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Family matters

Joensuu and Kuopio are great places to raise children. The cities are very clean and safe and there are lots of family friendly things to do as well as many public playgrounds and green areas. If you are planning to arrive in Finland with your family, you can find more information on family matters from the accordion below.

You also may want to read the article Family-Friendly Finland (finland.fi) and see the results of an expat survey in which Finland was rated as #1 country for raising a family.

When you become pregnant you should contact your nearest Maternity Clinic/ Prenatal Clinic  (äitiysneuvola).  Each family has a personal nurse and all the discussions with the nurse are confidential. Maternity Clinics focus on the health and wellbeing of the expectant mother, the baby and the family, and help the expectant mother and father to get prepared for parenthood. Dads are welcome to attend each appointment at the Maternity Clinic.

The clinic monitors the pregnancy, checks the baby's condition regularly and takes action to prevent possible problems. If necessary, Maternity Clinics refer mothers for further examination and treatment in a hospital. There are 11-15 visits to the Maternity Clinic during a normal course of pregnancy. Most Maternity Clinics offer ultrasound scan at 12  to 16 weeks of pregnancy.

Services of the Maternity Clinic are free of charge for those who have a municipality of residence (kotikunta) in Finland.

Remember to notify your employer of your absence

Remember to submit the Leave of absence form at least two months before you begin your maternity leave. A certificate issued by a doctor or a nurse on the duration of pregnancy must be enclosed with the application.

Child health care

When the baby is born, the local Child Health Centre (lastenneuvola) monitors the child's development and growth as well as vaccinates the child in accordance with the National Vaccination Programme from the birth until the school age. The families are given individual support in the child's upbringing and nurture. All conversations are confidential.

Services of Child Health Clinics are free of charge for all residents in Finland.

Maternity and child health clinics in campus cities

Contact the Maternity Clinic (äitiysneuvola or Child Health Clinic (lastenneuvola) in your area by phone.

Useful links

If you have become pregnant or are planning to become pregnant, you can find further information on pregnancy, birth, parenting as well as on your rights and benefits on the following websites:

If you are moving to Finland with your spouse/partner and family, it is important to carefully consider the practical arrangements for the family members, so that they would also have a fulfilling and productive stay in Finland. The following information is intended to help make the transition to Finland as smooth as possible for new staff members and their families.

See here for Education in Finland guide. The guide is available in English, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Poertuguese, Spanish and Russian.

Day care (children 9 months to 5 years)

In accordance with Finnish law, all children aged between 0 to 6 years of age living in Finland are entitled to municipal day care. Part-time and full-time day care is provided by day care centres (päiväkoti) or family day care providers (perhepäivähoito). There are also some open early childhood education services (avoimet varhaiskasvatuspalvelut) which include club or park activities for a couple of hours two times a week. Day care fees are determined on the basis of the parents' income and the size of the family. Maximum fees are about 290 € per month.

A day care place for a child can be applied for at anytime of the year. Applications should be submitted four months before the desired start of the day care. For day care applications, please see:

International day care in the UEF campus towns:

Pre-School (6 years old)

All six-year-olds have the right to voluntary pre-school education before the compulsory education begins at the age of seven. The objective of pre-school education is to support the child's preparedness for school and to practice the basic knowledge and skills that he/she will need at school. 

Pre-school education is usually offered at day care centres. The English and German Kindergartens also offer pre-school education.  Preschool education is offered on school days (Monday to Friday). The operating periods and holidays are the same as those at comprehensive schools. Instruction is given four hours per day.  Pre-school education is free of charge. If a family needs child care in addition to preschool, partial day care fees are charged.

The enrolment period for pre-school schools is usually in January / February. For enrolment forms (in Finnish only), please see:

Schools (children aged 7 or older)

If you are moving to Finland with school-aged (7-16) children, education is compulsory for them. Basic education begins during the year when the child turns seven and ends when all courses have been completed, or 10 years have elapsed from the beginning of the compulsory education.

