Asylum seekers’ right to study

The Aliens Act does not restrict asylum seekers’ right to study. If you are an asylum seeker, you can apply for and accept a study place if this is not against the rules and regulations of the educational institution in question.

However, receiving a study place does not automatically mean that you may stay in Finland. When we process an asylum application, we examine the asylum seeker’s right to receive international protection. If you are an asylum seeker and want to stay in Finland on the basis of studies, you must submit a separate residence permit application for this purpose and meet the requirements for obtaining such a residence permit. You cannot get a residence permit for studies if you have an asylum application pending in Finland. This means that if you want to apply for a residence permit for studies, you must first cancel your application for international protection.