The Integration Act sets the objective of providing increasing numbers of immigrants with individual and family-oriented support for integration as soon as they arrive, at which point they have the greatest need for information and support.
Under the Integration Act, the authorities shall provide immigrants with information about their rights and obligations in Finnish working life and society. Immigrants are also provided with information about the service system and the measures promoting integration.
Welcome to Finland guide
Currently, the information package about Finnish society referred to in the Integration Act is the Welcome to Finland guide. The guide is available as an online version (PDF) in 12 different languages and as a printed version in 4 different languages – Finnish, Swedish, English and Russian. In addition, a smaller printed brochure available in other languages guides reader to the more extensive version online.
The guide or brochure is handed to all those migrating to Finland together with a notice of a residence permit decision, registration of right of residence, issue of residence card or when the municipality of residence and population information data are registered at the Finnish Immigration Service, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency or Finnish missions abroad. The guide can be distributed only by the above-mentioned so-called statutory bodies. For example, the guidance and advisory services of municipalities, maternity and child health clinics, health centres and libraries can distribute an advertisement card that guides the person to the online version.
The authorities applying the Integration Act contribute to updating and selecting the contents of the guide. The information in the guide consists of texts from the InfoFinland.fi web service. They are compiled and updated in cooperation with the authorities. The Centre of Expertise in Immigrant Integration at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment coordinates the updating and distribution of the guide.
The guides and brochures and instructions on how to order the guides, leaflets and advertisement cards have been published on the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment website.
Read more:
Welcome to Finland guide
