Residence permits
Student residence permit
If you come to Finland to study for a complete degree, or if you take part in an exchange programme where your stay in Finland exceeds three months, you may need a student residence permit.
EU/EEA citizens, as well as citizens of the Nordic countries, do not usually need a residence permit – they should, however, register their residence in Finland at a police station if their stay in Finland exceeds three months (for Nordic citizens, six months).
Non-EU/EEA citizens need to apply for their student residence permit before their arrival in Finland.
Very important: once you have received your official letter of acceptance from your hosting Finnish university or polytechnic (UAS), please start the application procedure for your student residence permit as soon as possible.
Why does the student residence permit process include a financial requirement?
Please remember that as a rule, the Finnish government does not fund the stay of foreign students in Finland.
When you are applying for the student residence permit, you need to show the authorities that you have enough funding to support your everyday living expences in Finland. Currently, non-EU/EEA citizens are required to show that they have at least 6000€ per year / 500€ per month at their disposal annually. Please note that you should not consider the 6000€ requirement as a "residence permit fee". Essentially, it is not required because of the residence permit itself - it is required for your own financial security.
It is good to bear in mind from the start that you will need to have similar amount of funding for each consecutive year of your studies in Finland. When applying for an extension of your student residence permit (see below), you will need to show proof of this. Again, the main reason why you must have the required 6000€ at your disposal annually is not the renewal of your residence permit as such. The financial requirements exist to protect your own interest.
If you do not have the required amount at your disposal, or if you only have the required sum on your account temporarily during the student residence permit application / extension process, it is likely that you will end up in serious financial difficulties. The end result can be that you may not be able to complete your studies in Finland.
Residence permits are normally annual
A student residence permit (‘opiskelijan oleskelulupa’ in Finnish) is a permit for temporary residence in Finland, and it usually needs to be renewed annually. You must apply for your first student residence permit through the Finnish embassy in your home country. The student residence permit decisions are then made at the Finnish Immigration Service MIGRI.
Where to submit your student residence permit application
Student residence permits are applied via the Finnish embassies abroad. Please refer to www.migri.fi or Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland web site for detailed information.
Extension of the student residence permit is then applied for annually, as necessary, at the local police station in Finland.
Please note: Before you can apply for a student residence permit, you must first successfully apply to a Finnish higher education institution. Also, you need to have valid health insurance. See sections ‘how to apply’ and ‘insurance and health’.
You can refer to the website of the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) for detailed information on student residence permits, or turn to the nearest Finnish embassy for assistance.
Finnish embassies: www.formin.fi > In English > Diplomatic missions
Finnish Immigration Service: www.migri.fi