Income requirement for students
You can be granted a residence permit for the entire duration of your studies. You need to be able to support yourself in Finland. When you apply for your first residence permit for studies, you cannot secure your income with work.
Add to your application proof of how you will finance your stay in Finland during the first year of studies
You must have sufficient funds for living in Finland during the entire period of validity of your residence permit. You need to have at least 800 euros per month at your disposal to be able to pay for your accommodation, food and other needs. In addition, you need to have enough money to pay the tuition fee if you have not yet paid it.
If your studies
- take 1 year or longer, you must have EUR 9,600 in your bank account when you submit the application.
- take less than one year, you must have EUR 800 per month at your disposal.
If you have been awarded a grant or scholarship to cover your living costs in Finland, add proof of this grant or scholarship to your application. The money will be counted towards the income requirement. For example: You are coming to Finland to study for one year, and you are awarded a grant of EUR 2,000 towards your living costs in Finland. In that case, you must add to your application a bank statement confirming that you have EUR 7,600 in your bank account (EUR 9,600 - EUR 2,000= EUR 7,600).
If your educational institution supports your residence in Finland
- If the educational institution provides you with free accommodation, you need to have at least EUR 400 per month at your disposal.
- If the educational institution provides you with free accommodation and free meals, you need to have at least EUR 270 per month at your disposal.
Tuition fees
Studies at higher education institutions or universities are usually subject to a fee.
If you have already paid your tuition fee before submitting the application,
- please attach documentation of the paid fee to your residence permit application.
- In addition, you need to have sufficient funds for living in Finland.
If you will pay the tuition fee only after submitting the application,
- you must have enough money in your bank account to cover the tuition fee for the first year of studies and your living costs in Finland. This money must be in your bank account when you submit the residence permit application.
- Funds intended for living in Finland cannot be used to pay the tuition fee.
If you have received a scholarship to cover your tuition fee,
- please attach a certificate issued by your educational institution of the scholarship to your application.
- In addition, you need to have sufficient funds for living in Finland.
Read more on the page Tuition fees.
When you are applying for an extended permit, you may secure your resources with work
If you have been granted a residence permit for studies, you are allowed to work in paid employment in any field for an average of 30 hours per week. The number of working hours can be exceeded some weeks, as long as the average working hours are no more than 30 hours per week at the end of the year. However, your work may not slow down your studies. Your studies must progress at a normal pace. Read more about right to work on the page Residence permit application for studies.
The Finnish Immigration Service receives information about your salaries and benefits from the Incomes Register. Therefore, you do not need to attach certificates of salaries or benefits to your application. If we need further information, we will send you a request for additional information. Read more on the page Incomes Register.
How do I prove my income?
Add to your application proof of how you will finance your stay in Finland during the first year of studies.
Attach a bank statement covering the past 6 months to your application, showing that you have enough money in your bank account. The bank statement must show the name of the account holder, the name of the bank, and the currency.
- You need to have enough money in your own bank account that is in your personal use only.
- If you submit your residence permit application before paying the tuition fee, you must, in any event, have the money for the tuition fee in your bank account already when you submit the application.
- You can have a bank account in any country, as long as you can use it in Finland. You must be able to withdraw money from the account when you are in Finland.
- If you are under the age of 18 or an exchange student, the bank account can be a joint bank account that you share with your guardian. The bank statement must include a statement of your right to access the bank account.
- Sponsorship agreements provided by relatives, friends or employers are not acceptable. The money must be in your own bank account.
- If you have received the money for instance from your parents or relatives (a sponsor), we may ask you to submit additional documents on the origin of the money. Such documents can be, for example, a tax certificate or a bank statement regarding the sponsor’s assets.
- If your educational institution provides you with for instance free accommodation and meals, you should attach to your application a certificate of the benefits offered by your educational institution.
- If you have been awarded a grant or scholarship by a state, an organisation or an educational institution, please attach the grant or scholarship decision to your application.
When applying for an extended permit,
- please attach a bank statement to your application, showing that you have enough money in your bank account.
- A deposit in a Finnish bank account is the easiest and most reliable way to show that you have sufficient financial resources.
- please attach to your application your employment contract if you are employed.
- You do not need to send us payslips. We receive information about your income from the Incomes Register. If we need further information, we will send you a request for additional information.