Finland Travel Guide

You can read more about the topic on the Finnish Border Guard's website. Visas cannot be applied for on the road, but must be applied for in advance, in person at the Finnish embassy in your country or in another designated place (see instructions); for some countries a commercial entity handles the applications. In some countries, the processing of Finnish visa applications may be delegated to the embassy of another Nordic country. Most of the requirements are common for all the Schengen area, but what funds are regarded sufficient varies between countries.

The vast majority of payments in Finland are electronic, and most Finns use a debit card for their daily purchases. Credit cards (mainly VISA and MasterCard) are widely accepted and contactless payment readers that also accept Google and Apple Pay are commonplace. Increasing numbers of businesses and vending machines accept only card. If you don't have a chip and PIN, expect a hassle – personnel isn't used to asking for signatures, and many places where you need your card won't even be manned.

Finland is a large country and travelling is relatively expensive. Public transportation is well organised and the equipment is always comfortable and often new, and advance bookings are rarely necessary outside the biggest holiday periods, but buying tickets on the net in advance (preferably as soon as you know your plans) may give significantly lower prices. Trains are usually the most comfortable and fastest method of inter-city travel, while bus may be needed for smaller towns and the countryside.

Finland has two national languages, Finnish (suomi) and Swedish (svenska), and both are compulsory in nearly all schools (with varying results). Also Sámi, Romani and Finnish Sign Language are recognised in the constitution, but they are not spoken outside their respective communities and the speakers are bilingual with Finnish. Nearly anybody above 12 years speaks English and many above school age at least the basics of one or two other foreign languages.

Crime

Finland enjoys a comparatively low crime rate and is, generally, a very safe place to travel. If you leave your wallet on a table, you are likely to get it back with all cash left when asking for it the next day. Still apply common sense and basic travel advice; don't leave valuables or your drink unguarded at night clubs. While there are no no-go neighbourhoods, some people hit the streets looking for trouble, especially as drunk in Friday and Saturday nights. They may be especially prone to target foreign-looking people. Avoid them if you can, and especially avoid getting caught…

You're unlikely to have tummy troubles in Finland, since tap water is always drinkable (except on trains etc., and there will be warnings in those cases) and generally quite tasty as well, and hygiene standards in restaurants are strict. Dairy products are nearly always pasteurised. If you have any sort of allergies, many restaurants often display in the menu the most common ingredients that people typically are allergic to. Examples: (L) = Lactose free, (VL) = Low Lactose, (G) = Gluten free, if you are unsure just ask the waitress or other restaurant staff.

Finland's mail service is run by Posti, nowadays a state owned business concentrating on parcels (where they compete with Postnord, Matkahuolto and courier services); the delivery time of normal domestic letters has increased to four days. A stamp for a postcard or normal letter (max 50g domestic, max 20g abroad; as of 2020) costs €1.75. Most stamps are "no-value" (ikimerkki, fixvärdesmärke), which means they are supposed to be valid indefinitely for a given service. Real post offices are all bu…

Finns generally have a relaxed attitude towards manners and dressing up, and a visitor is unlikely to offend them by accident. Common sense is quite enough in most situations, but there are a couple of things that one should keep in mind:

Finns aren't typically very hot on big public carnivals; most holidays are spent at home with family. The most notable exception is Vappu on 30th April–1st May, as thousands of people (including the students) fill the streets. Important holidays and similar happenings include: