Visiting

Business hours

Generally office working hours are from 8.00am to 5.00pm. Industry working hours can vary. Banks are generally open from 10.00am to 4.00pm.

Public holidays

Christmas Eve and Mid-Summer Eve are the two most important holidays in Finland, however they are not official public holidays. In practice they differ only in that shops are normally open until lunch-time.

The annual vacation period occurs from late June to beginning of August and should be avoided, as appointments will be difficult to arrange. This also applies between the Christmas and New Year period.

January 6 – Epiphany
May 1 – May Day or Vappu
June 1 – Midsummer's Eve or Juhannusaatto (non-official) 
November 3 – All Saints Day
December 6 – Independence Day

Climate

Finland has warm, but short summers and cold winters tempered by the Gulf Stream from the west. A third of Finland lies above the Arctic Circle.

For weather details in Finland, please visit the World Meteorological Organization.

Currency

Oanda currency converter

The Euro (€) is the official currency.

Time zones and time differences

Finland is eight hours from March to September and 10 hours from October to February behind Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST).

To find out the current time in Helsinki, view the World Clock.

Dialling codes

Finland's country code is +358.

For calls to Finland from Australia dial: 0011 + 358 + area code + telephone number.

For calls from Finland to Australia dial: 00 + 61 + area code + telephone number.

Find out more about Australian area codes or international dialing codes.

Electricity and water

Finland's power supply is 240 volts, 50Hz 1, 3 phases, 2, 4 wires. The round two-pin plugs are the most common. 

Tap water is safe to drink in Finland.

Links and resources

Travel and tourism

Finnish Tourist Board
Visit Helsinki

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