Finland : Safety by CityThe capital city of Finland was founded in 1550, and its long-lasting history makes it an international metropolis visited by numerous tourists throughout the year.
Its population exceeds 1.3 million and it is the most visited city in Finland, so the crowds are quite frequent here.
Classical Helsinki’s sights are churches, museums interesting both from the outside and from the inside, as well as Suomenlinna which once used to be the greatest sea fortress.
Once in Helsinki, do not miss to see Kruununhaka, the very safe area near the harbor, offering you an impressive sight of the Gulf of Finland.
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Warnings & Dangers in Helsinki
OVERALL RISK: LOW
The safety index proves the fact that Helsinki is one of the safest cities in Europe. Some of the possible risks are pickpockets in crowds and drunken people trying to start a fight. It is even safe during the nighttime and getting mugged for money in the streets has rarely been reported.
TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
Public transport in Helsinki may be unsafe, because pickpockets may be found there. During winter roads become more dangerous because of the ice and driving can be difficult. Snow tires are obligatory from 1st December to 28th February.
PICKPOCKETS RISK: LOW
Taking into account the fact that more than 3.5 million tourists visit Helsinki yearly a huge amount of people makes pickpocketing easy. Central railway station and Kamppi shopping center should be avoided. The tourists are the most frequent victims because they have valuables, passports, and money with them.
NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: LOW
There are no threats of serious natural hazards. The only problem might be a long and very cold winter. All visitors are advised to bring proper clothes.
MUGGING RISK: LOW
Finland is a very safe country in terms of violent crime, and being kidnapped or mugged is very unlikely here. Anyway, there might be situations in Helsinki when you might become a victim, so remain precautious.
TERRORISM RISK: LOW
Finland is not the country where terrorists might attack, but that can never be said for sure since the global threat exists. As long as tourists pay attention to any suspicious activity, they will remain safe. In case it happens, just follow the advice of authorities and local guides.
SCAMS RISK: LOW
Scams are not frequent on the streets of Helsinki and drink spiking is not common, but you should not accept drinks from strangers. In case you have to pay a fine, you should know that Finnish police do not ask for a cash payment, so do not believe a person pretending to be a police officer who asks for money.
WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Women travelers are trouble-free when it comes to Helsinki since it is a very safe city and there were almost no records of women being assaulted.
So... How Safe Is Helsinki Really?
What every tourist should know about Helsinki is that there is no real reason to avoid visiting it, since the safety is on the highest level.
The location score of 95 makes it the least dangerous city in the world when all types of risks are taken into consideration.
However, the summer period is the peak season both for tourists and pickpockets, so the eye must be kept on your belongings.
The only parts of the city that are advised to be kept away from at night are the Central Train Station in Helsinki and Kaisaniemi Park.
As in any major city, homeless people, alcoholics and drug junkies can be seen, but they are in certain neighborhoods, so make sure that your hotel is not in that city part.
Helsinki is the least risky capital to be seen and if you decide to visit it, you will enjoy the northern architecture, green parks, and numerous churches and museums, so do not let anything spoil your journey.
How Does Helsinki Compare?
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Helsinki | 95 |
| Oulu | 70 |
| Sao Paulo (Brazil) | 45 |
| Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) | 43 |
| Sofia (Bulgaria) | 73 |
| Siem Reap (Cambodia) | 63 |
| Phnom Penh (Cambodia) | 61 |
| Niagara Falls (Canada) | 87 |
Useful Information
Visas
A visa to Finland is not obligatory for people staying there for a maximum of 3 months. A valid passport is enough documentation. However, for longer staying, you will need to have a visa.
Currency
The Euro is the official currency of Finland. You will need to exchange your currency and the best solution to do that is in banks and currency exchange kiosks at the airport or in the shopping centers. Finland is an expensive country and accommodation is not cheap, but you can be sure that it is of a very high standard.
Weather
Finland is considered a cold country about some other European countries. Even summers are very cool with the average temperature between 15-20°C. In some parts of the country, winter temperature can fall below 40°C. Winters in Helsinki are dark and freezing. Due to the weather condition, the best time to visit it is summer.
