Universities in Finland

Study in Finland

Student Visa Requirements

If you are a citizen of an EU country or a country that is in the European Economic Area (EEA) then you do not need to apply for a visa or residence permit, however you will need to register your residence with the immigration service Migri if your stay will last more than 90 and if you plan to be resident for more than a year, you will need to register in the Finnish population system.

If you are a citizen of a Nordic country then you also do not need to apply for a visa or residence permit, however you will need to register your residence at the registry office if you plan to stay for longer than 6 months.

If you are neither of these and your course lasts for less than 90 days then you can apply for a short-term visa at the Finnish embassy or consulate in your country.

If it will last longer than you will need to apply for a student residence permit and provide the appropriate documents; which include a confirmation letter from your university, valid passport and confirmation that you have the funds available to support yourself during your stay.

Student Accommodation in Finland

Finland has student housing foundations related to each university which are usually responsible for assigning student housing along with maintaining them for both domestic and international students.

Student accommodation can also be arranged through student unions or through extra-curricular student clubs that may have access to housing. There is also a private student accommodation market which usually costs more than the other methods but gives you more options.

Most universities in Finland have an equivalent accommodation service to help all students find the most appropriate student housing for their studies.

Applying To Finnish Universities

Finland has two kinds of higher education institution: universities and universities of applied sciences. Both of these provide both undergraduate and postgraduate levels of study in English, which is predominantly the language used by academia in the country.

Most universities and UAS’ will require an English language proficiency test to be passed before offering places, although the levels of competency may depend on the institution.

Each institution will also have their own admissions requirements and applications should be made directly to the universities with supporting documents.

Finnish Tuition Fees and Finance

If you are a citizen of an EU/EEA country then your tuition will be free in Finland, although there may be administration fees to cover depending on your institution.

Tuition fees are also not charged if you are studying in the Finnish or Swedish language, and there are a variety of scholarship options and opportunities for citizens that come from countries outside the EU/EEA for courses that are taught in English.

As a standard guide tuition fees for non-EU/EEA citizens studying English language courses in Finland range between €4,000-€18,000 depending on the institution, level and content or the course.