health insurance, because otherwise, if you are not a finn or at least dead, nobody would even care about you, even if you pay the same taxex as everybody else. I am surprised to hear about the burocracy, as Finland is the most effective in terms of documents and stuff, at least compared to other countries i lived in. Always everything was super clear and easy, i did not have to ask 1 billion times what documents i need for different stuff etc, long story short: I thought finns are such big introverts that they even made burocracy easy so they would not have to interact with other people for too long :D Maybe i was just lucky, but in Tampere i never had problems with administrative stuff. Do i love Finnland? YES! Would i go there winter vacations and sauna on the lake? Hell yes! Would i chose to live there again? No way!

[@beckypetersen2680]

That was a good commentary. I live in Poland, and the red tape we go through is enormous (for residency).

[@tyyneviljakainen5108]

Good luck with that . Tampere is most rasistic place in Finland. I don't have anything good to say about most fins . Finland is most rasistic place in Europe. I maybe have Finnish family name but I am not Finnish. Most fins cosigner other not Finnish as trash. Especially with Russian native speakers and Muslims. No wonder that most unemployed is among non native people. And don't say that we are lazy or parasite. I get a job only because I fight to get it and changed my family name ( my parents are from Finland) but I born in Sovjet Union. Most Finnish ate fake. I have only Finnish friends ( they're not rasists but they are not minority and I have only 2 ...I wish I had a brain to move to U.S back then. Fins 👎 Most of them are so jealous and envy.

[@Ethnarches]

@@tyyneviljakainen5108 If it's so bad, how about you go somewhere else? I'm from an immigrant background as well and that's certainly not my experience or the experience of anyone I've actually talked to. If that's your experience for whatever reason, I'm sorry, but why stay here? Any chance that a lot of that might have to do with your own attitude?

[@bakeraus]

Very good to hear your throughts. I have just moved to Finland and I don't know if I will last the distance as I come from a very open and friendly society and I love small talk :S Austria looks so nice! Enjoy and send me some beers heheh

[@camilaveg]

Hey Oliver! Great video! 👍 All countries have problems, no one is perfect. Here in Brazil we also pay a LOT of taxes but unfortunately we don't have them back.. our public school are terrible ( at least most of them) our hospitals are worse day by day and the public security is awful.. But Finland besides of all this problems( I see more like a way to keep the country safe and more in order) is a great place to live. I think there are more positives than negatives points. My sister and I were trying to learn Finnish because we also like the band Stam1na! We would love to be able to understand the lyrics but we don't find to much material, we are using Duolingo, is not like learn from a native speaker but helps! 🙂

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Hey Camilaveg. Thanks so much for the great insight and thoughtful comment. You are 100% correct. Every country has their ups and downs, and as i mentioned in this video, many of the things listed are things that could be improved upon. However, they are not things that would deter me from recommending Finland for anyone. Btw, its incredibly funny how many people tell me that they started learning Finnish because of our metal bands 😅.

[@hannar509]

Great video with really good points! It's hard to fully integrate to the society and get a job if you don't speak Finnish especially if you are not living in Helsinki. They should make the application process for the jobs that lack employers a lot easier. There are many non-Finnish job-seekers who for example would like to apply to become a nurse but they are turned down because they don't know the language so well yet. You also mentioned that the day care is free but unfortunately, it isn't. The education from the age of 6 up to the university level if free. Although the day care fees are charged based on how much you earn!

[@gauthierbriere]

Hi, this is great content ! I am french and live in Finland since 2 years now. I decided last summer to start a YT channel on french people living in Finland and a kind of Vlog. Anayway the algo proposed me your contents and I am quite happy because my opinion and ideas converge to yours ! I just need to underline that Bureaucracy compare to France is the dream, in Finland !

[@NoIntroTutorials]

So 5 minutes in and the BIG REASONS NOT TO MOVE TO FINLAND are that soda is a little more expensive and they have income taxes -.-

[@RoadtoFinnish]

I know right - SHOCKING! 😁

[@JackpineGandy]

Apropos of nothing in particular, I've just watched several of your splendid videos and am fascinated by your fluency in English. It is easier for me to listen to you than it is for me to listen to many accented forms from Britain or British-influenced locations. Even the form of English spoken in some other Scandinavian locations has a decidedly British English accent. I live in northeastern Minnesota, an area with a large Finnish ancestry. I have heard what I call a typical Finn accent in people who speak (American) English as it was learned while living here, and it is entirely different from your speech pattern. I know that the Finnish language has evolved significantly from what was spoken a century ago, as linguists come to this area to hear the language as it was spoken in an earlier era. Thanks for your videos.

[@amyking1750]

Aloha Oliver, I have enjoyed your videos, as my husband is part Finn (his grandmother was a Hyry). Also, your English is excellent. One comment, though (and this is something many native English speakers have trouble with); that is the usage of "amount" and "number." An easy rule of thumb to decide which to use is this: If it's something you measure with a unit (like a liquid) or an intangible quality (like "trust"), or about which you ask, "How much?", you would use "amount." If it's something you count, or about which you ask "How many?", you should use "number." Just a pet peeve of mine. LOL! Thank you for the videos! I love learning about new cultures, languages, history, and geography. Keep up the good work!

[@rubaleasd]

Hi, great video! I've lived in Inari(Lapland) for 1 year as a EVS(European voluntary service) volunteer and now, as soon as this pandemic goes away, I would like to move there permanently .My plan would be to stay at a friend place for a bit while looking for a job and then I would just see what happens. Do you think it's a stupid move? (I don't have any specific degree, im not looking for a top rated job or anything). Kiitos!

