If you are coming to Finland to study for a period of more than three months, you will need a residence permit. Citizens of the EU countries, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Iceland are the only ones who do not need a residence permit.
Apply for a permit immediately when you receive your letter of acceptance from the educational institute where you will be studying.
Apply online – receive a decision faster
Fill in the residence permit application online; this is the fastest way to receive a decision. At best, handling of the application should only take a few days. Applying online is a particularly good option for exchange students as studies start soon after the turn of the year and there is little time to submit your application.
With e-services, you can also track the progress of your electronic application online. Online applications are transferred globally from the work queue of one authority to another, so there is no need to send papers through the mail.
Please note that applications filled on paper in the traditional way will be sent to Finland by courier, which may take up to several weeks.
Visit a Finnish embassy to verify your identity
Your application cannot be processed until you have visited the Finnish embassy and had your fingerprints taken for the biometric residence permit card. You must also verify your identity and present the originals of the attachments required for your application.
If the permit is granted, the residence permit card will arrive at the embassy within 1 to 2 weeks on average. For some embassies, the delivery of the card may take longer. Please remember that the Finnish Immigration Service cannot expedite the delivery of the card.
For more instructions, see the checklist for students.
