For people arriving in Espoo from Ukraine

The risk of several infectious diseases (such as tuberculosis and polio) is higher in Ukraine than in Finland.

It is recommended that all people arriving from Ukraine participate in voluntary screening for infectious diseases, have their vaccination status checked and, if necessary, get vaccinated. Examinations and vaccinations are primarily organised by the Finnish Immigration Service. You can participate in these through the reception centre where you were registered as a client after you applied for temporary protection or asylum.

The purpose of the examinations is to ensure the health of people arriving in Finland. The examinations are safe for everyone, including pregnant women and children. A person’s application for a residence permit cannot be rejected for reasons related to their state of health.

Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, pets are now coming to our country with their owners from Ukraine and Russia. These pets can carry infectious parasites, rabies, or pathogens that are rare in Finland.

It is important that these pets are referred immediately (or no later than 3 days after arrival in Finland) to a local veterinarian's office, where they can be treated for echinococcus multilocularis and vaccinated against rabies if necessary. Some of the pets may have already received medication from the Finnish Customs against the echinococcus. However, it is a good idea to bring your pet for a check-up at the vet's office to ensure the medication.   

Pets escaping Ukrainian war are medicated for free.

If the pet does not have a microchip and/or does not have a rabies vaccination, the veterinarian will place a microchip on the pet and, if necessary, vaccinate against rabies. The veterinarian will also take a blood sample to determine antibodies to rabies.

Procedures related to parasite control and rabies vaccination are handled free of charge by appointment at the Espoo City Veterinarian's office.

The appointment is booked from: +358 9 81684458.

The pet should be kept isolated from other animals and humans for 30 days after vaccination. Contact with other animals and humans should be minimized. Pets can be walked on a leash during isolation period. Pet feces should be collected and disposed of with household waste within 24 hours of tapeworm treatment.

Non-owners must avoid contact with the animals for 30 days after their entry, and if bitten, immediately contact health services. You should inform health services that the animal in question has been brought from Ukraine. 

The treatment of pets is very important because Finland is currently free of the rabies virus and the echinococcus multilocularis tapeworm. Especially the spread of echinococcus to Finnish nature through dog feces is a high risk, as the parasite is life-threatening to humans.

ATTENTION! Animals not traveling with the owner must meet the import requirements: https://www.ruokavirasto.fi/yritykset/tuonti-ja-vienti/tuonti-eun-ulkopuolelta/elaimet-ja-elainperaiset-tuotteet/elaimet/koirat-kissat-ja-fretit/koirien-kissojen-ja-frettien-tuonti/(external link)

Further information is available on the website of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare(external link) and the Finnish Food Authority(external link). Information in Ukrainian(external link).

Information about pets in Ukrainian.

Information about pets in Russian.

OPH-site is intended for those who have fled the war in Ukraine to Finland(external link). It contains information about 

• the benefits of attending Finnish early childhood education and care and education
• opportunities of participating in education and training for those who have a residence permit based on temporary protection
• how having a municipality of residence affects your child's early childhood education and care, pre-primary education, basic education and studying.

In March 2023, the first Ukrainians who fled the war to Finland will be able to apply for a municipality of residence in Finland.

The activities in residents’ parks are open to all families.  

Once the family and child have been granted asylum, the child has the same right to early childhood education organised by the municipality as all other children who have a municipality of residence in Finland. 

Ukrainian children residing in Espoo will be assigned an early childhood education place within four months of submitting the application or within two weeks, if early childhood education is needed due to a sudden start of employment, studies or a course. 

The parent/guardian sends a separate certificate of the sudden need for early childhood education to the Early Childhood Education Service Guidance (e-mail address below). Otherwise, early childhood education is normally applied for by contacting the service guidance in order to receive more detailed instructions.

Pre-primary education is organised for a child who meets the criterion of residing in the municipality: children under temporary protection and asylum seekers who are entitled to basic and pre-primary education can participate in education. If a child can be considered to be residing in a municipality, he or she is entitled to education. The municipality does not have to be the child’s municipality of residence in order for him or her to be considered to reside there.

Service guidance to Finnish-language early childhood education (also provides service in English): 

+358 9 81631000, vaka.palveluohjaus@espoo.fi 

Postal address: P.O. Box 3125, FI-02070 City of Espoo (for sending forms, etc.) 

Telephone counselling: Mon, Tue, Wed and Fri 9:00–13:00 and Thu 13:00–16:00. 