Airports
Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport, which is located in Vantaa, 18 kilometers from the city center, has become crowded since it is the main hub of most journeys to Finland. It is one of the busiest airports in the world since about 90% of Finland's air traffic goes via Helsinki Airport.
Travel Insurance
If you’re visiting Finland, a travel insurance policy should be obtained since you can never know whether medical treatment will become necessary during your trip.
Helsinki Weather Averages (Temperatures)
Average High/Low Temperature
| Temperature / Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | -2 | -2 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 15 | 9 | 4 | 1 |
| Low °C | -7 | -7 | -4 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 0 | -4 |
| High °F | 28 | 28 | 36 | 45 | 57 | 66 | 70 | 68 | 59 | 48 | 39 | 34 |
| Low °F | 19 | 19 | 25 | 34 | 43 | 52 | 57 | 55 | 48 | 39 | 32 | 25 |
Finland - Safety by City
| City | Safety Index |
|---|---|
| Helsinki | 95 |
| Oulu | 70 |
95? More like 75-80. Yes it is safe city but even downtown is full of people that are drunk or on drugs and sometimes they are agressive. There are lot of people from middle east and they might harrass women
Lovely!
I get what you are saying. I have seen a number of drunks but I never once felt unsafe. Just because people are drunk doesn’t mean they will harm others. Not sure what you mean by a lot of middle eat people either and tying them in with sexual harassment is a bit racist, don’t you think? I have been here several times and as a woman, I have never felt unsafe.
That is true
Finland is safe according to the inhabitants and the tourists but you have to take drunken people in consideration
Be careful of drunken people
Recently there has been news of foreign gang who try rob you
Only Places to avoid in helsinki but they are still alright.
They rob each other from around 20kilometers away from city center. theres two main area you should be avare of and they are Kontula and Vuosaari Also avoid Itä-Keskus or East-Centrum in english because there you might interact with drunk people and narsisct because its between of the 2 areas. but you are safe as a tourists. i was born in a rich neighbour Hood and my school route went from there and i got only saw once 2 drunk people fighting each other in 9 years of going school using route going trough Kontula and Itä-Keskus.
Good, but some crime during summer
Safety level is high but crime levels increase during summer because at that time the population rises significantly
Cheerful
As usual, Helsinki, like other capitals, has to deal with beggars, scammers, drunken people and other instances that dilute the experience you might want to have. I’m from eastern Europe so this is no news to me so I kinda tend to ignore it. To sum it up, Helsinki is the city you book a trip to if you like cities that are small enough so you don’t necessarily need public transportation to get from one place to another. It’s colorful, people are running, riding bikes, there’s activities for everyone.
Extremely safe and enjoyable
I live in California so I know how things might take a wrong turn at night around nightclubs. What you get to see in Helsinki is a diluted scenario of what I get to experience back home. Yeah, you might see the occasional scuffle but if you mind your business you have nothing to worry about, people won’t come at you out of nowhere.
Kallio is a very busy area loved by hipsters, with popular bars. For some reason, this area tends to be trashed online but I saw quite the opposite. Nothing to worry about, just the occasional junkie popping out from time to time.
From what I’ve heard bike theft is a pest, with bikes being stolen even in the ‘better’ neighborhoods. So, if you have your own or rented one, make sure you keep it inside if possible or thoroughly locked.
From a tourist’s point of view you will have no trouble here. Definitely not the type of place where you have to constantly look over your shoulder or where you’re forced to dress down so you don’t look too flashy and thus attract unwanted attention #coughcoughCentralAmerica
As almost everywhere else, influencers might flock to a certain club and start taking photos or recording videos which might mean you’ll end up in a background of a random video that will be shared online later on. I was very bothered with this so I changed my table to avoid the unwanted attention.
I was shocked when I saw baby strollers lined up outside a restaurant. Parents then go in and grab a bite to eat. Add to this the fact that kids aged 7 and up ride the bus or simply walk to school ALL ALONE and you have a relevant picture of what this city is all about. This pretty much says it all as Helsinki is safe, a pleasure to explore, even more if you’re the active type, you will blend in perfectly.
You should avoid ”Sörnäinen” metro station and the nearby area, lots of drug users that can be unpredictable at times. You should be fine just passing through or switching from metro to tram, but avoid staying there for extended periods of time.