There are several ways to pay your bills, for example online with your banking user identifiers, using a bank transfer form or with cash.

How to open a bank account?

You can open a bank account only if you have a passport. The bank has its own rules on the types of passport it accepts. If the bank does not accept your passport, you will not be able to get a bank account. Then you will have to pay bills with cash for the time being.

Once you have the right type of passport, you can open a bank account. Ask the Refugee Reception’s employee to book an interpreter and an appointment with the bank. There are several banks in Finland and Hämeenlinna where you can open a bank account.

When you have a bank account, register at Refugee Reception for the bill payment course. There you will learn to pay the bills. Bill payment courses are held once a month. If you are still uncertain about paying bills after your bill payment course, you can ask for advice at the Refugee Reception. For their contact information, see.

How to get online banking user identifiers?

Online banking is the cheapest way to pay bill from a bank account in Finland.

You can get online banking user identifiers only if your bank can reliably verify your identity. That’s why you may have to wait for online banking user identifiers for a long time, up to a year. Unfortunately, you cannot do anything yourself that would get your user identifiers faster. Also, your social workers cannot do anything about it.

When you have received your personal user identifiers, you can ask an employee at the Refugee Reception for advice on how to use online banking.

How to pay your bills if you do not have a bank account or user identifiers for online banking?

When you are a customer at the Refugee Reception, bills are paid on your behalf. If you have any extra bills, you should arrange the payment separately with the Refugee Reception employee. If you have not arrange the payment of your bills, you will pay them from your savings.

You can pay your bills at:

• R-Kiosks
• banks
• at the checkout of the company which sent you the bill.

The bank and the R-Kiosk will take the payment when you visit them to pay the bill.

If your bill has a bar code, you can pay it at the R-Kiosk. The R-Kiosk takes a fee of about EUR 3 for processing the bill. Paying in the bank is more expensive.

If your bill has been sent by the City of Hämeenlinna, you can pay it at the Kastelli service point’s payment desk. Examples of bills from the City include medical or dental fees. No hospital fees can be paid at Kastelli.

If paying bills is difficult, go to the Refugee Reception. For their contact information, see.

What to do if you do not have the money to pay a bill?

If you do not have the money to pay a bill, call the customer service of the company that sent you the bill. Ask you to pay later when you receive money. Arrange with the company the date on which you will pay the invoice.

If you do not arrange the payment date with the company, the bill will be transferred to a debt collection agency. The agency will add its own service fee to your bill. It can be several dozen euros.

If you do not know how to deal with it yourself, go to the Refugee Reception. For their contact information, see.

Good to remember

If you are applying for social assistance, you need proof that you have paid for your bills. If you pay through online banking or a bank transfer form, your payment will be shown on your bank statement. If you pay the bill with cash, get a receipt. Submit the bill and receipt with your social assistance application.