This is a topic that I myself wondered about before coming to Finland. Since luggage can only hold a few dozen kilograms, we need to carefully consider what we should and shouldn’t bring. Based on my own experience, along with the suggestions I have before, I will share them with you.
Should
Paper documents
Make sure that important documents such as passport, certificate of negative Covid, insurance, notarized translation documents, … have been neatly folded into one cover. In addition to checking its appearance, it is also important to check the validity of the passport, Covid test certificate, etc. Besides, valuable assets such as bank cards, wallets, cash, … also need to be real because you will have a long trip there.
Medicines
Unlike in Vietnam or some countries where you can buy medicine directly at a pharmacy. In Finland, you need a prescription from a doctor at the hospital to be able to buy medicine. Therefore, prepare common medicines such as flu, cough, stomachache, vitamins, and functional foods to prevent unfortunate cases.
Electric devices
Since Finland is a country that imports electronic components, the items will be sold at quite high prices. Furthermore, you may experience language problems when, for example, use products such as computers and laptops. Remember to prepare a few micro-adapters as plugs in Finland are all round, not flat like in some Asian countries.
Personal belongings
Personal items such as brushes, towels, electronics, underwear, etc. For women, you should prepare tampons. The first few days you may have more important things to do, like dealing with paperwork. Therefore, preparation is important.
Electric rice cooker/ Chopsticks
Those are examples of some cultural items. For a person who comes from a rice exporting country and has a habit of eating with chopsticks like me, it is necessary to prepare those things. In particular, Westerners do not often use chopsticks and eat rice.
Spices
There will be seasonings to spice up the food in your home country that would be hard to find in Finland. Therefore, prepare the seasoning packets and pack it well to avoid spillage. My tip is to put them in small jars, or use duct tape to wrap them. Besides, the snacks and candies you like can also be brought to reduce cravings on the first days.
Shouldn’t
Too much clothes
I know it would be sad when you have to leave your favorite shirts, shoes at home. Believe me, especially for a person from a tropical country like me, you can not survive a cold winter here with all those clothes. Moreover, usually you will have the mentality that clothes bought in your home country will be cheaper and more suitable for you. However, the people here are just like us. Not only that, there are second-hand markets and thrift shops ready to provide you with branded and fashionable clothes at extremely bargain prices.
Too much food
You may be afraid that the food here will not be to your taste. However, the food will eventually run out and you also have to get used to the cuisine here. I’m just kidding. If you crave home-cooked food, Finland still has Asian markets to cater to the needs of its large immigrant population from Asia. So you don’t have to worry.
Cosmetics
Similar to food, cosmetics such as shampoo, shower gel, skin and hair care,… should be purchased here. This was also my mistake trying to bring in a favorite. However, when I came here, the living environment and climate completely changed. Then of course, it didn’t hydrate my skin enough, it even made my skin dry and flaky. In other words, buy the products purchased here as it will be more suitable for the environment and weather.
In conclusion, we always need to be prepared for everything. Moreover, carefully check the items on the prohibited list, such as meat products, flammable materials, and too much cash, of customs to avoid trouble. The above article is suggestions and tips that I hope will help your start in a new place. Follow Edunation on the Website and other social media platforms, Facebook and Youtube, if you want to read more articles on these topics.
