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Living

Tampere has for quite some time been Finland’s most desirable place to work, live and study in. It is a vibrant area of 350,000 people with pristine nature and many beautiful lakes.

 

As a country, Finland is a safe choice for investors and companies as well as for employees and their families alike. International studies indicate that Finland is one of the least-corrupt countries in the world.

We at Tampere Business Region understand the importance of family life and will also help your family to settle in. For example, we can help your spouse to get up-to-date information about jobs and provide the contact details of the best employment agencies. The Tampere region also offers many international schools and day-care centres to choose from.

Tampere is also a well-known and international centre of culture and sports – the city provides excellent year-round exercise opportunities. Short commutes to work, the opportunity to choose a type of home that best suits the needs of your household and a population that is proficient in many languages make everyday life easy for immigrants. Tampere is already home to almost 10,000 foreigners who originate from about 130 different countries.

 

 

Living in Tampere region: Facts and Features


Housing

  • Most of the residents live in flats in apartment buildings. Many families live also in detached houses or townhouses with their own yard.
  • About half of the apartments are privately owned by the families.
  • Both private and public agents offer rental apartments. A small rental flat in Tampere costs some 400-600€ per month, in surrounding municipalities the prices are somewhat lower.
  • Rental flats are unfurnished, but the fixed fittings, like fridges are part of the setup.
  • All apartments have a central heating, which is in most cases included in the monthly rent. Water is paid separately.

Transportation

  • Public transportation operates reliably and punctually. There are 32 bus routes within Tampere, and access to surrounding areas is fast and easy by bus or by train. Monthly passes for the Tampere City Transport cost some 40€.
  • With a baby carriage you travel for free in local buses.
  • Despite its large geographical size, it is smooth to move around. Private motoring is easy because the traffic is not heavy, roads are well maintained also at wintertime, and cars are well equipped with appropriate winter gear. The fuel, however, is expensive (1,6€ / l).
  • Helsinki is reached by train in less than 2 hours.
  • Tampere-Pirkkala international airport has frequent connections to 10 countries.

Day care

  • All children over 3 years of age have a right for public day care. Also younger children can join the day care if necessary. Tampere has 85 municipal day care centers, among others.
  • Parents have a right to stay at home for children and receive child home care allowance for children under 3 years of age.
  • The city of Tampere provides day care services also in English, German, French and Swedish languages.

Education

  • All children aged 6-16 living in Finland have a right to basic education. Immigrant children study the first year intensively in separate groups, after which they join regular classes. In Tampere, 85 pupils study in theses preparatory classes (in 2011). There are 1200 multilingual pupils in Tampere.
  • At schools children’s native languages and religions are taught. In Tampere the curricula include 22 different languages and 4 religions as well as ethics.
  • Pupils have 10 weeks of summer holiday between June and August.
  • All students finishing basic education will be guided to further education. There is a possibility for both vocational and IB-programme studies in English in Tampere.
  • Two major vocational institutions and three universities offer quality education in the region.

 

Leisure time, Activities and Environment

  • Tampere is beautifully located between two large lakes. 2 km from the Central Square you can find the Pyynikki Nature Conservation area.
  • In Finland most of the people fish and pick berries and mushrooms for their own consumption.
  • Winter sports like skiing, skating and ice hockey are extremely popular and cheap activities for the whole family.
  • Tampere is well-known in Finland for its popular bands and high-quality theatres.
  • Most of the Finns belong to the Evangelical-Lutheran church, but there is room for other churches, too. The Orthodox Church in Tampere city centre is one of the most beautiful ones in Finland.
  • In Finland, there are more than 100 friendship societies of different countries as well as immigrants’ own associations. The umbrella organisation for multicultural associations in Tampere is called Heshu, www.heshu.fi.

 

Shopping and prices

  • Life in Tampere region is cheaper than in the capital area.
  • The Finns typically buy their groceries in large supermarket, but in Tampere you can find also small shops specialised in e.g. ethnic food items. There are also several producers of biodynamic food. During the summer, the market places are a good option for shopping.
  • There is a wide selection of restaurants available. Employees mainly go out for lunch. Children at school and day care are provided with hot meals.
  • Black sausage is the local delicacy.
  • Tap water is potable all over the country.

 

Life in Finland

  • English is spoken widely, but there are several options available to study Finnish.
  • Finland is a safe country: school children go independently to school and hobbies.
  • Men and women are equal in all aspects of life.
  • Info Bank contains basic information for immigrants on the functioning of society and opportunities in Finland in 15 languages. http://www.infopankki.fi/

 

 

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