Finland Guide

Arriving in Finland: DVV, Personal Identity Code, Kela and Tax Card

Finland runs on one number: the personal identity code (henkilotunnus). Until you have it, and the registrations built on it, you effectively cannot bank, get paid properly or use services. The arrival sequence, DVV, tax office, Kela, bank, is rigid, so doing it in order during your first weeks saves the most time of any advice in this guide.

Quick checklist

Check if Migri already issued your personal identity code with the residence permit; many permits include it.
Register at DVV (Digital and Population Data Services Agency) with passport, permit and rental contract.
If staying a year or more, ask DVV to record a municipality of residence; many rights hang on it.
Get a tax card (verokortti) from Vero before your first payday, or face 60 percent withholding.
Apply to Kela for social security coverage and the Kela card once working or settled.
Open a bank account with passport, permit and identity code; ask about strong electronic identification.
Save 112, Finland's single emergency number, and download the 112 Suomi app.

DVV and the personal identity code

The henkilotunnus is the 11-character code every Finnish system keys on. Most residence permit holders now receive it automatically with the permit decision; if not, you register in person at a DVV service point with your passport, permit and address. Separately, staying at least a year lets DVV record an official municipality of residence (kotikunta), which unlocks municipal services, from healthcare to Finnish courses. Bring your rental agreement and, for families, legalised marriage and birth certificates to get everyone registered in one visit.

Tax card and Kela

Before your first salary, request a tax card (verokortti) from the tax administration (Vero), online or at an office; without one, employers must withhold 60 percent. The card states your estimated rate based on projected annual income, and you can revise it anytime. Kela handles social security: workers and permanent-type residents apply for coverage, and once accepted receive the Kela card, which gives reimbursements on prescriptions and private healthcare and is the gateway to benefits like child allowance and student housing supplements for eligible residents.

Banking and strong identification

A Finnish bank account is effectively mandatory: salaries are paid to Finnish IBANs and daily life is cashless. Banks require your passport, residence permit and preferably the identity code; some ask for an employment contract. The crucial extra is strong electronic identification (online banking codes), which is how you log into every government service, Vero, Kela, Migri, DVV. Banks apply discretion in issuing codes to newcomers, so ask explicitly, and if refused at one bank, try another; practices genuinely differ.

Common questions

Arrival & Registration FAQs

What is a municipality of residence and why does it matter?

The kotikunta is your officially registered home municipality at DVV, generally available if you hold a permit for at least a year and intend to live in Finland. It entitles you to municipal healthcare, subsidised public transport rates in some regions, and free or cheap Finnish language courses. Without it you rely on occupational healthcare and private services.

What happens if I work without a tax card in Finland?

Your employer must withhold tax at 60 percent until you provide a verokortti. You eventually get the excess back through the tax assessment, but that can mean waiting a year for your own money. Order the tax card the same week you sign your contract.

Who can get a Kela card?

People covered by Finnish social security, generally employees working in Finland and residents settled here permanently or long-term. Students with limited permits have narrower coverage and usually rely on their mandatory private insurance plus student healthcare (YTHS for degree students). Apply through Kela's online service once you have your identity code and bank codes.

How to use this page

Read the checklist first to see what needs preparing.
Use the sections below for the reasoning behind each step.
Check the FAQs for common edge cases.
Confirm current Finnish rules on migri.fi and infofinland.fi before you act.