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Hey Iron and thanks for the question and for sharing your interesting story! I dont think its necessarily a bad idea but i have to tell you that finding work without a degree might be a bit difficult especially in the long term. It would naturally be easier to give you a proper answer if i knew more of your background. Nevertheless i hope you dont mind me asking, have you actually considered doing a degree in Finland? This would open up way more options in the long term 🙂.

[@rubaleasd]

@@RoadtoFinnish First of all, thanks for the reply! Ok I'll try to be short with the background: Basically after finishing high school (I have a scientific high school diploma) I decided to not go to university because I didn't feel like it and after roughly 6 month of nothingness I applied for this EVS project in Finland and luckily they accepted me, so on March the 3rd 2019 I left Italy and went to Lapland. I worked as a volunteer in a Youth Center for a whole year and then at the end of my project I came back to Italy (like 1 week before the coronavirus madness started). To be a bit more specific my tasks, sort to say, were various: i was an assistant to the guides during the outdoor activities with tourists, I was doing lots of activities (cultural stuff and games) with the youngsters from Inari village and last but not least I was doing some more practical jobs, like cleaning or other manual stuff. I was also attending a Finnish course as part of my working hours(unfortunately I didn't learn much, I cannot hold a conversation in Finnish). Since I was a volunteer I wasn't really payed, even though I monthly received pocket money and some food money. That's basically it! After coming back to Italy I realized that Lapland for me feels more like home than Italy itself, so I've been thinking of going back since then. Regarding doing a degree in Finland, to be honest at the moment studying is not something I'd like to do (apart from learning Finnish). I'm so sorry for the length of this message!

[@vashishthajoshi9285]

Hey Oliver!! That's a great video out there. Appreciate your research. I just wanted to know if it would be easy for a foreigner to get employment as an assistant professor or at least a post-doc after he/she completes the PhD from the listed universities in Finland? Will there be any discrimination at that level? Your views will be helpful, Thanks!!

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Hey man and thanks for the excellent question! The easy answer here is absolutely yes, it is very much likely to get hired as an assistant professor or as a post-doc after youve done your PhD. The academic community in Finland is extremely diverse and multicultural and universities are actively trying to bring in more international research talent into the country. So a definite yes 👍 As a mandatory disclaimer, i still have to mention that getting a assistant professor or post-doc position would naturally depend on you and your research. This is not 100% guaranteed as with any other job BUT i would say that the academics offer excellent job opportunities for international talent. The pay, benefits and the amount of positions will depend on the university and there are a lot of questions i dont know the answer to here. However, i hope that this gives you an overall picture of the situation 🙂

[@vashishthajoshi9285]

@@RoadtoFinnish I am much thankful to you for a quick response! Thanks a ton for a descriptive answer. This is really helpful and yes I agree to your point when it comes to diversity at the educational institutions in Finland. Looking forward to watch more of your videos here! They provide information to a great extent!! Thanks again!

[@RoadtoFinnish]

You are most welcome. I know that this video might have made some people a bit anxious because of the negative tone. However, i would like people to understand that i did not bring up these issues because i expect them to happen to you. Instead i brought them up just so that you guys have full context on the job market in Finland because that is the best way for you to prepare for the relocation. That being said, it is important to note that the research that i referred to in this video found that discrimination happened mostly in lower level jobs. The audience on this channel is on average very highly educated or want to get a high education. This means that your situation is going to be very much different. Btw, i have to admit that i do not remember whether or not you were already a member of our Discord server. If you are not, i would really recommend that you join. The idea of the server is to build a community of people interested in studying and working in Finland and on the server i post updates about upcoming videos and live streams. I also answer a lot of frequently asked questions and im sure you would find some useful information from there. So if you are interested, you can join using this link: discord.gg/T84B8W3 And finally, if you have any more questions, do consider joining us today in our weekly Q&A live stream at 6:30 pm (EEST). Ill go live for 2-3 hours answering your questions about living, studying and working in Finland.

[@vashishthajoshi9285]

@@RoadtoFinnish Thank you for sharing the link! I'll be very interested to join. Thanks again!! :)

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Sure thing!

[@user-hm9kx6cd9g]

Thank you for this video! Do you know, have I pay for education in doctoral programme in Aalto University? I`ve heard that the doctoral programmes are free there, but idk is it true for foreigners not from EU.

[@MilnaAlen]

I guess it depends where you come from. My ex said that food was mostly same prices as in California. Housing, healthcare, medication, phone and internet contracts - all much cheaper and better service. Furniture is more expensive than ones in Walmart, but much better quality.

[@MilnaAlen]

She also really liked that the VAT was included in the price tags in store, so it was easy to know how much they would cost, rather than having to count it in her head/be surprised at the cash register

[@arlynsumugat7580]

I love this country. You are always at peace. The gap between rich and poor are not so wide.

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Very true. These are also some of the reasons why i love Finland 👌

[@amegglia]

Yeah, well, you cant get rich here so thats a simple explanation 😬 I personally dont feel at peace at all, everyones just rude and selfish

[@AleksiHimself]

Good video! I can see the views coming in. 😄👌

[@RoadtoFinnish]

I just hope i wont regret tapping into this topic... 🤦‍♂️

[@namelastname9580]

@@RoadtoFinnish Do you regret it?

[@RoadtoFinnish]

@@namelastname9580 Actually no. I think the conversation has been generally constructive and most people understood the idea behind the video. Sure, there are some fellow Finns who might have been somewhat triggered about what i say here but that was to be anticipated. These are hard but important topics and they require discussion.

[@diamondsarenotforever8542]

@@RoadtoFinnish I think most of the ppl get the point. There is no paradise on earth. Even though Finland is a good country it is not perfect.

