Finland Economy and Currency
ECONOMY
Business etiquette
Suit and tie or costume. Finnish business people mostly speak English or German. Tourist offices and travel agencies can arrange interpreters and help with translations. Great importance is attached to punctuality. Business cards are common. The best time to travel on business is between February and May and between October and December.
Opening hours
Business hours: Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-4.15 p.m., some shops until 5 p.m. In larger cities, shops and offices open earlier and close later in the afternoon. Private shops are open on Saturday morning.
Economy
Finnish foreign trade office
Nymphenburger Strasse 20 a, D-80335 Munich
Tel: (089) 542 64 70.
Internet: www.finpro.fi
Foreign trade office
in Berlin: Tel: (030) 252 02 00.
Foreign trade office of the Finnish Embassy
Gonzagagasse 16, A-1010 Vienna
Tel: (01) 535 61 60-0.
Internet: www.finpro.fi
Finland-Switzerland Chamber of Commerce
Dufourstrasse 147, CH-8008 Zurich
Tel: (044) 350 57 70.
Internet: www.handelskammer-fin.ch
Keskuskauppakamari (Association of Finnish Chambers of Commerce)
Aleksanterinkatu 17, PO Box 1000, SF-00101 Helsinki.
Tel: (09) 69 69 69.
Internet:www.keskuskauppakamari.fi
Business contacts
Finnish foreign trade office
Nymphenburger Strasse 20 a, D-80335 Munich
Tel: (089) 542 64 70.
Internet: www.finpro.fi
Foreign trade office
in Berlin: Tel: (030) 252 02 00.
Foreign trade office of the Finnish Embassy
Gonzagagasse 16, A-1010 Vienna
Tel: (01) 535 61 60-0.
Internet: www.finpro.fi
Finland-Switzerland Chamber of Commerce
Dufourstrasse 147, CH-8008 Zurich
Tel: (044) 350 57 70.
Internet: www.handelskammer-fin.ch
Keskuskauppakamari (Association of Finnish Chambers of Commerce)
Aleksanterinkatu 17, PO Box 1000, SF-00101 Helsinki.
Tel: (09) 69 69 69.
Internet:www.keskuskauppakamari.fi
COMMUNICATION
Phone
According to historyaah, the country code of Finland is 00358. The area code for Helsinki is 9. There are public payphones and telecentres in larger towns. You can buy phone cards in shops, post offices or kiosks. There are phone cards on offer that can be used to make cheap international calls.
Phone
The country code is 00358. The area code for Helsinki is 9. There are public payphones and telecentres in larger towns. You can buy phone cards in shops, post offices or kiosks. There are phone cards on offer that can be used to make cheap international calls.
Cellphone
GSM 900/1800. The main network operators are Alcom (Internet: www.gsm.aland.fi), Elisa (Internet: www.elisa.fi), Sonera Corporation (Internet: www.sonera.fi) (all GSM 900) and Telia (Internet: www.telia .com) (GSM 1800). The reception and transmission area is very large.
International roaming can be used within the EU at the Euro tariff. Customers of all European mobile network operators automatically make all calls in and from other EU countries at the Euro rate. However, the Euro tariff does not apply to other mobile communications services such as SMS, MMS and data transmission.
Buying a Finnish SIM card is usually worthwhile.
Internet
Internet providers are Sonera (Internet: www.sonera.fi) and Elisa (Internet: www.elisa.net). Internet cafes are available in larger cities. Most hotels, restaurants, some public transport services, city libraries and post offices offer free or inexpensive Internet services. Some cities have additional hotspots (www.hotspotlocations.com). Mobile surfing on the Internet is also made possible by the Goodspeed Wi-Fi hotspots, which are subject to a charge (Internet: goodspeed.io/de/index.html).
Post Office
Airmail within Europe takes about three days. In addition to post offices, stamps are also available in book and stationery shops, train stations and hotels. Poste restante items should be addressed to the main post office of the respective city. The main post office in Helsinki, Mannerheimintie 1 A, 00100 Helsinki, is open Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-9 p.m., Sat 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sun 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Post office opening times: Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., in winter often 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Radio
Since the use of shortwave frequencies changes several times over the course of a year, it is advisable to contact Deutsche Welle customer service directly (Tel: (+49) (0228) 429 32 08. Internet: www.dw-world.de) to request.
MONEY
Currency
1 euro = 100 cents. Currency abbreviation: €, EUR (ISO code). There are banknotes in the values 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 euros, coins in the nominal amounts 1 and 2 euros, as well as 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents.
1 and 2 cent coins were never properly introduced in Finland and are no longer minted. A national law regulates the rounding of cash at 5 cents. Only with card payments do the “crooked” amounts remain. As a result, the 1 cent coin is an official means of payment in Finland – but practically only coveted by collectors.
Credit cards
American Express, MasterCard, Diners Club and Visa are more common than in Central Europe and are accepted in most hotels, car rental stations, department stores, many restaurants and shops. Details from the issuer of the credit card in question.
ATMs
ec / Maestro card / Sparcard
With an ec / Maestro card and pin number, cash in the local currency can be withdrawn from what are usually known as OTTO ATMs. In many European countries it is also possible to pay in shops with the ec / Maestro card. Cards with the Cirrus or Maestro symbol are accepted in Europe and worldwide. Further information from banks and credit institutes. The same applies to the German Sparcard, the successor to the postal savings book as a means of procuring currency in other European countries. With a Sparcard and PIN number, cash can be withdrawn from European ATMs with the Plus logo.
Attention: Travelers who pay with their bank card abroad and want to withdraw money should find out about the possibilities of using their card from their bank before starting their journey.
Bank opening times
Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-4.30 p.m.
Foreign exchange regulations
For travelers within the EU, there are no restrictions on the import or export of local currency, unlimited import and export of foreign currencies.
There is also no obligation to declare larger amounts.
Travelers entering or leaving the EU and carrying cash of € 10,000 or more (or the equivalent in other currencies or other easily convertible values such as checks made out to third parties) must declare this amount to the customs authorities.
Currency Exchange
Foreign currencies and travelers checks can be exchanged in banks, in most hotels and in exchange offices. Outside banking hours, foreign currency and travelers checks are exchanged in Helsinki at Vantaa Airport, in Katajanokka Port and in exchange offices.
