Hi everyone,
First things first, I am an EU citizen and I have a contract with my employer that starts in September.
So, I will be moving to Finland in August to look for an apartment l. This is where I hit my first barrier. It seems that viewing a flat requires verification of my identity via a bank account. The problem is that obtaining a bank account needs a proof of address and id number.
Obviously, someone did not tell me the whole story. My dirst question is: do I really need a bank account to rent an apartment?
Also, my employer told me that I will need a residence permit, and that I do not need to live in Finland to apply for it and that it takes weeks to be processed. Now, the application (https://enterfinland.fi/eServices/info/europeancitizens) asks for an address in Finland. So, my second question is: is there any way I can apply using either my work address or the address of the hotel I will be staying?
Just to clarify, I want to apply before movong to Finland because because I want to finish with the paperwork as soon as possible. The reason is that my employer told me that I need to have finished with registration, tax card, and Kela in the first two weeks of my employment, otherwise my my salary will be taxed with a higher rate.
Cheers,
D
