Student – avoid mistakes which can delay the processing of your application
The peak time for residence permit applications by students is still ongoing. You can speed up the processing of your application by carefully filling in the application form and attaching the right documents to your application. Please read carefully the instructions given by the Finnish Immigration Service:
notice to degree student
notice to exchange students
The most common deficiencies which delay the processing of applications relate to insurance, sufficient means on the applicant’s own bank account and validity of passports.
An exchange student needs more comprehensive insurance than a degree student
Exchange students are staying in Finland for such a short period of time that they will not be given a municipality of residence in Finland and they must pay for their health care expenses themselves.
An exchange student must have insurance which covers all health care expenses. For instance, insurance covering accident related costs is not considered sufficient.
A student who is studying for a degree must have insurance which covers medical expenses. Some insurance policies cover, for example, the costs of evacuation or return journey, but this is not considered relevant by the Finnish Immigration Service.
More information on insurance can be found on, for instance, the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’page.
The insurance must be valid at least as long as you stay in Finland
Remember to state in the application form when you plan to arrive in Finland and how long you are going to stay. You must take out insurance which is valid at least as long as you stay in Finland.
If you, for example, intend to stay in Finland for a year, you must have insurance that is valid the whole year. If the insurance is valid for less than a year, it is not considered sufficient.
The insurance must be worth 30,000 or 100,000 euros
If you are an exchange student, your insurance should cover health care expenses up to 100,000 euros. If you are studying for a degree, the insurance should cover medical expenses up to 30,000 euros.
Please note that the insurance amount must specifically be equal to 30,000 or 100,000 euros. For example in dollars the amount is slightly higher.
Unfortunately, you cannot express the insurance coverage in percentage terms. You must express the amount covered by the insurance as a sum of money which equals the amount of money stated above in euros.
Do not forget that you need to have sufficient means on your account
A student who applies for a residence permit must have sufficient means for studying. It is very important that you have at least the required amount of money on your bank account and that the bank account is your own. More information can be found under‘Means of support’.
You must attach a bank statement to your application and have it translated into Finnish, Swedish or English.
Make sure that you have a valid passport
An exchange student must have a passport that is valid the whole time he or she is studying in Finland. A degree student must have a passport which is valid at least for a year from the date of arrival into Finland.
Remember to renew your passport in time.
More information in our previous bulletins
Peak time begins for students’ residence permit applications
Checklist for students applying for a residence permit