Service guidance to Swedish-language early childhood education/Småbarnspedagogikens servicehandledning: 

+358 9 81627600, dagis@esbo.fi 
Postal address: P.O. Box 3125, FI-02070 City of Espoo (for sending forms, etc.) 

Telephone counselling: Mon, Wed 9:00–11:00 and 12:00–14:00, Tue 13:00–16:00, Fri 9:00–12:00 

Children arriving in Espoo from Ukraine will be assigned school places and they will be provided preparatory education for basic education as are all other children residing in Espoo.  

Finnish-language basic education: Preparatory Education Coordinator at multicultural education services: Ilham Hamdouni, ilham.hamdouni@espoo.fi and Planner Päivi Kakko, paivi.kakko@espoo.fi  

Please contact the e-mail addresses above for guidance on how to apply for preparatory education. Applicants will also be interviewed in the order of enrolment. 

Swedish language basic education: Planner Anna Nordberg, +358 40 6507598,  
e-mail: skolanmalan@esbo.fi 

Basic education for adults is organised by Omnia: info@omnia.fi.

Espoo has ten Finnish-language upper secondary schools and one Swedish-language upper secondary school. Both the Swedish-language upper secondary school (Mattlidens gymnasium) and one of the Finnish-language upper secondary schools (Etelä-Tapiolan lukio) offer the International Baccalaureate programme, where the language of instruction is English.  

For additional information on applying for studies, please contact: 
Jaakko Turpeinen, Head of Education 
Finnish-language upper secondary school education  
jaakko.turpeinen@espoo.fi, +358 46 8773903

Mia Westerlund, Head of Administration/
Swedish-language education services 
mia.westerlund@espoo.fi, +358 43 8268869

Vocational education, preparatory education for vocational education and upper secondary school education for adults is provided by Omnia: info@omnia.fi.

More information about Finnish Education system for Ukrainian refugees(external link)

OSKE Omnia Skills Centre for Immigrants, MANU education for immigrant youth, literacy training, Finnish as a second language courses and workshop services: info@omnia.fi.

Ohjaamotalo provides support and assistance for various needs and life situations. They can help you with matters related to studying, career choice and job-seeking. Ohjaamotalo can also support you in matters related to livelihood, finances and housing, as well as well-being and recreational opportunities. They offer both individual guidance and targeted group activities.  

Youth workers Marjo Holmqvist and Kirsi Hartikainen.  

Starttipiste tel. +358 40 1267513, Mon and Fri 12:00–16:00 and Tue, Wed, Thu 10:00–16:00.  

You can find the opening hours and contact information of Espoo libraries here.(external link)

In Finland, public libraries are open to all. You can come to the library and use many services even without a library card. You can get a library card for a year by showing your photo ID and giving your address in Finland. Read a Ukrainian plain-language brochure on Finnish libraries.(external link)

Libraries offer not only books to borrow but also a wide range of facilities and activities, especially for children and young people. You can come to the library to study, work, engage in hobbies and just spend time. At the library, you can use a computer and many other devices, such as a sewing machine, and read newspapers and magazines. The library can help you find other city or state services.

Libraries organise a wide variety of events(external link), which are free of charge and open to everyone.

More Ukrainian-language literature has been ordered for Espoo libraries, and the Multilingual Library(external link) in Pasila, Helsinki, is also acquiring more books in Ukrainian. In addition, the OverDrive(external link) e-book service will soon feature more Ukrainian-language literature that can be borrowed free of charge with a library card. 

Ukrainians using the Russian language can use the services of Sello Library(external link)’s national Russian Library(external link).

Espoo organizes many events, some of them free of charge. The programme includes music, theatre, films, dance performances and children’s events. You can find all free entry cultural events at cultureespoo.fi. 

Espoo’s diverse outdoor exercise and sports facilities can be found here.

In addition, Espoo has many different exercise and outdoor recreation routes as well as nature trails.

Espoo has some 200 play parks, residents’ parks and playgrounds.

• List of playgrounds
• Playgrounds on the map(external link) (external link)

• The Espoo Hobby Path will organise exciting, free-of-charge after-school activities at and near schools for pupils of grades 3–9. Some hobbies are also held remotely. You can participate in hobbies without any prior experience or specific skills. You can find information about hobby groups on the Espoo Hobby Path website.
• Exercise and sports activities for children, young people and families are mainly organised in cooperation with sports clubs. The activities are mostly free of charge. Information about exercise and sports activities for children and young people is available on this page.