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Health

You can request an exception to the language skills requirement if you cannot acquire the required language skills in Finnish or Swedish because of your state of health or a sensory or speech disability.

Add the following attachments to your application:

  1. certificates of all language courses you have taken in Finland, and
  2. a medical certificate issued by a doctor who has treated you. The certificate must be as recent as possible and it must contain the following information:
    • whether your illness or disability prevents you permanently from acquiring the required language skills
    • in what way your illness or disability prevents you permanently from learning languages
    • in what way your illness or disability has been treated.

Exceptions to the language skills requirement are made very rarely

We understand that there are many illnesses and disabilities that may complicate life and can make it more difficult to study or learn a language. Sometimes it takes longer to learn a language. However, an illness or a disability is rarely of such kind that it makes it permanently impossible for you to learn a language. 

We will take all the information and certificates that we have about your health into account.

The following conditions alone are not sufficient grounds for granting an exception to the language skills requirement:

  • hearing or seeing difficulties
  • dyslexia (learning difficulties)
  • concentration problems
  • memory problems
  • high blood pressure
  • diabetes
  • musculoskeletal disorders
  • pain conditions
  • depression
  • post-traumatic stress disorder
  • anxiety disorder
  • states of fear.

When we decide your application, we will take into account all the information and certificates that we have about your health and about your language skills. Please note that even if you present a medical certificate of your illness, disability or inability to work, an exception may not necessarily be made to the language skills requirement in your case.

If you have a vision impairment

You can request an exception to the language skills requirement if you have satisfactory oral language skills.

  • Your oral language skills must be at least on level B1 on the scale of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
  • Attach to your application a certificate of your oral language skills in the Finnish or Swedish language issued by your Finnish or Swedish language teacher.