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Residence permit for studies

A foreign student must acquire a residence permit if his or her studies in Finland last for more than three months.

(Attn. EU/EEA-citizens, please see EU-citizens)

Is a visa needed first?

A visa is needed if the student has to participate in an entrance exam in Finland prior to being accepted at the educational institution and if he or she is a citizen of a country that has not signed an agreement on the abolition of visa with Finland. For information on visa applications, please see the Ministry for Foreign Affairs website . 

Since the visa allows for only a short stay, the student must usually return to his or her home country after the entrance examination in order to apply for the actual residence permit. Subject to certain conditions the first residence permit may be granted also in Finland.

On what grounds may a residence permit be granted?

A residence permit may be granted for study purposes at a post-comprehensive-school educational institution. Such institutions are mainly universities and vocational institutions. A residence permit can also be issued for studies at some other educational institution leading to a degree or vocational qualification

A residence permit may be granted for studies in the Finnish or Swedish language if the studies are conducted at university level and lead to a degree. Hence, language courses lasting for a few months at private language schools do not normally constitute sufficient grounds for granting a residence permit. Exceptions include situations in which the student has already been accepted for studies at a Finnish educational institution and he or she wishes to familiarise him- or herself with the Finnish language and culture prior to starting the studies.

Residence permits are not generally issued for studies at folk high schools, Christian colleges or similar institutions where studies do not lead to a degree or vocational qualification. A residence permit can, however, be obtained with special justification. This could consist of, for instance, the need to supplement studies pursued in the applicant's home country, further studies connected with a vocational qualification or special training available in Finland.

Exchange students

A residence permit may be granted for exchange students who are temporarily supplementing their studies at an educational institution abroad with at most one academic year at a Finnish university or polytechnic, vocational institution or upper secondary school.

A residence permit may be granted for exchange students who are participating in an approved exchange programme. For more information, please contact your own educational institution or Finnish educational institutions.

Persons under 18 years of age are usually granted residence permits only if they come to Finland as exchange students through approved organisations or as part of an official exchange programme between schools and municipalities. Coming to Finland also requires a written consent from the parent(s) or guardian(s).

Student's income 

The Finnish government does not usually fund the stay of foreign students in Finland. Hence the applicant must show that his or her income is secured either with a scholarship, a grant or other funds with which the student can support him- or herself during the academic year.

Students must be able to prove that they have at their disposal at least 500 euros a month or 6000 euros for a year. If the educational institution offers free tuition, accommodation and meals, the required amount can be reduced.

The funding of a student participating in an exchange programme between a Finnish and a foreign university may be arranged through the exchange programme.

Is a student allowed to work while studying?

Students are permitted to do a limited amount of paid work under a residence permit issued for studies if the work in question is practical training included in the studies or final project work. Part-time employment is also possible, if the working time comes to an average of 25 hours per week at most. There are no limitations on working hours in full-time employment during holidays, specifically the summer and Christmas holidays.

 Earnings from part-time work during term-time may be included in the amount of disposable funds required for a residence permit at the discretion of the authorities. This is not, however, possible in the case of a first residence permit.

Students’ Health Insurance

Any student who submits a residence permit application on or after 1.9.2007 must attach details of their comprehensive health insurance cover to their application. Comprehensive insurance cover means insurance which includes the types of treatment and costs that are covered by municipal health care services and the health insurance system.

It is a precondition for obtaining a residence permit that the student has valid health insurance cover with a reliable and solvent company or institution.

• For studies of less than two years in duration, a student must have private insurance which primarily covers the costs of medical treatment up to 100,000 euros (cost level in 2007).
• Where the duration of the studies is two years or more, a student will usually have a home municipality in Finland and is therefore entitled to municipal health care services. In such cases, it is sufficient for the insurance to primarily cover the cost of medicines (in practice the cover extends to doctor’s fees and costs of treatment and examination), up to 30,000 euros (cost level in 2007).

A student must have insurance cover when applying for a residence permit as without it a residence permit cannot be granted. In principle a residence permit cannot be issued for a period exceeding the period of the insurance cover.

How long is a residence permit valid?  

A residence permit granted to a student is temporary by its nature. If the studies last for more than a year, the residence permit is usually granted for one year at a time. A temporary residence permit bears the letter B.

An extension of the permit requires that the student is still registered at the educational institution, is a full-time student and has completed the required courses in the institution's study programme. If the student has poor study performance, an extension of the residence permit may be denied.

The application for an extension of the residence permit is submitted to the police.

What happens after the studies are completed?  

After completing the studies, the student may remain in Finland if he or she can be granted a new residence permit on other grounds. The permit may be granted, for example for continuing studies within the same field or on the basis of family ties or employment.

A foreigner who has received a degree in Finland can also get a residence permit for search for work. The permit can be granted as an extended permit for six (6) months.

Residence permits for students, other than EU/EEA citizens

Finnish Immigration Service's guidelines - residence permit for studying

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