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Student: How tuition fees will affect residence permit applications

Migri
Publication date 28.10.2016 15.10
Press release

The Finnish institutions of higher education have been able to charge students coming from countries outside the EU and the EEA area tuition fees since the beginning of 2016. Tuition fees will become mandatory for students starting their studies on 1 August 2017 or after that, but some educational programmes will become subject to a fee already before that.

If your studies are subject to a fee, you need to present documentation of the paid fee when applying for a residence permit.

If you have paid the tuition fee before applying for a residence permit,

please attach documentation of the paid fee to your residence permit application. In addition, you need to have sufficient means of support.

If you pay the tuition fee only after you have applied for a residence permit,

please attach to your application a bank statement from your own bank account that shows that you have means available to pay the tuition fee as well as sufficient means of support.

If you have been exempted from paying tuition fees or have been given a scholarship,

please attach a certificate from your educational institution of this. In addition, you need to have sufficient means of support. The educational institutions make decisions on exemption from tuition fees and scholarships. The Finnish Immigration Service has no jurisdiction in the matter.

Documentation is needed for the granting of a residence permit

The documentation of the paid tuition fee is needed in order for the Finnish Immigration Service to make sure that the applicant has a study place in Finland, when deciding on granting a residence permit for studies. If the tuition fee is not paid, the student might lose his or her study place. Granting a residence permit for studies also requires that the student has sufficient means of support. The tuition fee cannot be covered by the means necessary for the student’s support.

More information about tuition fees:

Your own educational institution

Ministry of Education and Culture

Asiakastiedote