Europe

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• General
 

• There is a low threat from terrorism. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers.
  
  
• Most visits to Finland are trouble-free. See General - Consular Assistance Statistics. If you need to contact the emergency services in Finland call 112.
  
  
• You should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. See General - Insurance.

Safety and Security - Terrorism

There is a low threat from terrorism. But you should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be in public areas, including those frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. For more general information see Terrorism Abroad.

Safety and Security - Crime

Crime levels remain relatively low. The tourist season attracts pickpockets in crowded areas. You should observe sensible precautions such as keeping your personal belongings, including passports and money, secure. See our Victims of Crime page.

Safety and Security - Local Travel

The public transport infrastructure is of a very high standard and very punctual. You can buy a variety of bus, train, tram and metro tickets at stations (bus, train, tram and metro), news kiosks and shops all over the country. Helsinki City Transport offers a service that allows you to order a text message ticket to your mobile phone. Within the Helsinki city area you can rent city bicycles in the summer (available for a token fee). Better quality bicycles are available for hire from other outlets.

Finland can be affected by severe cold weather in the winter months, particularly in the North.

Safety and Security - Local Travel - Road Travel  

In 2010 there were 270 road deaths in Finland (source: DfT). This equates to 5.0 road deaths per 100,000 of population compared to the UK average of 3.1 road deaths per 100,000 of population in 2010.

Driving in Finland during the winter months can be hazardous. Icy road conditions are common. If driving in Finland, your car must be winterised and winter/snow tyres (either studded or non-studded) are a legal requirement from 1 December to 28 February. However, it is usually necessary to use winter tyres beyond the legal requirement as roads remain icy well into April. 

The local transport system is good and traffic is light. Drinking and driving is also a serious offence and you can expect a lengthy prison sentence. The drink drive limit in Finland is 50 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood (lower than the UK). 

See Driving Abroad.

Safety and Security - Local Travel - Air Travel

EU Aviation Regulations

The revised EU-wide security measures that came into effect for all passengers departing from UK airports in November 2006 are also being implemented in Finland. For more details about this see Airline Security

Safety and Security - Political Situation
Finland Country Profile

There are no unusual local laws. As in the UK, Finns take drug offences seriously and you can expect a prison sentence. Khat is illegal in Finland and those who try to import it are summarily deported. See our Your trip page.

Entry Requirements - Passport Validity

You must hold a valid passport to enter Finland. For stays of up to three months your passport must be valid for the proposed duration of your stay; you do not need any additional period of validity on your passport beyond this. However, it is always sensible to have a short period of extra validity on your passport in case of any unforeseen delays to your departure. You do not have to wait until your old passport expires to apply to renew it. Any time left on your old passport when you apply will be added to your new passport, up to a maximum of nine months. For passport applications in the UK, you should apply to the Identity and Passport Service. For stays of longer than three months, contact the Embassy of the country to which you are travelling.

Entry Requirements - Visas

Visas are not required to enter Finland. You need a passport to enter Finland.  As a British national, you can stay as a visitor for three months. After that, you should contact the local Finnish Police. to register your right to reside in Finland.

You should obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before leaving the UK. The EHIC is not a substitute for medical and travel insurance, but entitles you to emergency medical treatment on the same terms as Finnish nationals. It also does not cover you for medical repatriation, on-going medical treatment or treatment of a non-urgent nature. For more general information see European Health Insurance Card.

The Finnish law on organ donation changed in August 2010. As a rule, organs, tissues and cells may be removed in Finland for the treatment of another person if it can be assumed that the deceased would not have objected to the measure when alive. If someone you know has died in Finland, it is advisable to contact the hospital immediately if you know of any reason as to why the deceased would have objected to the possible removal of organs.

Cards for permission / refusal to donate your organs under the following link (available in Finnish only):   http://www.stm.fi/sosiaali

For the full text of the new law in English. Please visit: http://www.finlex.fi/en/laki

The Finnish health system is generally good though, as with the NHS, there are occasional problems over access to or speed of treatment.

There are about 20-40 cases of tick-borne encephalitis each year, mostly in the Åland Islands.  You should seek medical advice on the option of immunisation before you travel.

In the 2010 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic the UNAIDS/WHO Working Group estimated that around 2,600 adults aged 15 or over in Finland were living with HIV; the prevalence percentage was estimated at around 0.1% of the adult population compared to the prevalence percentage in adults in the UK of around 0.2%. You should exercise normal precautions to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS. For more general information on how to do this see HIV and AIDS.

Seek medical advice before travelling to Finland and ensure that all appropriate vaccinations are up-to-date.  For further information on vaccination requirements, health outbreaks and general disease protection and prevention visit the websites of the NaTHNaC and NHS Scotland's Fit For Travel or call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47.

See our Travel Health page.

General - Insurance

You should take out comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling. You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake. See our Travel Insurance page.

If things do go wrong when you are overseas see our When Things Go Wrong page.

General - Registration

Register with our LOCATE service to tell us when and where you are travelling abroad or where you live abroad so our consular and crisis staff can provide better assistance to you in an emergency.

General - Emergency number

The telephone number for emergencies is 112.

General - Passport

If you lose your passport in Finland, you should contact the British Embassy in Helsinki (contact details below).

General - Extremes of weather

Finland, and in particular the north of the country, does get affected by severe cold weather during the winter months. Temperatures can be extremely low and if you visit in winter come prepared for these harsh conditions.


General - Money

The currency for Finland is the Euro. Legislation on the controls of cash entering or leaving the EU apply in all Member States.  Any person entering or leaving the EU will have to declare the cash that they are carrying if this amounts to 10,000 euros or more; this includes cheques, travellers' cheques, money orders, etc. This will not apply to anyone travelling via the EU to a non-EU country, as long as the original journey started outside of the EU nor to those travelling within the EU.

General - Consular Assistance Statistics

Most visits to Finland are trouble-free. 30 British nationals required consular assistance in Finland in the period 01 April 2010 - 31 March 2011 for the following types of incident: seven death; seven hospitalisations; and nine arrests, for a variety of offences.