EU Citizen in Espoo (Spring 2014)

EU citizen in Espoo (Spring 2014)

In addition to Finland, EU countries include Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the UK.

Citizens of Switzerland and the EEA countries, i.e. Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein, are comparable to EU citizens.

A separate agreement exists for the citizens of the Nordic countries.

These process descriptions are for the basic processes of EU citizens. Every customer is treated as a unique case.

The processing of the matters in the various departments may take some time, so please be patient.

According to the Finnish act on the promotion of immigrant integration, you are entitled to an initial survey if you wish. For more information, please contact In Espoo. www.espoo.fi/inespoo

1. If you hold a job or are an entrepreneur

When you live in Espoo and hold a job in Finland or have founded your own company, you must register yourself at the Espoo police station.

You must register at the police within three months of moving to Finland.

Contact Information The Western Uusimaa Police Department Nihtisillankuja 4, PO box 20, 02631 ESPOO, Finland Mon–Fri 8.00–16.15, queue numbers available until 16.00.

Matters managed through queuing include: - picking up documents - information services - reservations.

Applications are only processed by reservation. https://www.ajanvaraus.fi/isl/customerChangeService.do?passValidation=true

Reservations can also be made at all of the Citizen Service points of the city of Espoo.

You can also make a reservation by calling +358 71 873 8566 (Mon–Fri 9.00–15.00). 2

The number may be quite busy, so we recommend using the online reservation service.

Foreigners’ permit matters: Wed 9.00–11.00 and 13.00–15.00 tel. 071 8738 521

E-mail advice: [email protected]

Take the following items with you: x A valid passport or an EU citizen’s ID. x A contract of employment or the charter documents of your company.

As an employee or entrepreneur, you must also register at the local register office, which will issue you a Finnish identity number, for example.

Contact Information The local register office of West Uusimaa: Itätuulentie 1, 02100 Espoo, Finland Mon–Fri 9.00–16.15 tel. 029 55 363 20 fax +358 29 553 6326 [email protected]

Take the following items with you: x A valid passport or an EU citizen’s ID. x Certificate of registration of an EU citizen's residence permit from the police. x You can also receive an identity number without the certificate of registration of an EU citizen's residence permit, in case of a temporary registration without a municipality of residence. For registering your municipality of residence, you must have the certificate of registration of an EU citizen's residence permit from the police. x Contract of employment.

The local register office will register your municipality of residence if you have moved to the country permanently or if your contract of employment is valid for at least one year, and you have the certificate of registration of an EU citizen's residence permit from the police.

Earned income taxation in Finland

As an employee arriving from another country, your taxation will vary according to the length of your stay in Finland, and whether you are employed by a Finnish or foreign company. In addition to Finnish legislation, international tax treaties may affect your taxation in Finland. 3

For more information on the taxation in your case, please contact your nearest tax office (http://www.vero.fi/en-US).

As a foreign employee residing in Finland temporarily, you will receive an identity number from the tax administration.

The tax administration and local register office have parallel jurisdiction for registering a foreign national, who is moving to Finland to work temporarily, into the national population information system and issuing them with an identity number.

The tax administration can register you into the national population information system, if your stay in Finland lasts for less than 12 months and the following requirements are met:

x You have a valid passport or an identity card valid in the Schengen zone, featuring a photo that enables easy identification. x A a certificate of the right of residence for EU citizens from the police, if more than three months have passed since you came into Finland. x A contract of employment or a written declaration of the central terms of your employment.

Tax Number

Starting 1 September 2012, people who work on construction sites must wear name tags that also display their individual Tax Number.

The Tax Number is a 12-digit series of figures from which the age, gender, or date of birth of the individual cannot be deduced, and it is necessary for people working on construction sites.

To acquire a Tax Number, you must have an identity number that is registered in the Finnish national population information system.

For more information on the Tax Number, please refer to: http://www.vero.fi/en- US/Individuals/Individual_Tax_Numbers www.vero.fi

As an employee, you may be entitled to Finnish social security, if you continue to work in Finland for at least 4 months, and if your weekly working time exceeds 18 hours. In this case, you must fill in application form y77 and deliver it to the nearest Kela office (http://www.kela.fi/in/internet/english.nsf) or an In To Finland service point. The Kela card shows that you are included in the Finnish health insurance system.

The In To Finland service points provide employees and entrepreneurs with assistance in matters related to social security and taxation.

Contact information for the In To Finland service point: 4

Salomonkatu 17, staircase A, 2nd floor, Helsinki, Finland Mon–Fri 9.00–16.15 [email protected] www.intofinland.fi

If you lose your job in Finland, you can enrol as a job seeker at the Employment and Economic Development Office.

2. You have a family member living in Espoo

You are officially married to, or are a family member of a person who is registered in Espoo, based on working, for example. If not married, you must have lived together for two years and have an official certificate of the living arrangements. If you share a child who lives in your shared household, living together for two years is not required.

You must register at the Espoo police within three months of moving to Finland.

Contact information for the Western Uusimaa Police Department: Nihtisillankuja 4, PO box 20, 02631 ESPOO, Finland Mon–Fri 8.00–16.15, queue numbers available until 16.00.

