Helsinki supports the people of Ukraine

The InfoFinland website provides information on where you can find housing and what it costs to live in Helsinki.

Housing in Helsinki

After securing a municipality of residence, children under seven are obliged to participate in at least one academic year of pre-primary education before they begin primary school. Children between the ages of 7 and 15 are required to attend basic education. School attendance is compulsory in Finland until children turn 18 or until they complete their upper secondary education studies in a general upper secondary school or vocational education and training institution in Finland or in an equivalent institution abroad. Among other things, he Finnish National Agency of Education website has information on how municipality of residence affects early childhood education and care.

Finnish National Agency of Education: For Ukrainian refugees

The City of Helsinki website pages on Childhood and Education contain information on all of the city’s daycare centres, pre-primary education and basic education options. The pages also highlight the general upper secondary schools, vocational education and training institutions and adult education services that are available in Helsinki for people over the age of 15. 

City of Helsinki: Childhood and education 

If you have been granted a temporary protection residence permit in Finland and you have a municipality of residence in Helsinki, you are entitled to receive the same health and social services as Helsinki’s permanent  residents. The City of Helsinki website pages on Health and social services contain information on the city’s health stations, dental clinics, mental health services and substance abuse services. 

City of Helsinki: Health and social services

Special services for migrants 

You are also eligible for social services that promote your integration into Finnish society. The City of Helsinki’s Special services for migrants provide guidance and counselling in matters related to settling in Helsinki and organizing your everyday life. In some cases, it can also include an initial assessment and the joint creation of an integration plan.

Do you need help finding a place to live or managing your money? Would you benefit from psychosocial support to improve your general wellbeing or be able to cope with your everyday life? The assistance offered is based on your needs and is meant to support you in the initial stages of your integration. When needed, the service also provides adult support for unaccompanied minors and urgent and necessary social services.

If you have a lessor need for support but have lived in Finland for less than three years and you study or work or care for a child under 3 years of age, you still qualify for an initial assessment. This initial assessment can connect you with services that support your integration.

Contact information:

Kalasatama Health and Wellbeing Centre
Special service for migrants 
Street address: Työpajankatu 14A, first floor
tel. 09 310 37577 (recent arrivals and victims of human trafficking)
tel. 09 310 23747 (special group social work and undocumented) 

City of Helsinki: Immigration Unit

Emergency social services and Crisis services

Emergency social services are available 24/7 to help with social welfare crises. In case of an emergency, call tel. 020 696 006 any time of the day or night.

Crisis services provide 24/7 emergency help with sudden crisis situations. In case of a crisis situation, call tel. 09 3104 4222 any time of the day or night.

Emergency social services

Crisis emergency services

If you have been granted a temporary protection residence permit in Finland and you have a municipality of residence in Helsinki, you are entitled to receive the same health services as permanent Helsinki residents. This means you can use your local health station, dental clinics and maternity and child clinics. Read more on these services via the links below.

City of Helsinki: Health and social services 

• Your local health station is your primary source of health services. Find the location nearest you at this list of Helsinki’s health stations or the Helsinki Service Map  
• For urgent medical emergencies outside health station opening hours, call the toll-free Medical Helpline at tel. 116 117. The medical professionals answering the phone will tell you where to seek treatment.
• In case of a life-threatening emergency, call 112. 
   

If you have been granted a temporary protection residence permit in Finland and you have a municipality of residence in Helsinki, you can become a client of Helsinki Employment Services and use our services at no cost. We can help you find a job, apply for study and training programmes, and sign up for Finnish and Swedish classes.

We help you to:

• find a job
• update your CV and job application
• consider different education and training options
• apply for Finnish recognition of qualifications earned abroad
• draw up an integration or employment plan
• enroll in Finnish or Swedish language classes, if desired
• benefit from a wide range of advisory and coaching services
• stay informed about various recruitment events, and
• integrate into Finland.

How can I register as a client?

1.    Stop by our service point in the Helsinki district of Itäkeskus, located at street address Asiakkaankatu 3A, on the 4th floor.

• The advisory service is open Mon–Fri 9.00–16.00. 
• It is not necessary to make an appointment. 
• If you wish to use the services of an interpreter, please inform the staff.
• You can also send us an email to: tyollisyyspalvelut@hel.fi  

2.    After registration, an employment services specialist will contact you to arrange an appointment. At the appointment, you will review your situation and goals, and map out the services you may need together with the specialist. You will also jointly prepare a personal employment or integration plan. 

3.    Over the next few weeks, Helsinki Employment Services will be in touch with you via meetings, phone calls and email. If you wish, you can meet with your appointed specialist in person. During this time, you can use any of our advisory services without an appointment. 

As a Helsinki Employment Services client, you will be required to:

• Carry out your personal employment or integration plan as agreed

• Actively seek employment or apply for a study or training programme
• Inform your specialist of any changes to your contact details.

Employment plan

If your goal is to find a job, we will help you draw up a personal employment plan. The plan describes your job seeking situation and will help you secure employment. You will create the plan together with your appointed specialist. Examples of questions addressed in the plan may include:

• What kind of work you are looking for?
• How many jobs must you apply for per month? The number will be specified in your job search obligation.
• What kind of skills do you have? This includes for example work experience, studies, training and qualifications.
• Which services do you need to support your employment? 

We will help you carry out the plan. The plan is valid for three months at a time. 

Integration plan

If you wish to stay in Finland permanently, we will help you draw up a personal integration plan. The plan specifies the services you will need for integration and finding employment. These may include:

• Finnish or Swedish language classes
• integration training
• vocational education, and/or
• job search training.

Integration training generally lasts about a year, but may last up to three years maximum. It is intended for migrants who have moved to Finland recently. In the integration training, you will study the Finnish language and attend classes on Finnish society and working life.

Useful sites

• Helsinki Employment Services
• Helsinki Employment Services on social media (mainly in Finnish):
  • Facebook 
  • Instagram 
  • LinkedIn
• Helsingin Employment Services for Ukrainians Facebook group (in Finnish and Ukrainian) 
• Working in Finland, pdf (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment) 
• Work and enterprise in Helsinki, (InfoFinland)
• Business Helsinki: Events 

Information about daycare centres, schools, and study options and how to apply. 

News item: Information about education in Helsinki for people arriving from Ukraine 

The Finnish Immigration Service is responsible for providing your necessary health and social services. The website of Finland’s Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has more information.

Finnish Immigration Services:Services available to those who apply for temporary protection 

Ministry of Social Affairs and Health: Health and social services for people arriving from Ukraine
 

Persons enjoying temporary protection in Finland are entitled to use the city’s employment services based on their place of residence as of 1 March 2023 (Act on the Municipal Employment Experiment). If you have a residence permit in Finland based on temporary protection and you live in Helsinki, you may become a client of the city’s employment services. Read more about the services we offer under If you have been granted a temporary protection residence permit in Finland and you have a municipality of residence in Helsinki > Employment Services