Current information about processing of students’ and their family members’ applications
You can apply for a residence permit for studies if you have been admitted to an educational institution in Finland.
You can get a residence permit for studies if:
- your studies lead to a degree or a vocational qualification or
- you are coming to Finland as an exchange student.
Use the Enter Finland online service to apply for a residence permit for studies. Fill in the application carefully yourself. Note that you do not need to use and pay for consultancy services, for example, because another person cannot fill in and submit the application on your behalf.
Attach all the required documents, such as bank statements for the past 6 months, to your application. Have the documents translated into Finnish, Swedish or English. Also make sure that your contact information on your Enter Finland account is up to date.
Family members of students
Applying for a residence permit on the basis of family ties requires that the sponsor has a valid residence permit. A family member's application cannot be processed or decided until the student's application has been decided. For this reason, it is advisable that a student’s family member does not apply for a residence permit until the student, as the sponsor, has been issued a positive decision on their application.
If you are a family member of a student and are applying for a residence permit on the basis of family ties, make sure that you include all the required documents, such as bank statements for the past 6 months, in your application. Also make sure that you have had the documents translated into Finnish, Swedish or English. You must also have documents relating to family ties, such as marriage certificates and children's birth certificates, legalised.
Note that you do not need to use and pay for consultancy services, for example, because another person cannot fill in and submit the application on your behalf.
We will process the application from a student’s family member within a maximum of 90 days if the application has been filled in carefully and includes all the required documents.
Proving your identity at a Finnish mission
Once you have sent your application in the Enter Finland online service, book an appointment for proving your identity as soon as possible. Visit the Finland abroad website of the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs (finlandabroad.fi) to see at which Finnish mission (embassy or consulate) you need to prove your identity.
Finnish missions in New Delhi, Kathmandu, Abuja and Doha will prioritise residence permit applications for studies in June and July
We will prioritise students’ applications so that they will be able to start their studies on time in autumn 2026. Finnish missions in New Delhi, Kathmandu, Abuja and Doha will prioritise students’ residence permit applications in June and July because the number of applications submitted to these missions by students and their family members has increased significantly.
Prioritising students means that the family members of students will not be able to prove their identity at the same time as the main applicant who applies for a residence permit for studies. We recommend that family members book an appointment for identification before June or after July.
Wait for the decision
At the moment, approximately 61 per cent of those who apply for a first residence permit for studies get a decision within 30 days or less. We will process all applications for a residence permit for studies as urgent without separate request. We will contact you if additional information is needed for your application.
You can follow the processing situation of students’ applications on our website.