Lower stage comprehensive school takes six years, classes 1-6, and upper stage comprehensive school comprises years 7-9. Basic education including textbooks, tools etc. is free of charge. In addition, pupils are offered a free daily meal.

Bilingual schools and preparatory education

In eastern Finland, basic education is usually arranged in Finnish but there are certain schools that offer bilingual teaching.  All comprehensive school age children (6-17 years old), who have recently moved to Finland and cannot get by in the Finnish language, are entitled to preparatory education. This allows pupils to get acquainted with Finnish schooling, its customs and teaching methods. Immigrant pupils are also entitled to get education in their own language for a couple of hours a week. Pupils can also learn Finnish as a second language in some schools.

Information leaflets on education for immigrants is available in several languages at: https://www.oph.fi/en/statistics-and-publications/publications

Allocation of a school and enrolment

The child is usually allocated a place in a school near where you live or in some other suitable place, which makes school travel as short and safe as possible. The local authorities have a statutory duty to provide education for children of compulsory school age living in their areas. The parent(s) can also, for a justified reason, apply for a place in a school other than the child's nearest school. The child can be admitted to the school if there are places available. If there are more applicants than available places, certain qualification criteria will be applied. Please note that in this case the parent(s) are responsible for covering any possible school transportation costs.

Typically, a child needs to be enrolled to start school (first graders) in late January or early February. If your child is at a higher grade or you move to Finland during the school year, please contact the education department in your city.

  • City of Joensuu, Education department
  • City of Kuopio, Education department. Please contact: Coordinator (education for immigrants) Pauliina Saarisalo, +358 44 718 8942, pauliina.saarisalo(at)kuopio.fi.

Fees and curriculum

Schools up to university level are almost exclusively funded and administered by the municipalities in Finland (local government). There are few private schools. Public schools are uniformly of a high quality. The local or school curriculum is based on a national core curriculum. As a rule, all teachers have a Master's level university degree.  There is, however, relatively little extracurricular activity, and children's free-time activities are often quite separate from those during the school day.

School year

The school year begins in mid-August and ends in late May or early June. The school year is interrupted by several vacations: Fall break (week number 42), Christmas vacation, winter vacation (week number 10) and Easter break. Students attend school Monday through Friday.

Schools offering bilingual teaching in Joensuu (Finnish-English or Finnish-Russian)

All schools in Joensuu (in Finnish):

Schools in Kuopio

Schools offering bilingual teaching (Finnish-English) in Kuopio:

Some organizations offer reliable babysitters when there is a temporary or short-term need for childcare. The Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (MLL). Babysitting services are available in Joensuu and Kuopio (Järvi-Suomen piiri District)

For fees, requirements and further information, please see: www.mll.fi/en/short_term_child_care_services/

If your are coming to Finland along with your spouse/partner and family, you might need additional support and resources. We hope that we can provide an environment where you and your partner/spouse and family can connect, learn and grow. Please see the links on the left for information.

University Studies

The Finnish higher education system comprises two parallel sectors: universities and polytechnics (also known as universities of applied sciences). Universities are academic or artistic institutions which focus on research and education. The education provided by universities is based on research. Universities of applied sciences offer more work-related education in response to labour market needs.

Education is highly valued in Finland. The Finnish education policy aims to provide all citizens with equal educational opportunities. A high level of education is one of the cornerstones of the Finnish national strategy. Education is free of charge at all levels when it leads to a qualification for EU citizens.

Further information:

Community Colleges

Community Colleges are institutions offering liberal adult education, enabling people of all ages to study and participate in activities relevant to their interests and hobbies (languages including Finnish, music, sports, fine arts, social sciences, history, data processing, handicraft, electronics etc.). There are classes for all family members from toddlers to adults.

The participation fee depends on the course. The autumn semester starts in September and the spring semester in January. Community colleges are also one of the best places to get to know Finnish people (outside the university).

Community College of the Joensuu Area
Papinkatu 3
tel. +358 (0)13 2481230

Community College of Kuopio (Kansalaisopisto)
Address: Puistokatu 20
Tel: +358 17 184 722

Learning Finnish

Although most people in Finland speak English, knowing at least some Finnish will help you to integrate more easily. Learning the language enriches your stay in Finland as you can understand the surrounding society better. Finnish skills often required for most jobs in Finland.

