Live in Hamina

Moving to Hamina

Warm welcome to Hamina! Here you will find some useful information regarding Hamina and about the moving prosess to Finland.

Before moving to Hamina

Finnish immigration process

    • Finnish immigration process:  check the Finnish Immigration Service-  website is the go-to source for information about the process of migrating to Finland.

A tax card

Working in Hamina and in Finland, it is good to gain some information about the Finnish way of working.  Please note that employees in Finland pay a municipal tax, a progressive state tax, and various minor taxes on their gross earned income.

  • Before starting to work, you need to have a tax card from The Finnish Tax Administration. (Verohallinto)Working in Hamina and in Finland, it is good to gain some information about the Finnish way of working.  Please note that employees in Finland pay a municipal tax, a progressive state tax, and various minor taxes on their gross earned income.

     

Finding work

Finfing work in Finland and Hamina you can check following websites.  Check also the Work In Finland.

Finding home from Hamina

Hamina has different types of property such as blocks of flats ( central Hamina, Tervasaari area), terraced housing and detached housing.

Social security in Finland

In Finland, the social security system aims to safeguard economic security in all life situations. The services are provided by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, Kela .Kela provides a quick guide about social security in Finland.

Please note that when you move to Finland from another country, your entitlement to benefits from Kela is determined on the basis of:

  • how long you intend to stay in Finland
  • which country you come from
  • and your reason for the stay in Finland
More info

First steps in Hamina

Submit a no­ti­fi­ca­tion of the move

Submit a notification of move to Hamina  to Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV). Please note that the instructions vary for for Finnish citizen and foreign citizen and from where you are moving from.

Read more (DVV)

Opening a bank account

Most banks offer limited face to face- service. In Hamina there are few bank offices:
  • Osuuspankki (Puistokatu 6,49400 Hamina).
  • Oma- Sp (Satamakatu 11, 49400 Hamina)
  • More bank offices are located in nearby cities Kouvola & Kotka

Getting mobile phone and internet sub­scrip­tions

In Hamina Veikon Kone (Isoympyränkatu 11) sell sim cards and internet subscriptions.  More teleoperation branches are located in the City of Kotka. Prepaid sim -cards also available from R-Kiosks (Kaivokatu 10 & Pikkuympyränkatu 14)

Getting around in Hamina

Public transport

    • Local transportation system is called Jonne & Minne. The systems consist of buses & city bikes.

    • Local bus run in  Hamina suburbs and to Hamina to Kotka.  Main bus station is located next to the main bus station (Rautatienkatu 2, 49400 Hamina)

    • Bus number 1 goes twice an hour to Kotka ( approx. 50min bus drive).

    • Tickets can be bought with cash from the driver or via Waltti-app.  Waltti-card can for seasonal tickets can be bought in the cafeteria of the Hamina Spa & Swimming pool

More info about local buses

Long-distance buses

Long-distance buses to Lappeenranta and Helsinki depart from the  bus station, (Rautatienkatu 1).  Bus ride to Helsinki is about 2 h 15 min.
  • All timetables can be found from the Matkahuolto- webiste.
  • Onnibus ( red double decker bus company) has also a useful app available, and the bus ticket fare can be as low as 1€ + booking fee 1€.
  • You can buy also long distance bus tickets also from the R-kiosks
Long distance buses & timetables and info

Trains

Nearest train station is in Kyminlinna in Kotka. You can reach the train station via local bus number 1 from Hamina.  There are multiple daily local trains between Kotka-Kouvola. The national train operation is called VR (Valtion Rautatie)
  • Check train timetables  ( VR)
  • Please note there is also available a “ Kymenlaakso”-ticket that allows you to travel from Hamina- Kouvola from 7€/ adult together with the local bus and local train.
VR-trains

City bikes

City bikes: In the summer there are orange city bikes in Hamina, Kotka and Pyhtää called Kaakau-bikes, or Donkey bikes. You need an app to be able to rent a bike. Rental fees start from 1€/ 15 min.
Kaakau-bikes

Private car & car parking

Hamina is well known that there are no car parking fees in the public streets in the city center.

    • Please note that for example in the garage of  S-market and parking lot of Lidl- supermarket  there is a private parking area, and  free parking for 2 hours with only a parking disc.

    • Please note that in residential areas there might be reserved car places for residents only.

    • If car rental is needed,  you can contact for example  Avis (ST 1- service station, Helsingintie 1.

If something happens

Public health services in Hamina

Emergency number 112

Public doctors and dentists

    • Medical helpline tel. (+358) 116 117

    • Book an appointment for a nurse or doctor in Hamina. Call (+358) 05 220 2000 (Monday- Friday)

    • Health centre in Hamina: Reutsinkatu 1, 49400 Hamina

    • Nearest Hospital is in city of Kotka

 

More info

Private health services in Hamina

Private doctors and dentists

Police station

Currently the nearest police station is in Kotka City. ( Ruukinkatu 12, 48100 Kotka)

 

Education in Hamina

The Finnish education system consists of early childhood education and care, preschool, comprehensive school, upper secondary education, vocational education and training and higher education.

Early education in Hamina

 

Com­pre­hen­sive School, grades 1-9

There are seven comprehensive schools for grades 1-6 and two  schools for grades 7-9 in Hamina.

Read more

Secondary education 

Free time activities in Hamina

Hamina and the region offers great possibilities to enjoy the Finnish nature or take part for the cultural events!

Hamina Spa & Swimming pool

Hamina Spa (Linnoituksen uimahalli) is located at the Hamina city centre next to market square. A public pool is open year-round.

    • Outdoor pool 5 x 12,5 m, outdoor jacuzzi and sauna

    • Indoor pools, childrens pool and indoor jacuzzi and saunas
    • A gym (extra fee)

 

More info (in Finnish)

Cyckling and outdoor activities

    • Hamina has great roads for gravel biking and Portimo Paths are also mostly suitable for mountain biking

    • Family-friendy cyckling route is Hamina Cyckling route from citycentre- Pitkäthiekat beach area
    • Also, check from Bikeland.fi, bike friendly services

Movies

In Finland the movies are shown normally with the original language, and the subtitles are in finnish and swedish.

    • Kino Hamina ( tickets can be bought 30 min before the show) (Isoympyräkatu 30A) 

 

More info

Library

Library card: The main library in Hamina is located on Rautatienkatu 8. You can get the library card for free. Take id- with you when getting the card.  In Ruissalo main school building, there is also a small library.

More info (in Finnish)

Other activities nearby

East Coast of Finland unfold in the charming towns of Loviisa, Pyhtää, Kotka, Hamina, Virolahti, and Miehikkälä.

 

 

 

Read more about activities ( VisitKotkaHamina)

Events in Hamina and in the region

Hamina Festival Town it´s a Haminas event concept, that combines different event is Hamina.

Some highlights about the events 2024:

Hamina Tattoo International Military Music Festival, July 2024

Valojen yö- Night of the lights, 10.9.2024

Christmas time in Hamina, December 2024

Hamina Festival Town

Event calendar

Kymenlaaksonyt- website is city´s event calendar, where to find information about what´s happening in Hamina and in the region.

Hamina town has also own app, where you will find information about the news, events and ideas what to do. Currently the Hamina-app is only avaiblabe in Finnish.

Download the Hamina- app from the links below:

Google Play
App Store

 

Event Calendar