- Francois Bertrand
I found a former Helsinki expat who had recently moved back to Brazil, so we swapped all the important need-to-knows.
Living in Espoo
The second largest city in Finland, Espoo, has a population of just over 259,000 people. The city sits on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, and is the only municipality in Finland that completely incorporates another. Sometimes referred to as 'the hub of know how' Espoo has an internationally renowned university, the Helsinki University of Technology, nearby. If you want to experience Finland's incredible wildlife and scenery, then you can venture out to the Nuuksio National Park, which showcases just how incredible Finland's forests and lakes can be. If you're thinking of living in Espoo, but you want a little bit of advice about living as an expatriate before you set off, you should register with InterNations members. On the forums you can find details about living abroad, and posts about problems expats have learned to overcome and our helpful members will try their best to answer any questions about life in Espoo, or Finland in general, that you might have.
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Moving to Espoo
Many people move to Espoo as part of a work agreement, and the number of expatriates arriving in the city is increasing as more technological advancements come out of Finland. The education system in Finland is world-famous for its high levels of quality, with many countries attempting to follow suite. Moving to Espoo can be a stressful experience, and that's why the InterNations website has worked hard to build up a community of like-minded expatriates who can help out. Our Expat Magazine furthermore has articles written that directly serve to help with moving and living abroad as an expatriate in Espoo. There, you can find general information on for example, setting up a foreign bank account, how to best plan your pension while living an international life and what to look out for when preparing to move abroad.
Working in Espoo
Finland in general is considered to be at the center of a technological boom, with smart phone games and apps such as for example Angry Birds stemming from Finnish talent. With the University of Technology only a few miles away from Espoo, a lot of developer talent moves directly in to programming work within Espoo and there is a great deal of excitement surrounding technological development in the Finnish marketplace. If you have just started your life as an expat working in Espoo, and you've moved over as part of a work placement, you might want a little bit of advice on breaking down the cultural barriers, and understanding the business etiquette involved with working abroad. There are so many pitfalls associated with expatriate assignments, but the expats on the InterNations forums should help you make sense of your new working life in Espoo.
- Francois Bertrand
I found a former Helsinki expat who had recently moved back to Brazil, so we swapped all the important need-to-knows.
- Maria Loura
Some information on InterNations helped me a great deal, and I'm sure other expats in Helsinki feel the same way.