[@bradley-ts4kl]

What about if you are qualified like in tree work if you got the certificates in that industry internally and I want to work in Finland apart from the language would that work out and it helps that my dad lives there but would I have a better chance getting a qualification internally then getting a job in Finland

[@reenieager4243]

Really good points and well described. Love your attitude and humour!

[@miladsadaghat8763]

I'd like to continue my studies in the field of architectures in Finland. Is there any suggestion for me Oliver? I'd appreciate it

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Hey Milad! I would absolutely recommend applying to Aalto University. It is the highest ranking university in Finland in the field and getting a degree from there would be a great option: www.aalto.fi/en/study-options/masters-programme-in-architecture

[@mirsepehrmahvan9471]

wow!!! I truly appreciate your honesty. thank you

[@RoadtoFinnish]

You're welcome 👍. No country is perfect and i think its just fair to talk about these things transparently.

[@winterswallows]

I have always wanted to visit Finland, I live in Australia and it feels that it may have the less red tape than any other country in the world, the country is soooo easy to live in, everything can be done over the phone or using your computer, everything is fixed in a few days or immediately (mostly), no unnecessary waiting, the nature of the country is so relaxed but at the same time it runs so efficiently, according to United Nations , Australia is the second best country in the world , " due to its excellent quality of life, ..great access to education, high life expectation and socioeconomic well-being" ...... Congratulations on being the best country in the world.

[@jetdooley7609]

I’ve heard about the Finnish Red tape. My oldest sister how pretty much knows Finnish politics was surprised how straight forward easy it was for me to get my citizenship. I guess it’s nice having a Finnish mom. The government knows what to do in this case…😂😬 all joking aside, being also American, I love Finland and look up to you guys!

[@DarthAuml]

We love Metalland called Finland! Hail Heavy Metal! 🤟🤘🇫🇮

[@RoadtoFinnish]

May the sounds of metal echo into eternity brother 🤘

[@DarthAuml]

@@RoadtoFinnish Brothers of Metal are legends! And legends neve die!

[@seanfernandolopez9139]

why does the colder the climate of country gets the more heavy metal is popular, and the warmer it is, the more reggae and hiphop is popular? lol

[@ehsanul1971]

Thank you for the honest review, after living 6 years I think everything you said was to the point!

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Thanks man, i do appreciate this. I love Finland and i think this is an excellent country for foreigners to move into BUT i also think that we do have our problems as well. No country is perfect and i wanted to communicate that to those who are considering moving here.

[@ehsanul1971]

@@RoadtoFinnish thank you again. Technically, we learnt a lot from the Finnish Academia and truly grateful to our real Finnish friends who have guided us thoroughly. To me the main issue lies within Migri, they should understand the Academia and realize every contract is not a Nokias permanent one :-). Many of my immigrant friends had to leave because of short-term fixed university contracts and residence permits. Thanks again!

[@holoholopainen1627]

Did You know that there IS a Magazine called APU - in Finland !

[@rampoudel9549]

Iam little bit confuse about tax system in finland .. if we do the two jobs. Is tax is deducted from total salary of two jobs or deducted separately .. if tax is deducted separately then how to get two tax card??

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Hey Ram and thanks for the great question. In Finland taxes are paid directly out of your salary. This is done by your employer. How this works in practice is as follows: 1. When you are hired to a new job, you need to make yourself a tax card through the Finnish tax administrations. This is done online and its really easy. In order to get a tax card, you need to have an estimate of your total income for the entire year. At this point you can also mark some of the tax deductions that you already know that you are allowed to do. When you are done, you will be issued a tax card that has your income tax percentage market into it. 2. You send the tax card to your employer who deducts taxes, pensions, social security payments etc.. from your gross salary. 3. They pay you your net salary on your account. If you have multiple employers, you need to deliver the same tax card to all of them. You can only have one tax card at a time. The tax card can and should be updated every time your expected income drops or increases significantly based on your job situation. If your estimates are off and you pay too little or too much taxes, the tax administration will either require you to pay the missing taxes or they will pay you the excess taxes at a later date. Tax card: www.vero.fi/en/individuals/tax-cards-and-tax-returns/tax_card/ Tax refunds: www.vero.fi/en/individuals/payments/refunds/

[@TheChessPatzer]

Nolostuttaa siis enemmän se, että ulkomaalaisen opiskelijan kielitaidon puute hankaloi osa-aikatyön ja kesätyön saantia, eikä se, että työmarkinnassa muukalaisvihan vaikutus on tutkitusti yleinen?

[@ozsfi]

At the moment (July 2021) if you look at the cost of living index, there are 22 countries in the world, where it is higher than in Finland. In Finland it is 72.18. In Norway, where I live, it is 104.49 and in the USA 70.95

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Thats actually pretty interesting. Thanks for sharing this.

[@matthieulucas9059]

High taxes and bureaucracy with a hard language? As a French guy Finland will definitely feel just like home I guess :P

[@RoadtoFinnish]

I would perhaps not put French into the same category of difficult languages, but i do get it 😅

[@feetuber9162]

Did you know if finland is actually easy anyone just wont bother on actually learning it

[@diamondsarenotforever8542]

My son lived in England and the bureaucracy is nothing in Finland compared to England. Also believe it or not he paid more taxes in England.

[@FalconsEye58094]

As an American I can say same, I feel like I might as well get some thing for my taxes and bureaucracy

[@grimmreaper3241]

@@feetuber9162 Finland has Been rated 3rd hardest language to learns for native english speakers

[@ohadish]

i sm currently 16 and in israel we are forced to serve on the military for 3vyeats from 18 so even considering moving to finland is 5 years from me. should i be worried or should i hust not think about it for now?

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Oh i dont see any reason why you could not start thinking about this already. You have plenty of time to think about your future, and to also prepare for future university applications 👍

[@jamesrodriguez7262]

Sound good for The presentation . How can i get The link for scholorship and start study in Finland ?

