Language: Finnish and Swedish share status as
Finland's official languages. Sami is spoken by the isolated population group in Lapland. English is taught at schools and is widely understood.
Currency: The Euro (EUR) is the official currency of Finland. One Euro = 100 cents. Banks, ATMs and bureaux de change are available in all cities and airports; banks are closed on weekends.
American Express, Diner's Club, Eurocard, Access,
MasterCard and Visa are accepted in hotels, restaurants, and larger shops. Travelers cheques can be cashed in
Helsinki and large cities, but ATMs are
the easiest and most economical way to get cash.
Time: Local time is GMT +2 (GMT +3 from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October).
Electricity: Electrical current is 220 volts, 50Hz. Standard European two-pin plugs are in use.
Communications: The international country dialing code for Finland is +358. The outgoing code is 00, 990, 994 or 999, followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 0044 for the
United Kingdom). The city code for Helsinki is (0)9. Mobile phone networks cover much of the country; the network operators use GSM networks, which are compatible with most international mobile operators. Besides public telephone booths and hotels, calls can be made from post and tele offices. Internet cafes are available in major towns and cities. For international telephone enquires visitors should call 020208, and for local enquiries dial 020202.
Duty Free: Travelers to Finland arriving from the
EU can enter Finland without restrictions on the quantity of purchases, provided they have been bought in the EU for personal consumption or as gift items. No restrictions are placed on meat and dairy products. Some restrictions may apply to selected tobacco products. Travelers over 17 years arriving from non-EU countries are allowed to bring in the following items without incurring customs duty: 200 cigarettes, or 100 cheroots, or 50 cigars, or 250g of tobacco. Travelers over 20 years can bring in 1 liter of spirits with maximum 22% alcohol content, or 2 liters of fortified or sparkling wine not exceeding 22% alcohol content, and 2 liters of non-sparkling wine and 16 liters of beer; perfume up to 50g and 250ml of eau de toilette; and other goods for personal consumption to the value of EUR175.
Tourist OfficeFinnish Tourist Board, Helsinki: +358 (0)10 605 8000 or www.visitfinland.com
EmergencyEmergencies: 112.
Embassies
Embassy of Finland,
Washington DC,
United States: +1 202 298 5800.
Embassy of Finland,
London, United Kingdom: +44 (0)20 7838 6200.
Embassy of Finland,
Ottawa,
Canada: +1 613 288 2233.
Embassy of Finland,
Canberra,
Australia: +61 (0)2 6273 3800.
Embassy of Finland,
Pretoria,
South Africa: +27 (0)12 343 0275.
Embassy of Finland,
Dublin,
Ireland: +353 (0)1 478 1344.
Consulate-General of Finland,
Wellington,
New Zealand: +64 (0)4 499 4599.
United States Embassy, Helsinki: +358 (0)9 616 250.
British Embassy, Helsinki: +358 (0)9 2286 5100.
Canadian Embassy, Helsinki: +358 (0)9 228 530.
Australian
Honorary Consulate, Helsinki: +358 (0)9 4777 6640.
South
African Embassy, Helsinki: +358 (0)9 6860 3100.
Irish Embassy, Helsinki: +358 (0)9 646 006.
New
Zealand Embassy,
The Hague,
Netherlands (also responsible for Finland): +31 (0)70 346 9324.
