Working as a Digital Nomad in Helsinki - Comprehensive Guide

Today, people have more freedom, working from any country they like. In this article, we tell you about working as a digital nomad in Helsinki.

What is a digital nomad?

A digital nomad is someone who travels to various locations while working. In most cases, such people rely on technology to do their work. They use laptops, desktops and smartphones. You'll find them at co-working spaces, coffee shops, public libraries and many other places.

Online payment services are one of the fastest growing businesses. At these casinos, payments are made using personal banking IDs which makes payments incredibly fast. New technologies like online payment platforms have created a need for professionals working in programming and for that reason many digital nomads decide to work as a programmer because it just rarely requires physical presence.

As mentioned, digital nomads rely heavily on the internet. They need fast and stable internet connectivity to do their work. Digital nomads have to be able to adapt to changing environments. Their creativity is high since they are exposed to different life experiences. In addition to programming, digital nomads do jobs like website development, writing, App development, social media marketing, affiliate marketing, and many more. In future, we could witness a surge in the number of digital nomads.

Why choose Helsinki to work as a digital nomad?

As a digital nomad, you have the freedom to choose your place of work. In choosing a country and city to work from, you'll need to consider multiple things like internet connectivity, weather, cost of living and more.

Finland is one of the best countries in the world to work from as a digital nomad. When it comes to nature, Finland has it all. It is the most forested country in Europe providing large areas of wilderness to explore. The country also boasts over 180,000 freshwater lakes and miles of coastline with thousands of islands. Finland also borders Norway, Russia and Sweden, providing more travel opportunities.

Finland also has some of the best cities to work from, such as the capital, Helsinki. In fact, plans are underway to supply Helsinki with 5G internet connectivity, which is exactly what digital nomad workers want. Due to high-speed internet connections, fast mobile applications are not a new thing for Finns. Many Finnish gambling lovers play on a smartphone. Gambling is not limited just to home anymore.

Everyday life as a nomad in Helsinki

Life in Helsinki is very different compared to other places. If you wish to be part of this family, then it is important to understand how they spend their days. In this article, we will tell you all you need to know about living and working in Helsinki as a digital nomad.

Working visa

If you are not a Finn, you will need to obtain a working visa to work in Helsinki. Working visas permit digital nomads to work in various countries for a limited period. Most digital nomads are familiar with working visas as, by definition, they travel around exploring the world while working.

To work in Helsinki and set your foot in “the land of a thousand lakes”, you'll need to get a working visa from the Finnish government. Working in Finland without a working visa is illegal, with a few exceptions (Finnish Immigration Service, Working in Finland.) Almost all countries have a Finnish diplomatic mission where you can apply for a working visa.

Best time of the year to work in Helsinki

As you plan to visit Helsinki and work from there, you need to know the right time to make that move. You'll need to choose the season that suits you best. Most prefer to visit and work during the warmer, and lighter seasons, rather than the cold, dark winter. Therefore, the best time of the year to work in Helsinki is the months of June, July and August when summer rolls in. Helsinki sits beside the Gulf of Finland, while the Vantaa river runs through it. Both provide plenty of opportunities for cooling off when the temperatures get extreme.

Internet connections

Do you know that Finland was among the first countries to give its citizens access to broadband connection? Helsinki has a stable and reliable internet connection, which is good news for digital nomads. But if you are a digital nomad wishing to work from Helsinki, the first thing to do on your arrival is to get a local SIM card. From there, you can purchase a prepaid data package plan to enable you to scour the internet and do all your work. You can also liaise with Finnish internet service providers like Elisa and Telia for stable internet connectivity.

Language

Aside from work, digital nomads love to interact with people and share interests and ideas. This is why it is important to learn a few words, if not the whole language, of the country you're working from. The two official languages in Finland are Swedish and Finnish. However, most people residing in Helsinki also have a good command of English — a language that is used in almost every part of the world. You will find that you can get most services in English. This makes it more convenient for nomads to interact with the Finns.

Co-working spaces

Normally digital nomads want a quiet, cool and comfortable place to do their work. A restaurant, café and such like spaces may not be ideal for digital nomads. Helsinki offers plenty of versatile and elegant co-working spaces for freelancers. These working spaces are designed to provide for all your needs and demands. You can stay there as long as you want. Some spaces are free to use while others charge by the day, week or month. Co-working spaces in Helsinki include Wonderland work, MOW Mothership, Sofia Helsinki, Village works and UMA workspace, to name but a few.

Living and expenses

Living in Helsinki is fun. But, as a digital nomad, you need to know what your expenses will be. You need to eat daily, whether at your rented home or at a restaurant. You need to move from one place to another, and transport costs money. The cost of renting a room or house is the biggest expense you're likely to incur while in Helsinki. On average, the city is affordable to live in, and you can find many house-shares. At the end of the day, your expenses will depend on your lifestyle and your needs.

Taxes

Is there a country in this world where citizens don't pay taxes? Of course, you should expect to pay taxes in Helsinki as a digital nomad. What's different is how much you pay in taxes.

In Helsinki, and Finland in general, the amount of tax varies depending on the income levels of individuals. As you earn more, you should definitely expect to pay more taxes and vice versa. As a digital nomad, the amount of tax also depends on the employer's country of destination, the length of the visit and the sector in which you work (Vero, Finnish Tax Office, Work in Finland.)

The city of Helsinki also has a municipal tax rate that stands at 18.5% as per the 2017 statistics. Taxable rates for capital investment income stands at 30%.

Spending your spare time in Helsinki

You won't be working all the time. You will need some free time to enjoy nature and relax. Even those who report to physical offices get some free time to relax and spend some time with family and friends. Luckily, Helsinki offers great ways to spend your spare time. You can spend your spare time visiting the cultural sites or chilling on one of the 30 beaches. Maybe you want to meet more Finns, so you could spend time volunteering or trying a new sport. Travelling is also another way to spend your spare time in Helsinki.

Other digital nomad friendly cities in Finland

You might be wondering whether Helsinki is the only city in Finland where you can work as a digital nomad? The answer is, no, it is not. It will be boring to spend all your days in one city alone when you should be exploring the whole country.

There are various hotspots in Finland for digital nomads. If you love culture and the café scene, Rovaniemi should be your first destination in Finland. This place is good for your mental health.

Being the third largest city in Finland, Tampere has a lot to offer to digital nomads. The city sits between two lakes and there are loads of forests nearby to give you more adventures. Turku offers great historic monuments since it was the capital city of Finland before Helsinki. Other nomad-friendly cities in the country include Kemi, Lappeenranta and Vantaa.

Experience Finnish culture working as nomad

Working as a digital nomad in Finland brings with it many benefits. You get to experience the Finnish culture and you will see what it is like to live in a country which is ranked as the happiest country in the world for four years in a row (BBC, 2021.)

Finnish society is relatively relaxed at all times. In general, Finns are thoughtful, reticent and have an unemotional demeanour. Do not be surprised if none of them speaks to you initially. They do not speak unless they have an important issue to put across. The Finns also value punctuality and organization. Both men and women share responsibilities equally whether this is in society as a whole, at work, in the family or in government.