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Here is a link to the video where i go through everything that you need to know about scholarships in Finland: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oqq0fWeEf9yfjdU Check that out and if you have any questions after watching it do let me know and id love to give you more details.

[@Alexandros.Mograine]

there are some difficult things for foreigners if they move to Finland, but nothing you cant overcome. thing is there are just too many good things in comparison.

[@RoadtoFinnish]

I think this is a very constructive way to look at things 👍 Sure, we have our negatives (who doesnt) and its a personal choice whether or not these negatives outweigh the positives. As i suspected and as we can already see in the comments, a lot of people dont like the heavy tax rates that we have. As mentioned, it would always be nice to pay less taxes but on the other hand i do appreciate our public education system. The public health care system works most of the times but ive had to use private care as well. So nothing is ever perfect 😏

[@aronkvh]

I know you aren't a linguists, but do you think Finnish is a bit easier to learn if my native language is another finno-ugric (hungarian)?

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Oh absolutely! As you mentioned, im no expert but ive heard that being native e.g. in Hungarian is a huge benefit 👍

[@gordoncheung2119]

The last point hit the nail in the head, my studies starts at late august but my appointment for proving my identity to the Finnish embassy is scheduled at mid September, which means I’m forced to miss out a month or two of my classes, not to mention the processing time they need🤦🏻‍♂️

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Ach yes. Ive heard that the embassy schedules are all out of whack. What ive understood is that this is not necessarily about the bureaucracy (a bit yet) but also quite a bit about the current covid situation. E.g. in India, the embassies have been closed for over a year making it impossible to even get an appointment.. Regardless, i get what you mean 100% and it sucks... I hope you are able to get started with your studies remotely and then enjoy your time here 👍

[@joesoy9185]

I met two Finnish managers in Germany. They were CEOs at a subsidiary of a Finnish international paper company. They were so content with living in Germany, neither of them wished to return to Finland.

[@NWorldDocumentari]

Tulin Suomeen Italiasta 5vuotta sitten. Suomen byrokratia on parempi ja NOPEAMMIN kuin italialainen!😂 Kaikki mitä sanot on oikein. Suomenkieleni ei ole vielä täydellinen, mutta yritän puhua niin paljon joka päivä... on tarkea. Mun ongelmia on kun puhun eri ihmisten kanssa, joskus he puhuvat eri slangia ja tule vähän vaikeaa ymmärtää. 😂😂

[@DNA350ppm]

Etkös uskalla sanoa: Oi, sori, en ymmärtänyt. Mitä tarkoitit? Ihan varmaan autetaan!

[@NWorldDocumentari]

@@DNA350ppm mä teen, mut kaikki eivät ole samanlaisia.

[@DNA350ppm]

@@NWorldDocumentari Hyvä että uskallat. Ei ole sun vika jos jotkut ovat typeriä! Tiedän että on ihmisiä, varsinkin Helsingissä, jotka ihan diivailee slangilla - se on epävarmuuden merkki. Valitse ne pois! Ole kivojen ihmisten kanssa, niitä on paljon!

[@NWorldDocumentari]

Kyllä Helsinkiin! helsingin ulkopuolella joka kerta olen tavannut sosiaalisempia suomalaisia.😉👍

[@DNA350ppm]

@@NWorldDocumentari It is a big city problem in every country I have lived in! So nothing personal!

[@kresivarivkah612]

Hi. Is it more expensive than NYC? I am curious.

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Hey Valerie and thanks for the question. Unfortunately i have no idea. Ive been to NYC once but only as a tourist. Im sure that you can find some kind of price indexes on the web that give you a general idea but i cant say for sure. My gut feeling is that NYC is much more expensive just because its NYC :D

[@yujunliang8261]

Really helpful videos! It's just that I want to know more about the salaries in Finland, 'cause as long as the salary is high enough to cover the taxes and leaves a life in high quality (which means, I can buy whatever needed daily products I want, not including luxuries), I am totally fine with it.

[@niteflytes]

I love learning about different cultures. Thanks for your awesome videos

[@muse1267]

Quality content and interesting subject 👌

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Hey man and thanks for the positive feedback! These can really be divisive topics and my wish is that people knew how to have constructive discussions about them. I know that a lot of people are going to be triggered but i hope that more people get value out of the information included 👍. Was there anything that was particularly interesting or would you like to perhaps add something that youve heard or noticed yourself?

[@mariamswedy4291]

Very true I love it from Tanzania ❣️

[@vanntile]

It's interesting the view on the bureaucracy, however, other countries have it much, much worse. As a foreigner, you can get by, even legally employed, with only English, but in other countries, it's close to impossible

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Thats really interesting to hear. Ive noticed that peoples perspectives on this matter vary heavily depending on where they are coming from so its cool to hear many different takes on the topic.

[@beckypetersen2680]

@@RoadtoFinnish Yes. In Poland, you simply cannot get by with only English. Esp. in offices. If you stay in your own little bubble at work, then maybe yes, but in real life, meeting people, etc. it would probably be pretty lonely.

[@LA_Viking]

Your English is quite good...my compliments. Many years ago as I graduate student I met a lady who had lived and worked in Finland during her summers away from university. Ever since I had a strong desire to tour your country and perhaps even establish residency and seek employment. But your video, along with several others, have showed me the folly of my yearnings. I'll stick to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

[@sarbanibanik4905]

Hi Oliver I just wanted to know that is there any possibility for higher study or phd or professorship in Geography in any reputable university?your views will be helpful for me. TIA

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Thanks for the great question. The University of Helsinki has a Doctoral Programme in Geosciences that i would recommend that you check out: www.helsinki.fi/en/admissions-and-education/apply-doctoral-programmes/doctoral-schools-and-doctoral-programmes/doctoral-school-natural-sciences/doctoral-programme-geosciences The University of Helsinki is the best research university in Finland and is also highly reputable on global rankings and i can absolutely recommend that you check them out.

