Visiting Finland

Are you planning to make a scout trip to Finland, for a camp, for hiking, or some other project? Please find below information on how to proceed and whom to contact in order to prepare for your visit.
 

We are pleased to facilitate the visits of groups coming from recognised member organisations of WOSM and WAGGGS.

Depending on the kind of help you would want, there are two levels of contact and assistance provided:

Support Level 1: General information

We provide general information and facts about Finland primarily through these internet pages. The information has been selected especially for foreign groups visiting Finland.

Before contacting our secretariat, please check whether the information you need is not already published on the website. We update these pages based on your feedback and questions. Please send your comments to international@scout.fi

Please follow the generally agreed rules for visiting other countries, as defined in numerous World Scout Conference resolutions:

* In order to make most out of your stay, we recommend that you include in your visit contacts with local groups in Finland. Meeting local young people will add a valuable dimension to your visit, beyond just seeing the country as a tourist. Such contacts may lead to lifelong friendships and cooperation.

* Please have with you the International Letter of Introduction which proves that you are members in good standing of a recognised organisation

* Please have your country of origin clearly identified on your uniform

* Please note that the hitch-hiking and soliciting financial help from local inhabitants is banned.

* Please note that we do not have an insurance covering visiting groups from abroad. Please make sure you are adequately insured, including repatriation service in case of emergencies.

* Please study carefully the section on rights and responsibilities and the Finnish everyman's rights

Support Level 2: Specific information and hospitality

In case you would like to have more specific assistance, hospitality or contacts for your visit, or if you would like to have specific information about scouts groups in Finland, camps, events and/or accommodation possibilities, we would kindly ask you to follow the procedure outlined below:

* Please take contact with the international department / International Commissioner of your national association and tell them about your plans.

* Please have a request for assistance sent from your international department / International Commissioner by e-mail to international@scout.fi (to the attention of the International Commissioner of Finland).

* Please send in such requests as early as possible. Three months has been defined as the minimum advance notice, after which "no help can reasonably be expected", according to World Scout Conference resolution 9/53.

* After such a request, we will put you in contact with our Reception Teams. They are volunteers who know well the local groups, campsites and other facilities in different parts of the country. They are prepared to do their best to help you with information and contacts before your visit.

* Sometimes requests cannot be fulfilled due to lack of time, lack of availability of campsites or lack of other resources. We apologise in advance for this. If this happens, we will always try to suggest you alternative solutions.

Thank you for your cooperation with these rules. We wish you exciting preparations and an enjoyable visit to Finland!