Hey there, Worldwide! We’ve prepared a guide to help you get through the process of immigrating to your new home in Finland. As an International Resident, there’s lots to keep in mind, and things may be slightly different for your individual situation! Follow these steps to settle in easy - and feel free to ask your tutors or OSA for help if you need it!
*Available at the International House - a one-stop shop for most immigration concerns.
Family Supplement has extra info for bringing your loved ones along.
Where do I… can help you figure out where to buy what you need once you’ve arrived
Apps are crucial to a smooth and easy student life
Check your inbox for a link to register as a student at the University of Helsinki! You will need to pay the Student Healthcare Fee as well as your HYY (that’s the Helsinki Student Union) fees, but that’s it. It’s easy to pay by bank transfer from your home bank. More info is available on the UH website.
You will also need to make sure you have financing if you are liable to pay tuition. Part time work is possible in while studying, but it is hard to do during the first year of the program when studying. Living costs may be substantially higher in Helsinki than in your home country - budget carefully, and remember that there is a thriving second-hand market here.
As soon as you’re accepted, you are eligible to apply for housing through HOAS, which is how most of our students find a place. This process can take a while depending on your situation, but international students have priority when it comes to finding places. We recommend not getting a furnished room (the University Quota) - it will cost you a lot more over time and you will often have a fixed-term one year contract. HOAS doesn’t seem right for you? Checkout Unihome or BOTH!
<aside> ☝🏽 Helsinki is compact and has excellent public transit! In your HOAS application, don’t be afraid to apply to areas that seem far away - you’ll still be able to get to school quickly and easily, with good access to services all around.
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Apply for your residence permit on Migri ASAP - processing time can vary widely depending on where you come from, and you will not be able to come to Finland until it has been processed. When you apply for your permit, ask to be enrolled in the Population Information System when you are issued your permit - this will issue you a Finnish ID number.
Once you ariver you will need to visit DVV, which will allow you to register your place of domicile. Make sure they register you for at least two years! Less than two years is considered temporary and does not allow the same access to benefits.
You will also need to have an ID card created by the Police - You will need a passport photo. You can bring one from home or ask a tutor to point you to a good service). This process can vary depending on your country of origin.
<aside> ☝🏽 Appointments to DVV are often cancelled last minute, so check the website regularly, especially around 11:00 and 23:00 EEST. You can also go to the Migri office when it opens to wait for an appointment, but this may take hours of waiting.
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You will need your Certificate of Student Status for many of these appointments - the easiest way to find it is on the My Profile tab of Sisu. You will need to activate your University of Helsinki Username to access this.
Most likely, your home government will continue to cover you as your study - check with your local health office. If you are not able to get healthcare through your government, Swisscare is cheap and will do what you need. If you are over 26, contact Kela to arrange for health insurance in Finland. As a student, you have access to FSHS, the student Health Care System
Phone service is easy in Finland - don’t worry about arranging it beforehand. When you arrive, you can pick up a SIM card from any R-Kioski, even the one in the arrivals hall at the airport! Major companies are DNA, Elisa, and Telia. For prepaid cards, they are all about the same - service in Finland, the Nordics, and the Baltics. Cards cost around €5 and include an equal amount of credit. You can download the apps to top up or get the prepaid monthly plans. It is very expensive to get a cell phone contract before you have lived in Finland for a year, so most stick with prepaid cards until then.
<aside> ☝🏽 You will need to change the country where your app store is registered to access many of the local apps.
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Your username is your key to accessing many University services - including the online learning platforms, class registration, and library materials. You should have received information on how to activate it by email, but you can find out more on the IT Helpdesk website. You may need to verify your identity with the university using a Video Identification - you will need a webcam and your passport, along with any other documents outlined in the email you’ll receive.
Once you have your Finnish ID number, make sure to inform the school! You can go to the main library, Kaisatalo, during student service hours and have it added to your account.
<aside> ☝🏽 No need to register for classes for the first period! You will be automatically enrolled in the courses according to the CE schedule. If you are interested in learning Finnish, keep an eye out for an email to enroll from the Language Centre
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Your student card is digital! Finland uses the Frank app to prove student status, and this entitles you to lots of cheaper prices around the city. Most importantly, it gets you student prices at the University cafeterias. A physical card is available, but there is no real reason to get it. Stay digital! Frank offers some discounts in-app, but most are not worth paying attention to.
If you will be staying in Finland for more than two years or plan to work, you will need to get a Tax Card through Vero. Kela benefits can be tricky to qualify for, and the online form is only available in Finnish or Swedish. However, paper forms are available in English and can be downloaded from the website!
Bank accounts in Finland are hugely important as they are the easiest source of Strong Verification, the Finnish government system of Two-Factor Authentication. You will need to use Strong Verification to access many services, including healthcare.
Finland is highly reliant on cards for purchases- many places simply do not accept cash, so it’s important to have an account that does not charge fees! If you are paying with a card that charges transaction fees, get a bank account as soon as you can, see the sidebar for more info →
It is possible to get a bank account before you get your ID, but it will not be usable for Strong Verification until you have registered with the police.
Most banks charge monthly fees for their services. Depending on your age, you may be able to get a student account with lower or no fees.
<aside> ☝🏽 Finnish Banks are tricky! Many only allow visits by appointment, and only a couple have English services. We recommend the following:
S-Pankki allows drop-in appointments to set up accounts in one day
OP and Danske have functioning apps in English but take some time to set up an account
Wise is a great service to make bank transfers for fair price across currencies
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