[@sarbanibanik4905]

@@RoadtoFinnish ok.thanks a lot

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Sure thing

[@KhennyLynn02]

Been studying Finnish for 7 months and it's difficult indeed. And will take Finnish A2 exam this September. And it's true, as a foreign who wish to work in Finland, I need to study and pass the Finnish Language. But I hope it's worth it!

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Hey Khenny and thanks so much for sharing this. Finnish A2 already after 7 months is impressive! Keep that up and you'll reach working proficiency in no time 👍

[@KhennyLynn02]

@@RoadtoFinnish Kiitos! Tampere is my destination.🤗

[@KennyRonkainen]

Now you have my interest :D

[@RoadtoFinnish]

xD achievement unlocked!

[@bensonupah543]

Hello, I was wondering whether it would be easier to apply for a PhD in Finland and be employed during and after PhD for a post doc or as a professor?

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Hey Benson and thanks for the question. This depends on the university that you are doing your doctoral studies in because many universities do not allow you to work another job on the side because they want you to focus on your phd studies. However, please note that studying ones Phd is basically a job in Finland. Phd studies need to be funded (the funding schemes depend on the university) and the grants that fund your research need to cover your living costs here. What i recommend you to do at this stage is to contact e.g. the university of Helsinki and ask them about the Phd funding system. Its a rather complex system and im not an expert in this field.

[@afshinsalehi2136]

*The Finnish language requirement for securing a job is harming the Finnish economy.* Because many of the talents who come to Finland to complete their studies, will leave Finland's job market because they cannot get hired. The companies must do something to ease the process.

[@dianerose7631]

Learn Finnish. Save money (i have money from family) and hope for in vitro fertilization by the time i move there to start a family. Hilarious. Just kidding. Finland is beautiful.

[@RoadtoFinnish]

😅 that sounds like a plan.

[@dae1925]

God bless you and your future child dear

[@C64C]

Shops and restaurants might be little expensive sometimes (not all of them) but what's good in Finland is that you know what the final cost of your purchase is. All the taxes are already there and you don't have to pay tip, ever. For example, in the USA you never know if the tax is already on the shelf price or not and it's really annoying to figure out when you have to pay tip and how much.... One thing that is REALLY expensive in Finland is fuel (petrol). The price is multiple times higher than in many other countries.

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Ach this is such a great point, thanks for mentioning it! It is definitely a big positive because it makes your day-to-day life so much easier not having to always calculate the sales tax in your head 😅

[@kellyanneree3252]

Taxes are never on the price tag on the shelf in the United States. Tip people who serve you (waiters/waitresses, food delivery drivers, taxis, hotel baggage to your room, ect) 15-20% is acceptable and over and above for exceptional, if you want to. Not too mysterious. Food in grocery stores are not taxed except for deli foods (prepared type). Paper products anything not edible is taxed based on the local tax where you are living/visiting. You should be able to look up online based on city/town you are in.

[@jonathanbush6197]

Thanks, cool video. But what about that whole "I'm more depressed than you" contest as demonstrated in that 1991 movie Night on Earth?

[@C64C]

Free day care??? Whaaat... That is not true. If both parents have normal salary income, the day care costs typically up to 300 euros per month. With less income, the monthly fee is also smaller. Google informs that there are couple of municipalities with free day care, though.

[@RoadtoFinnish]

You are totally correct. I made a mistake here. Perhaps i was thinking that the daycare prices are so small (in relations to other countries) that one can consider them almost free of charge. This was a mistake from my behalf. Actually to your point, the city of Helsinki has multiple tiers that depend on the income of the parents and the size of the family. You can see the pricing table here: www.hel.fi/helsinki/en/childhood-and-education/day-care/fees

[@DuyenPhanLan]

Very interesting video! I wish this could have been made years ago :D

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Thanks :D. I hope you dont have to change your profile name because of these... lets say small details 😅

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Actually, there is a video from Aleksi Himself that went semi viral so i recommend you to check that out as well. I spoke about many of the same things as Aleksi, but he also has other themes that he included in his video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaCZZWuQj9CXisU

[@DuyenPhanLan]

@@RoadtoFinnish Thanks for the info. I have also watched some of his videos since last year. I myself also created this Finholic channel to share about stuff in Finland with Vietnamese students so most of my videos are in Vietnamese. :D

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Oh thats really cool! I love the fact that you are doing the videos in Vietnamese. Im sure that this makes it a lot easier for a lot of people to approach the subject especially if they are not 100% comfortable with their english.

[@alessbritish228]

@@DuyenPhanLan Nice, how did you learn Vietnamese?

[@sannakarppinen4163]

You get more than healt services and educational services on our tax money. Our tax money goes cities public janitorial services like cleaning our streets and maintaining them, providing our national hiking paths ln our national parks and maintaining them and when you come our national parks you do not have to pay separately the entry fee.

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Excellent points Sanna! This is very much true, and to be honest, the list goes so much further. Taxes fund our (mostly) well functioning postal service, a national airline that is not at risk of failing during a pandemic unlike some fully private airlines, we have a well functioning national train network on top of all the other public transportations etc.. the list goes on and one. The funny thing is that most people dont even notice how well things work here before they move out of finland, after which they get frustrated about how differently things work in even many other large european countries.