There are many ways to learn Finnish. You can take part in Finnish language courses offered by:

There are various online Finnish language courses (infofinland.fi) available as well. Language course packages can also be borrowed from public libraries.

Further information:

Multicultural Centres and Associations

Multicultural Centres are easily approachable meeting places that offer information, support and opportunities to participate in various activities. They offer different kinds of courses (for example Finnish language courses), have a wide variety of clubs and organise all kinds of multicultural events. You can either take part in the activities or do volunteer work at a Multicultural Centre.

Joensuu: JoMoni (Joensuu district multicultural association), Address: Rantakatu 23A

The association's intention is to promote multicultural diversity and to prevent immigrants from being discriminated and isolated. The association is open to people of all origins, nationalities, religions and political views.

The association organises cultural and recreational events, seminars, press conferences and other activities that bring people of different background together. The association helps immigrants around the Joensuu area deal with various authorities and bureaucracy issues as well as informs about multicultural diversity.

Kuopio: Multicultural Centre Kompassi, Address: Kauppakatu 40-42

Libraries

Finland is known for its comprehensive library network, high user and lending rates and effective use of technology and information networks in libraries. About 80% of Finns are regular library users. On average, a Finn visits a library 10 times a year and takes out 18 books, discs or magazines. Libraries are open to all and borrowing material is free of charge. In order to be able to borrow material from the library, you will need a library card (kirjastokortti). You can get a library card for free from any library. You need to present a proof of identity and fill in an application form in order to get the card.

Libraries do not have just books available but they also have a music library where you can listen to music or borrow records, CDs, and notes as well as read international newspapers. There is also a language centre for language studies and you can borrow language tapes.

In addition to the main library, there are also branch libraries in residential areas. University libraries are also open to public.

Joensuu:

Kuopio:

Citizens of the EU member states can work without any working permits. If you come from a non-EU country and have been granted a residence permit on the basis of family ties you will have an unlimited right to work in Finland. The right to work will also be entered on your residence permit card (migri.fi).

If your spouse does not have a job, he/she should register as an unemployed job seeker at the local Employment and Economic Development Office (TE Office). The TE Office will provide help in job seeking and offer language and vocational education. This is how to register as as a job seeker.

For vacancies, please see:

Finnish National Board of Education makes decisions on recognition of foreign qualifications. You can apply for their decision on the following cases:

1. Comparability of the level of a non-Finnish higher education qualification with a Finnish higher education degree of a certain level.  If you have non-Finnish higher education degree it may be recognised as comparable to a polytechnic Bachelor's or Master's degree, a university Bachelor's or Master's degree, or a postgraduate university Licentiate or Doctoral degree completed in Finland.  

2. Eligibility for professions regulated in Finland. A regulated profession refers to a position for which the law specifies a certain educational qualification or certain studies as qualifications requirements. Regulated professions include both public sector posts and positions and professions requiring professional practice rights.

Detailed information on how to apply for a recognition decision can be found at here.

Further information

You can find information about leisure time from this web content.

You can bring your pet(s) to Finland but you should be aware of the import requirements of pets. The import requirements vary depending on the country from which the animal is imported (EU and EEA countries/ non-EU country). The  purpose of the import requirements concerning dogs, cats and ferrets is to safeguard human and animal health and to prevent the spread of dangerous infectious diseases, such as rabies and echinococcosis, to Finland.

General requirements concerning dogs, cats and ferrets

  • ID marking (tattoo or microchip)
  • Rabies vaccination
  • Testing for rabies antibodies (if importing from the non-EU area)
  • Treatment against echinococcosis
  • Pet passport (or veterinary certificate from non-EU area)
  • If an animal or animals are travelling by plane as freight unaccompanied by a passenger, there is a requirement for a clinical examination carried out by a veterinarian within 24 hours before dispatch

Information source and further information: