Moving to Jämsä from abroad

Have you moved to Jämsä from abroad? We wish to make the process of settling in our municipality smoother for you. On this page, you will find some useful links and information. To get individual support and more answers to your questions, kindly contact the City of Jämsä integration coordinator.

Listen

If you have recently moved to Jämsä, you can receive guidance and assistance in finding public services by contacting the City of Jämsä integration/immigration coordinator.

Kotouttamiskoordinaattori Seija Helander, tel. +358 44 9019784, seija.helander@jamsa.fi

Якщо ви нещодавно переїхали до Ямся, ви можете отримати консультацію та допомогу у пошуку державних послуг, звернувшись до координатора інтеграції міста Ямся.

Если вы недавно переехали в Ямся, вы можете получить консультацию и помощь в поиске государственных услуг, связавшись с координатором интеграции города Ямся.

إذا كنت قد انتقلت مؤخرًا إلى Jämsä ، فيمكنك الحصول على المشورة والمساعدة في العثور على الخدمات العامة عن طريق الاتصال بمنسق الاندماج في مدينة Jämsä.

اگر اخیراً به Jämsä نقل مکان کرده اید، می توانید با تماس با هماهنگ کننده ادغام در شهر Jämsä از مشاوره و کمک برای یافتن خدمات عمومی کمک بگیرید.

Initial assessment and integration plan

The initial assessment (alkuarvio) helps you evaluate which services best support your integration and employment in Finland. After completing the initial assessment, you may then decide whether you want to have a formal integration plan (kotoutumissuunnitelma). The initial assesment is conducted by the City of Jämsä integration coordinator, the Adult Social Services, or the Employment office, depending on your needs and personal situation. If you are not a Social Services’ or Employment Office’s client, and wish to have an intial assessment completed, kindly contact the City of Jämsä integration coordinator to book an appointment.

Employment

You can search for vacancies on Finnish employment service websites, newspapers or social media services (e.g. Facebook and LinkedIn). To find webpages for jobs, write “avoimet työpaikat” (vacancies) in the search engine’s text field. More information on independent job search is available on infoFinland website.

If you are seeking for a job, the Employment office (Työllisyyden kuntakokeilu) can make a referral to an integration training, which consists of full-time Finnish language classes, practice periods in Finnish companies or institutions, and personal coaching. The formal integration plan is made for one year, after which it is revised as agreed. The maximum duration of the integration plan is 3 years. To get assistance in searching for employment, you may book an appointment with Elina Tirkkonen, tel. 050 434 3357, or Igor Kajander (also in Russian language), tel. 050 433 7584.

To get advice on starting your own business in Jämsä, you can contact the City of Jämsä Entrepreneur Services.

Learning Finnish language

Even if you are not attending an official integration training organised by the Employment office, we still warmly encourage you to participate in part-time Finnish classes offered by the community college (työväenopisto) or Gradia. Additionally, there are various online courses available, and volunteers organise local Finnish conversation clubs in Jämsä and Jämsänkoski. The integration coordinator has compiled a list of links and information on Finnish study in 2023. The organizers of these study courses update their own websites, so the links are still worth checking out even at a later date.

For more current information on the language course availability, you may contact the integration coordinator by email: seija.helander@jamsa.fi

Permits

When you move to Jämsä, you can handle permit matters online through Enter Finland , or at the Finnish Immigration service point. Although the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) is located in Helsinki, there are several service points accross the country. The closest ones to Jämsä are in Tampere and Jyväskylä. You should book an appointment prior to visiting them.

If you are unfamiliar with using a computer or need assistance in translating the application forms or booking an appointment with the Finnish Immigration service point, you can contact the City of Jämsä integration coordinator. The coordinator provides assistance in various languages with the aid of an interpreter-by-phone. Please note that the coordinator will not take responsibility for the individual content of your formal applications.

For questions concerning international protection, residence permits and family reunification, you may contact the cost-free judicial guidance service of the Finnish Refugee Advice Centre. The service is provided in Finnish and English on weekdays (10:00-12:00) tel. +358 (0)9 2313 9325, and by email: neuvonta@pakolaisneuvonta.fi

Additional guidance and assistance by native speakers in various languages may be obtained from International Jyväskylä Info Center.

Registration as a resident

When you move to Jämsä as a permanent resident, you must register yourself at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV). For their pre-booked appointment, you have to take the following documents with you:

personal identification (e.g. a passport)
your residence permit and residence card (or a registration certificate for your residence permit, if you are an EU citizen)
a marriage certificate
the birth certificates of your children

The documents must be translated into Finnish, Swedish or English by a legalised translator.

Notification of change of address

The Finnish Post Office (Posti) must be notified of your address. This can be done on the Internet using the joint online service of DVV and Posti.

Bank account

In addition to managing your financial matters, you will need Finnish bank account codes for accessing various online public services in Finland. To open a bank account, you need to book an appointment with the bank of your choice. The banks offer services only in Finnish, Swedish or English.

The interpreter services for other languages should be booked and paid for by the clients themselves. You may search for an interpreter e.g. from the SKTL website. The City of Jämsä immigration coordinator or the Adult Social Services can provide extra assistance and interpreter services, at individual discretion, for the clients in a vulnerable position (e.g. refugees, and people needing assistance due to illiteracy or other special needs),

More information on the bank services for foreigners can be found on the website of Finance Finland.

Driving licence and public transport

If you bring a car from abroad to Finland, you must take care of the car’s insurance, registration and tax matters. Information on traffic in Finland and useful links to various websites may be found on infoFinland-website.

The public transport in Jämsä covers the areas of Kaipola-Jämsä-Jämsänkoski-Koskenpää, as well as Jämsä-Halli-Länkipohja. There are also special busroutes and taxi services for school children in rural areas. More information is available (in Finnish) on the City of Jämsä public transport website.

You may buy tickets with a mobile app or from the bus. Special subsidized tickets are available for school children and students.

There is also a train station in Jämsä, with a direct access to Jyväskylä and Tampere. It is advisable to buy the train tickets in advance, as they are usually cheaper then.

Housing

The City of Jämsä owns low-cost rental apartments, which you may apply for. There are also privately owned rental apartemnts and houses for sale in the larger Jämsä area. More information is available in the City of Jämsä Housing and Living -website.

We hope that you and your family will feel right at home here, in the town of Jämsä and its beautiful surroundings!