[@tanyaerickson612]

I'm a quarter Finnish and a quarter Norwegian my dad was full Scandinavian my great grandma was the greatest woman I know lived on her own till she was 98 lived to 100 sadly outliving her husband twin daughters and all her sisters and brothers only her grandkids survived but she still had a great sense of humor and stubborn will to live she's always been my hero

[@68sunshine]

Along with not wanting to be bothered with foreigners, even without that, it is also a catch 22 situation, especially with the language. It is just the way it is. If all this is too much for someone, find another place to go to. Life its too short. :) But I live here and am happy.

[@IrishinFinland]

Loved this video! 🤟🏻 But been from Dublin, Ireland Finland is MUCH cheaper for example rent groceries etc. And let me tell ya about Irish university's wow they are insanely high

[@kathykatinator6966]

It's not free?

[@julibeswick-valentine3690]

@@kathykatinator6966 No, there are there are registration and tuition fees i Ireland. Ireland is extremely expensive.

[@Mcfreddo]

When you put information up, it would be nice if it were- to let people read it, for longer.

[@Selyasa]

I have the same problem. I find it easy to hit the pause button.

[@barryrahn5957]

I've recently had dealings with the Finnish company Varusteleka and now also with your videos. In both instances. In both cases I was impressed with the facility the Finn's have with the English language. Is this very common? I always thought the Swedes had the best English, but no, it seems Finn's are the better speakers of English. Do you agree?

[@chellybub]

My other half is Finnish and lives in Australia with me. My in-laws want to move here some day too, though they are less serious about the move and I am sure they would settle for a summer house. Without getting into the politics, you raise very VERY good points. Though I think the gravity of some things might be lost on people who are not fully aware of the situation in Finland, like the governments booze monopoly for example being a part of the expenses. I am not an expert, so it is better not to get into the debate, as I would only be regurgitating things I have heard. I know that Helsinki is gorgeous though. We also have family in Turku, which has an interesting old church lol. The family have a few summer houses, one is amongst the islands at a place called Kemiö, it is breathtakingly beautiful out there. I think there is a lot to love about Finland, especially if you are an outdoorsy type person who loves nature. Most detractors are very modern complaints and certainly easy to overcome if you are prepared for them. Great video!

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Hey Chelsea and thanks so much for participating in the discussion, i truly appreciate it! I think you had some great points here and i do agree with you (as i mentioned in the video) in that many of these topics are rather political in nature. This naturally means that these are also not black and white topics but rather pretty complex societal questions that can raise a billion different opinions and perspectives. The idea of this video was (besides the thumbnail) not to bash on Finland but rather raise a few points that i feel should be discussed a bit more. I really appreciate that the majority of the comments have been constructive 👍 And to your points about Helsinki and Turku, i totally agree. Both are beautiful cities and Helsinki is especially lovely in the summer if you just take the time to explore everything that it has to offer (e.g. the Finnish archipelago which is incredible). Again, as you mentioned, most of the complaints that we commonly hear people talk about are easily overcome if you want to do so. However, Finland - as is the case with any other country - is not for everyone. But thats also cool. Everyone has their thing 👍

[@chellybub]

@@RoadtoFinnish I agree with your suggestion about simplifying the language education process. I have been working through some of the basic skills that are put up by the government. I have the unfair advantage of having several people in my life who I can study with, and try to talk to (I stress the try part lol), and even then it's been a slow and arduous process. They always say that learning a language is easier when you need to use it daily, and I most certainly don't. I merely want to be able to help my partner to keep their mother tongue, plus it's good for being able to talk in private in front of people as no one knows how to speak Finnish. My point is, it's so difficult to learn that it would be easier to allow people to start the process with their studies and vocational training. Which I think you touched on. That would generate domestic jobs, and would encourage foreign workers to help Finland with their understaffed industries. Like the care industry you mentioned, which is only going to result more problems as Finland has an aging population (like a lot of developed nations). Briefly, I think the cost of living and tax issue is overblown. Things are different in every country, and while they are more uniform in the EU (which makes Finland stand out), it's something you can easily learn to live with. It obviously works and most people I know from the country are fairly happy with their situation even though they are very aware of the situation in other countries around the world. There are some things, like wine, but these are minor things. Employment can be tough even if you are native, my in laws are both academics. My mother-in-law has a PhD and works for the state archives in Helsinki. It's a really nice old building, and they have the original version of the Kalevala there. But my father-in-law on the other hand had a lot of issues finding work for a number of years. He is very qualified, had great work experience. For example he designed the sets for Idol, X-factor and various news desks for the news broadcast. Not to mention being a senior lecturer at your University in fact, Aalto. So I think the important part is to definitely do your research on industry. Find out where the demand is, especially for foreign talent. I guess that's good advice for anyone hoping to migrate to any country lol, but I think moreso in Finland. As an outsider looking in, I would like to see more done to solve the langue barrier and also the discriminatory hiring practices. I certainly think that fixing the fluency issues will help to resolve that. If companies know that hiring Arthur over Pekka isn't going to cause any problems with communication, I'd like to believe that will help with foreign job prospects. What do you think? I get the impression that you agree language is the main barrier to foreigners finding a career in Finland, but I also think that the government needs to do more to rectify this. As you mentioned, Finnish is not related to basically any other European langue, especially not English (which most other people know). And I've had the very very heated discussion with family as to why people don't just speak English more. It's a sore point in the minds of a lot if Finnish people, having a long history of being dominated by other countries and having other languages forced upon them which also is used to create a class distinction. It isn't really thought about in Anglophone nations, as we just expect English to be used as the international language... Which is admittedly arrogant, but it is also a matter of fact as well. Plenty of people learn Mandarin for the same reason. But anyways, that's what I'd love to see, more state assistance with language skills for foreigners 😊 (I'm sorry this was so long, it's just that these are topics close to my heart and I think it's wonderful that you're trying to help people come to beautiful Finland 💜 Thank you Oliver)

[@Ghazwan-cr4ee]

Where are you from Oliver? And did you found a job in Finland before?

