Studying in Finland
If your studies in Finland take longer than 90 days
- you need a residence permit for studies. A residence permit for studies is usually granted for the duration of the studies. However, a residence permit can only be granted for the period that your passport is valid. If you do not have a residence permit, you can study in Finland for a maximum of 90 days. Even if you stay in Finland for less than 90 days, you may still need a visa.
You can come to Finland to carry out part of your studies for a period up to 360 days, if
- you have been granted a residence permit for studies by some other EU Member State than Finland and if you are covered by a programme or an agreement specified in the Finnish act on residence permits for students (fin). If this is the case, you must submit a mobility notification to the Finnish Immigration Service.
If you come to Finland for postgraduate studies after completing a master’s degree
- you need to apply for a residence permit for scientific research.
If you come to Finland to complete a higher education degree, you can be granted a continuous residence permit (an A permit) and you will get a municipality of residence. For more information about the municipality of residence, see the website of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. If you come to Finland to study for some other degree, you can be granted a temporary residence permit (a B permit). Read more: How can I change my B permit to an A permit?
When can I be granted a residence permit for studies?
You may apply for a residence permit for studies, if
- you have been accepted as a student at a higher education institution or other educational institution in Finland, and your studies will lead to a degree or a vocational qualification.
- you participate in an exchange programme between educational institutions or some other exchange programme. For further information about exchange programmes, please ask your own educational institution.
Applicable educational institutions are, for example, universities, universities of applied sciences and vocational education institutions. You cannot be granted a residence permit for studies if your studies mainly consist of distance learning online and do not require you to stay in Finland. If you wish to visit Finland for a shorter period of time, find out whether you can be granted a visa. Read more about the requirements for a residence permit for studies.
If your studies do not lead to a degree or a vocational qualification, you can be granted a residence permit for studies only if there are reasonable grounds for doing so. Acceptable reasons can be further studies to supplement vocational skills or degrees already acquired, further training relating to work done in the country of departure, or special training available in Finland (for example training provided within the framework of education export). Residence permits are not granted for studies at open universities.
Check the processing queue for students’ residence permit applications.
You must have sufficient financial resources
You must have sufficient funds for living in Finland during the entire period of validity of your residence permit. You must have at least EUR 560 at your disposal every month to be able to pay for your accommodation, food and other needs. Read more about students' income requirement.
Tuition fees
Finnish institutions of higher education charge tuition fees from students who arrive from outside the EU and the EEA. In your application, you must give evidence that you have the necessary funds to pay your tuition fees.
You are allowed work in Finland with certain restrictions
The residence permit for studies enables you to work without restrictions if your work is related to your degree. This means practical training and thesis work. In addition, you may work in paid employment for a maximum 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.
Students can no longer work without restrictions during holidays or at the times when the educational institution offers no instruction. The right to work changed when the amendments to legislation on students and researchers entered into force on 15 April 2022.
Students must have insurance
As a student, you must personally cover the costs if you become ill in Finland. In order to get a residence permit, you must take out private insurance that will cover your medical and pharmaceutical expenses. Read more about insurance.
Family members
If you are granted a residence permit for studies, your spouse and children can be granted a residence permit on the basis of family ties.
If you study for a degree at a higher education institution, even your family members can get a continuous residence permit.
May I carry out part of my studies in a second EU Member State?
A residence permit for studies can be granted as a national permit or as a permit under the Students and researchers Directive (EU) 2016/801.
A residence permit under the Directive allows you to complete part of your studies in a second EU Member State. You can be granted a residence permit under the Directive if you meet the requirements for the permit and are coming to Finland to complete a higher education degree.
If you intend to complete part of your studies in a second EU Member State, you need to ask the competent authorities of the second Member State if you need to submit a mobility notification.
A national residence permit does not allow you to study in a second EU Member State. You can be granted a national residence permit if you meet the requirements for the permit and you
- are coming to Finland to carry out studies other than those leading to a higher education degree, or
- have come to Finland as an asylum seeker (read more about work and study activities for asylum seekers), or
- have been granted international protection in an EU Member State, or
- have received a decision on deportation from Finland.
Application process when you are applying for your first residence permit on the basis of studies
Submit the application in the e-service Enter Finland or on paper.
After you have filled in your application, you must visit a Finnish mission (embassy or consulate) abroad or a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service in Finland:
If you have applied through the e-service, visit the Finnish Immigration Service to prove your identity, have your fingerprints taken and show the originals of the documents that you have attached to your application. If you submit your application through the e-service, pay for it there or when you visit a Finnish mission or a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service.
If you have filled in a paper application, bring the application with you. Have your fingerprints taken, prove your identity and show the originals of the documents that you have attached to your application.
The Finnish Immigration Service processes all residence permit applications for studies as high-priority applications. You can find the expected processing times on the page Processing times. You may also use the Processing Time Checker to get an estimate on the remaining processing time of your application.
You can follow the processing of your application with the help of our chatbot Kamu. In addition, you will usually receive automated messages at the different processing stages of your application.
If we notice that something is missing from your application or if we need additional information from you, we will contact you.
If you submit your application abroad, you cannot come to Finland to wait for a decision while the application is being processed.
If you nonetheless come to Finland while your application is still being processed and you wish to wait for a decision here, you must cancel your first application and submit a new residence permit application in Finland. We will charge you a new processing fee for the new application. If you do not submit a new application after you have arrived in Finland, you must leave the country before your visa or visa-free period expires.
If you are in Finland when you apply for a residence permit, you are allowed to wait for the decision in the country even if your visa or visa-free period expires.
If you need to supplement your application, you can do so in one of the following ways:
- in the e-service through the "Send additional information" page if you have submitted your application online This is the only way you can supplement an electronic application.
- by post
- by email
- by bringing your additional documents to a service point or an office of the Finnish Immigration Service during their opening hours. There is a postbox meant for additional documents in all of our service points. Put your documents in the box.
Read more on the page Supplementing your application.
Please notice that you do not need to notify the Finnish Immigration Service if your study place changes while your application is being processed. What matters is that you have a study place and that your studies lead to a degree or a vocational qualification.
You may cancel your application at any time during its processing. Read more on the page "Cancelling an application".
If you have applied for a residence permit through the e-service Enter Finland, you will get an e-mail or a text message when a decision has been made. You will also see it in your user account in the e-service.
If you submitted your residence permit application on paper:
- If you submitted your application abroad, you will be informed of the decision by the Finnish mission (embassy or consulate) that you have selected in your application as your service point.
- If you submitted your application in Finland, you will be informed about the decision by the police, or the Finnish Immigration Service will inform you about it by post.
Some decisions will be sent by post with an advice of delivery. Read more about collecting your letter on the Advice of delivery page.
If you get a positive decision, you will get a residence permit card.
If you applied for a residence permit in Finland and receive a negative decision, you may be refused entry to Finland.
If you are not satisfied with the decision, you have the right to appeal against the decision to an Administrative Court. Instructions on how to appeal will be attached to the decision.
The majority of decisions made by the Administrative Courts are subject to a fee. Contact an Administrative Court to find out more about court fees.
A residence permit card will be issued to the student. After this, the student can travel to Finland.
A residence permit for studies is usually granted for the duration of the studies. However, a residence permit can only be granted for the period that your passport is valid.
Students who have completed their studies can be granted a residence permit for two years for job-seeking or for starting a business. Alternatively, students may apply for a residence permit for work or postgraduate studies, or on the basis of family ties.
Customer instructions for students
The Finnish Immigration Service has prepared customer instructions in English for students who have received a study place in Finland. The educational institution can attach these instructions to its letter of acceptance.