Matters managed through queuing include: - picking up documents - information services - reservations.

Applications are only processed by reservation.

https://www.ajanvaraus.fi/isl/customerChangeService.do?passValidation=true

Reservations can also be made at all of the Citizen Service points of the city of Espoo.

You can also make a reservation by calling +358 71 873 8566 (Mon–Fri 9.00–15.00). The number may be quite busy, so we recommend using the online reservation service. 5

Foreigners’ permit matters: Wed 9.00–11.00 and 13.00–15.00 tel. 071 8738 521

E-mail advice: [email protected]

Take the following items with you: x A valid passport or an EU citizen’s ID. x Certificate of marriage or living together (for foreign certificates, an apostille is required). x A clarification of livelihood.

You must also register at the local register office, where you will be issued a Finnish identity number.

Contact information for the Espoo unit of the Local Register Office of West Uusimaa: Street address: Itätuulentie 1, 02100 Espoo, Finland Mon–Fri 9.00–16.15 tel. 029 55 363 20 fax +358 29 553 6326 [email protected]

Take the following items with you: x A valid passport or an EU citizen’s ID. x Certificate of registration of an EU citizen's residence permit from the police. x Address information. x A certificate of marriage if you are married, and the birth certificates of your children (the original legalised documents and translations made by a certified translator, if necessary).

As the family member of an employee, you may be entitled to Finnish social security. In this case, you must fill in application form y77 and deliver it to the nearest Kela office or the In To Finland service point. The Kela card shows that you are included in the Finnish health insurance system.

For more information on the taxation in your case, please contact your nearest tax office (http://www.vero.fi/en-US). 6

The In To Finland service points offer family members of residents help in matters related to social security and taxation.

In To Finland service point: Street address: Salomonkatu 17, staircase A, 2nd floor, Helsinki, Finland Mon–Fri 9.00–16.15 [email protected] www.intofinland.fi

3. You have the right to study for a degree

You must register at the Espoo police.

Contact information for the Western Uusimaa Police Department: Nihtisillankuja 4, PO box 20, 02631 ESPOO, Finland Mon–Fri 8.00–16.15, queue numbers available until 16.00.

Matters managed through queuing include: - picking up documents - information services - reservations.

Applications are only processed by reservation.

https://www.ajanvaraus.fi/isl/customerChangeService.do?passValidation=true

Reservations can also be made at all of the Citizen Service points of the city of Espoo.

You can also make a reservation by calling +358 71 873 8566 (Mon–Fri 9.00–15.00). The number may be quite busy, so we recommend using the online reservation service.

Foreigners’ permit matters: Wed 9.00–11.00 and 13.00–15.00 tel. 071 8738 521

E-mail advice: [email protected]

Take the following items with you: 7

x A valid passport or an EU citizen’s ID. x A proof of the right to study and registration in the educational establishment. x A proof of health insurance. x A clarification of livelihood.

You must also register at the local register office, where you will be issued a Finnish identity number.

Take the following items with you: x A valid passport or an EU citizen’s ID. x Certificate of registration of an EU citizen's residence permit from the police. For temporary registration without a municipality of residence, an identity number can be issued even without the certificate of registration of an EU citizen's residence permit. For registering your domicile, you must have the certificate of registration of an EU citizen's residence permit from the police. x Address information. x Proof of studying.

If you intend to work or already have a job, please contact the In To service point in Helsinki for more information on the tax card and the tax form. www.vero.fi

In To Finland service point: Street address: Salomonkatu 17, staircase A, 2nd floor, Helsinki, Finland Mon–Fri 9.00–16.15 [email protected] www.intofinland.fi

4. You are unemployed

If you are not registered as an unemployed job seeker in your country, you are not entitled to unemployment benefit in Finland. However, you are allowed to stay in Finland at your own cost for 8 three months for active job-seeking. The Employment and Economic Development Offices (TE office) will help you in looking for a job.

People who have moved to Espoo from abroad can contact the In Espoo consultation service for advice in questions related to everyday matters and dealing with the authorities. Service is offered in Finnish, Swedish, English, Arabic, Turkish, and Russian, free of charge.

The service point will provide information on the service system, various forms of financial support, and the various authorities, and instruct customers to find the correct services. You can also get help in reading official letters or filling in applications and other forms. The service point does not make any actual authority decisions. The customers are instructed in using electronic services, and there are computers available for the customers. www.espoo.fi/inespoo

The In Espoo consultation service Leppävaarankatu 9, Sello library Mon–Wed and Fri 10.00–16.00 Thu 10.00–8.00 tel. +358 9 8165 0304, +358 9 8168 2689, and +358 9 8168 3738 e-mail: [email protected]

Important links: http://www.infopankki.fi/en-GB/helsinkiregion/ http://www.infopankki.fi/en-GB/into/ http://www.maistraatti.fi/en/Contact-Information/Southern-Finland/Local-register-office-of- Helsinki/Local-register-office-of-Helsinki/ http://www.poliisi.fi/poliisi/helsinki/home.nsf/pages/indexeng

NEO -Espoo, 2012