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Hey Oliver (😅)! Im actually a Finnish national, born and raised here. So i actually have a different situation with job hunting because ive been able to work in the local job market ever since i was 15 or 16.

[@sampohonkala4195]

However, value added tax for groceries is not 24% but 14%; medicine and movies, books and magazines etc. some special items 10%. To my understanding this is not the reason for high prices. There are other reasons - very long transportation distances, very scattered population and problems for distribution this causes; cold climate and the need for heating, to name a few. And also the relatively high salaries.

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Hey Sampo and thanks for the expanding on this topic. You are absolutely correct about the VAT's and their exact percentages. However, i think its more important for internationals to understand that we have a general VAT which is most often referred to being 24% because the majority of daily consumables are held under that category. You are also correct in that the VAT is not the only reason for high prices. This is a super complicated discussion and i had to simplify it somewhat 😃. Why i chose to focus on VAT is because it is something that is pretty different in many other countries outside the European Union. E.g. in the United States (the last time i checked), people refer to the value added tax as sales tax which is considerably lower compared to the EU. But yeah, you are absolutely correct and i do appreciate the input 👊.

[@sampohonkala4195]

@@RoadtoFinnish True, and the general idea that everything is rather expensive is the main point anyway. However, food and beverages, in shops as well as restaurants just 14%, except for alcohol. Therefore food is not that bad, other consumer goods are. People start a firm just to buy a computer 24% cheaper.

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Very true :D

[@lottaraatikainen3942]

Even if you do get a specialist job that does not require the capability to speak Finnish it's still a good idea to learn the language as well as you can. I know a British person, a security specialist, who came to Finland to work for an international company where the working language was English. He liked it in Finland, made his home here, found a wife, had kids - and then lost his job because the company was having serious trouble and had to let lots of people go. Suddenly he was in a situation where he had to find a new job while not able to speak Finnish (or even Swedish), and because his wife had a steady job and her family was near to help with the kids she didn't want to move away so going back to UK wasn't an option. He ended up working as a basic level security guard and understandably wasn't at all happy about it. So if you are planning to actually live in Finland, start learning the language right away.

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Oh damn that story sucks.. im so sorry for this friend of yours. Absolutely the worst thing that can happen and this is also the reason why such a large portion of the international talent that we educate (this wasnt exactly the case with your friend but its similar) end up moving out of Finland after graduation. I dont understand how still in 2021 there are so many companies here that do not have English as their working language. Sure, if you have a purely local clientele, then i understand, but since a huge chunk of our GDP comes from exports, we need the international talent to help us in the international markets. Companies need to start adapting (yesterday) or we will be utterly screwed in a decade. Also, thanks so much Lotta for sharing this example. I totally agree with you in that, even if you dont necessarily need Finnish in your job (now), it really good to learn the language. If not for similar situations like you described, but at least to make it a bit easier for oneself to integrate into the Finnish society 👍

[@starlalux]

Hey there, I'm a disabled student living in India who wishes to get her bachelor's degree in Finland. My interests are either Psychology or Literature, and my neurodivergence does not cope well the one-size-fits-all standardized testing. I really appreciate your content and holistic approach. I would love to hear your suggestion - which institution would you recommend? Sending love x

[@abidabdulazeez3930]

Hi Oliver, I have been offered a PhD at Tampere university. They have asked me to confirm if I will accept the offer. I would like to know if it is easy to find an apartment near the university for family (I will be joining with my wife). Typical rent in that region if you are aware. Thank you so much for the great videos you have been making.

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Hey Abid and thanks for the excellent question! Unfortunately its a bit difficult for me to give you a specific price range on the flats because this depends on so many variables. However, what is really cool is that PhD students are allowed to apply for student apartments from TOAS (biggest student apartment provider in the Tampere region). They have family apartments that run from around 300€ - 950€ a per month depending on the location, size, age of the building etc... You can check them out here: toas.fi/en/find-your-apartment/ I contacted TOAS and they recommended that you contact them directly using this email: [e-mail] Because PhD positions are paid and student apartments are usually assigned based on need, you might or might not be prioritised depending on your contract with the university. So id say that you best bet is to contact TOAS via email and go from there. If you for some reason arent able to get an apartment through them, you could check out this rental website for apartments and their price ranges: www.vuokraovi.com/vuokra-asunnot/tampere?locale=en&locale=en

[@ellem6050]

@@RoadtoFinnish This was great information but that bloke didn't get back to thank you. So many people have no manners.

[@SamSoltani]

I want to learn swedish language as it is easier😁 do you think it is not a good plan to find job there? Because I see most of the jobs need finnish language.

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Hey Samira and thanks for the interesting question! So even though Swedish might be easier to learn, i dont think (my personal opinion) its a viable plan for getting a job in Finland. Even though Swedish is an official language in Finland, it is still a minority language and the majority of Finns actually dont even speak Swedish (even though its taught in school). In addition, the official work language in the majority of Finnish companies is either Finnish or English. You can make use of Swedish especially if you live on the west coast of Finland because the majority of Swedish speaking Finns live in cities next to the coast. However, if you are purely thinking about the benefits of learning either language in terms of employment opportunities, Finnish is the way to go.

