Your Finnish journey starts before you arrive

A free guide to the Finnish you will actually hear, the things you will need to sort out when you arrive, and where to go to do them.

the first days

Exciting — and a little confusing

Moving to Finland is exciting, and the first days can also feel confusing. What should you know before you arrive? What do Finns actually say? What has to be sorted out in your first weeks, and where do you even start?

I have put together a short guide to help you feel a little more prepared. No grammar tables, no long vocabulary lists — just the things that help in your first week.

inside the guide

Three things to arrive with

Words you can actually say

The phrases you will use in your first week, each one with the spoken version people really use — and short recordings in my own voice, slowly first and then at normal speed, so they are something you have heard and not only read.

The Finnish you will actually hear

Why minä olen comes out as mä oon, and what else changes between the Finnish of textbooks and the Finnish of shops, classmates and corridors.

What to sort out, and where

Registration, identification, bank, health cover, phone, transport, housing — in the order they usually happen, and what each one depends on. With the official links worth saving, and a checklist for before you leave and another for your first week.

Along the way: what knowing some Finnish really changes — in everyday life, in finding work, and sometimes even in your tuition fee — a few things about Finnish communication that surprise most newcomers, and a first speaking challenge you can try tonight.

Eva — My Finn Vibes

I am a language teacher and a special education teacher, with a master’s degree in each, and the founder of My Finn Vibes.

I came to teaching in 2011, after a career at Nokia, where I worked in a multicultural team on localisation and internationalisation — making products work in other people’s languages. These days I do something similar for people.

Helping people who move to Finland has become the part of this work I care about most, first as a Red Cross volunteer and now through My Finn Vibes. Here in Finland I have also been building a network of language cafés together with international students, and some of what is in this guide started from questions they asked.

For me, integration is about more than learning words. It is about understanding everyday life, finding the courage to speak, and slowly making a new country feel like home.

Get the free guide and start your Finnish journey.

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