Whether you’ve just moved to Finland or plan to move soon—you need a Finnish phone number and a mobile plan (liittymä in Finnish). Getting the best phone plan in Finland is easy if you know what you’re looking for. A postpaid phone plan will be your best option to save money in the long run.
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There are two reasons you might be looking for a new postpaid phone plan:
- You want to switch from a prepaid phone plan—despite being easier to set up initially, prepaid phone plans end up being more expensive over time
- You’re paying too much for your postpaid plan and want something cheaper
Because there are four leading carriers in Finland—Elisa, * Telia, * DNA, and * Moi Mobiili—that compete against each other for more customers, there are always some great deals for postpaid phone plans.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to everything you need to know to get the best phone plan in Finland.
Requirements to Get the Best Phone Plan in Finland
Before diving into the five steps to get the best phone plan in Finland, there are a few requirements you need to know about. All the major carriers will require you to have these items in place to get a postpaid phone plan:
- Personal identity code
- Permanent address registered at the DVV
- Online banking codes
An optional item is to have a bank card from a Finnish bank so you can make your monthly payments. Only Moi Mobiili requires this step.
A postpaid phone plan is like taking out a line of credit, using the service first, and paying later. Because of this, the carriers require these documents to verify your identity and credit before extending a contract to you.
When you try to purchase a postpaid plan, the operator will run a credit check on you. Anyone who has not lived in Finland for at least two years may be asked to pay a deposit (vakuusmaksu). A deposit can cost between €100,00-340,00 and is meant to offset the risk of someone with no established credit in the country. To lower this cost, you have a few options:
- Negotiate the fee by proving you have a steady income and are not a risky customer
- Use Moi Mobiili, as they’re the only carrier that doesn’t collect a deposit
- Continue with the deal and use your deposit to pay the future phone bills—some of the deposit goes towards each bill, so it’s more of an upfront cost rather than an additional cost
5 Steps to Get the Best Phone Plan in Finland
Step 1: Check what you’re currently paying
You can skip this step if you’ve never had a phone plan in Finland. Otherwise, knowing what you’re currently paying for a phone plan is essential to compare it to other options. There are two ways to check this:
- Mobile carrier app (first picture below): This will tell you the monthly rate, offer period, details of what you get, and the contract period.
- The monthly bill (second picture) will tell you all the above plus the real price after the offer period. Rates increase after the offer period, when you’d typically switch to a new carrier or plan to keep your costs low.
2. Compare carriers for the best phone plans in Finland
Each of the four main carriers is functionally the same and offers similar services. So, you really just need to care about the current offerings and what you’re looking for. In Finland, it’s typical to receive the following things with your postpaid phone plan:
- Unlimited calls and SMS (text messages)
- Unlimited internet up to a certain speed
- Some amount of EU mobile data (if you travel outside of Finland in the EU area)
The speed of the internet and the amount of mobile data available throughout other EU countries are the main differences between plans and can make the cost higher. Otherwise, it’s typical to have unlimited calls, texts, and internet for around €20,00/month.
This is about what you should expect to pay—anything higher, and you’re either getting a bad deal, or it’s too much data for everyday needs.
Knowing this baseline, you can compare each carrier’s website (example above) and see what kind of promotions they offer. Note that there are exclusive offers for new customers. The phone carrier websites are in Finnish, so either use Google translate to navigate around or watch the full YouTube video on how to get the best phone plan in Finland to see it in action.
Below are two example offerings from two different carriers. You can see that they lay out the services being offered, the introductory price, and the relevant terms of the contract.
Update: Use the comparison feed
Below, you can find a comparison feed that includes the best deals. Instead of going to the individual websites, you can see the options in one place. You can click “Tilaa” to proceed to the carrier website. Use Google Translate to translate it into English if necessary.
Step 3: Purchase your deal
Once you’ve selected a plan that fits your needs, it’s time to purchase the plan. On the carrier’s website, click “purchase plan.” You’ll see a few additional services that you can buy, such as streaming services. Unless you want those, you can just proceed with the purchase.
As you complete the purchase, you’ll be asked several questions. Here are some essential things to keep in mind:
- You need to verify your identity with your bank
- You can transfer your phone number from one carrier to another without canceling the original plan—click the “enter number to port” option.
- You can switch from prepaid to postpaid plans (Telia only)
- You can set your invoice to be in English
- You can choose a “secret subscription” option where your name and phone number can’t be searched for additional privacy.
Finally, you can read the contract summary and make sure everything looks good before completing your purchase. If you are required to pay a deposit, you’ll do so at this time as well.
Step 4: Expect a win-back offer
If you’re transferring your phone number from one carrier to another, you’ll often get a phone call from the old operator wondering why you’re leaving. They will offer you a win-back deal that either matches the new deal or, hopefully, offer you something even better.
Since you’re looking for the best phone plan in Finland, you can go ahead and accept an offer if it’s even better and stick with your original carrier. You can simply cancel the other one you just signed up for—there’s often a two-week period in which you can cancel without penalty.
Step 5: Wait for the new SIM card and install it.
If you continue with a new carrier, they’ll send you a new SIM card in the mail. You simply install it on your phone, and you’re ready to go!
After your term, you may be on the look for the best phone plans in Finland again. Just go back to step one and start again.
There it is—five simple steps to get the best phone plan in Finland. With a bit of research, you’ll be able to find an affordable plan that gives you everything you need to live in Finland.
Click the links below to start finding the best plan:
- * Telia,
- * DNA
- * Moi Mobiili
- Elisa
If you want to see the full tutorial, check out the YouTube video. While you’re there, make sure to watch other tutorials, and informational and educational videos about moving to and living in Finland.