[@SamSoltani]

@@RoadtoFinnish thank you Oliver...your answer was really helpful. So I have to change my plan and face learning a hard language😁

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Dont worry, you can definitely do it if you just put your mind into it. If you want to take a head start, i have a video listing the best free tools to learn finnish so check this out for some valuable resources: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l53HlYCHrJt7iJY

[@SamSoltani]

@@RoadtoFinnish thank you..I started yesterday with doulingo for my first step and I will use youtube for more lessons👍 I noticed that it is really similar to Estonian language😁😁 however, i have not tried to learn Estonian language😃

[@siaaa5333]

Thanks a lot friend 🌷 I see Finnish language is easy .. My questions are does Finland have a scholarships to study Medicine for the students who are not from the European union ? And what is the Finnish attitude towards asylums in Finland ? 🙏🏼

[@lindaluckey4980]

Thanxx for your informational videos, I find them really interesting and a bit funny. I have always been interested in Finland , I live in OZ (Australia) I am from America and one day hope to visit your beautiful country 💗

[@DeathnoteBB]

Americans: But does it have free healthcare and a livable wage Finnish people: Well- Americans: _Does it have free healthcare and a livable wage_

[@RoadtoFinnish]

That burns 😁

[@jyrki2275]

Not always on the wage one

[@RvM76]

This is illusion, Finland has no free healthcare.

[@jyrki2275]

@@RvM76 well yes it does

[@RvM76]

@@jyrki2275 I would like to see some proofs, even public side sends you bills.

[@mohdmanzar1019]

U post this video just as I signed my tenancy contract 😂

[@RoadtoFinnish]

xD sorry about that. But if we are serious for a moment, Finland is still a great country and im sure you're going to love it here! The weather sucks right not so im just waiting for the first snow fall.

[@antonkern639]

thank you 4 the great upload and full information... and for the 11:44 moment :) reason 6 d be probably - the weather

[@TheArianehelen]

Moi. Mina puhun vahan Suomen kieli. Vanhemmat on Suomesta ja kaikki minun sukku asu Suomessa. But my spelling leaves much to be desired. Do universties accept the nontraditional student, i.e., older students? Kiitos!!!

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Hei Carmen ja kiitos kysymyksestäsi! Kyllä, yliopistot hyväksyvät hakijoita heidän iästään huolimatta. Same in english: yes, universities absolutely accept and admit people despite their age. In fact, your age does not have anything to do with your chances of getting admitted 👍

[@its_sebastianldjs5009]

So how come Finland ends up as the happiest country in the world 2021

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Because in the end, we enjoy the way that our society works. Every country has their faults but we have found a good balance that allows everyone to pursue their own dream. The things listed in this video are more for towards international people who are not necessarily used to how things work in Finland. These are things that everyone should know before they move here. However, im still sure that the majority of people would enjoy themselves in our society and end up being super happy 👍

[@blackcoffeebeans6100]

Actually 4 times in a row Finland has been ranked the happiest country 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. I am a Finn and living quite comfortably in Finland.

[@AxleethaakiLler]

I'm doing duolingo and I'm really good at Finnish

[@RoadtoFinnish]

👌 very nice

[@martha_ntakou]

Very helpful, thank you very much!

[@bunkie2100]

How much Swedish is spoken in Finland? In your other videos, I have seen text on buildings, garbage trucks and other public items in Finnish, Swedish and English. I know that in the western Islands, Swedish is quite commonly spoken, but in, say, Helsinki, is it common?

[@rupeshbalaji4514]

This certainly was hilarious! 😂

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Hey Rupesh, i hope it was 😅. I knew this was a sensitive topic and this video will definitely trigger a lot of people so i wanted to at least try to stay positive - or to use a bit of sarcasm to lighten the mood.

[@Elias-ib6nz]

I love finland in winter and kesällä

[@RoadtoFinnish]

Oh absolutely. Im both a winter and summer person and one of the things that i truly love about Finland and the Nordics in general are the seasons. Even if November sucks :D

[@jenniheinanen8434]

Good points to bring out. Personally I never complain about taxes, especially after having cancer treatments and surgery cost me so little because universal healthcare handled majority of it. And high prices are accompanied by high quality. I think last time I heard about food poisoning or anything like that the source was imported goods. And bureaucracy might be crazy and miht take a lot of effort from companies to get people to work, but we're pretty safe country to live in since I'd like to think it makes said companies screen the employees carefully.

[@tammyd.970]

It is good to see a discussion about language in regard to studies and training. Language requirements add ridiculous hurdles, especially given how many potential students and teachers can communicate, or translate into English. Language training can happen later. So dumb, but that just goes along with the topic of discrimination. No one should be surprised by the existence of discrimination in Europe. The same application studies and results were found in many other countries. As far as higher tuition for foreigners, those fees are probably still lower than those of many US universities (sadly). In regard to taxation, 24% VAT is quite high. I will never complain about German VAT again. HOWEVER, when talking about income tax, as mentioned, it really is essential to take a very wide view. The benefits, and therefore savings in other areas of one's budget are essential to take into account. In this regard, Finns probably have lower total taxation than Americans. As far as the rates for higher earners, well, I endorse this approach. It helps pay for higher education for all, and reduce the wealth gap (plus, historically, the taxation rate for high earners was even higher in the US back in the day, and zero for middle income and less. The idea of middle class and lower paying income tax is fairly recent). I'm not sure what Finnish transfer taxes are like, but income tax for the rich is a pretty insignificant factor. All of this discussion is a bit unnecessary though. If you want to discourage people from moving to Finland, you probably only need to tell us the price of a 330mL bottle of beer, or a 700mL bottle of vodka. Done! The real question is, why do Finns *stay* in Finland. lol! Germany has a lot of issues, but a pint/500mL bottle of acceptable beer costs between .30-1.00 euros from the shop. Cheap vodka from Aldi/Lidl is 5 euros, better stuff is 10-15. Perhaps the high tax on alcohol in Finland is an intentional (and wise) choice on the part of the government to try to reduce the high incidence of suicide and other problems though. It seems that the numbers have dropped significantly in the last 20 years, not sure if that is related.