So since you clicked on this link, you most likely have just been admitted to study in Finland. In this article, you will know about 7 things to do after being admitted to study in Finland.

So you have just been admitted to study in Finland. That’s awesome. First of all, congratulations. I’m sure you’re going to have a great time here to make the start of your studies just a bit smoother. There is a bunch of stuff that you need to start working on right away. So here are the 7 things to do after being admitted to study in Finland.

Things to do After being Admitted to Study in Finland

Things to do After being Admitted to Study in Finland

1. Accept your admission offer

Okay. So, let’s have the easy things out of the way first, so no one rejects your offer of admission before the deadline. If you ever do not follow these instructions, you risk losing your right to research.

Also taking into account that there’s always something that could happen that is out of your control, that you could get sick, your Internet might not work or your computer might break down. And there are ways to go around this. If this happens when you’re trying to accept your admission offer, but just to avoid stress and panic, do it in time.

2. Return your filled scholarship documents and pay the tuition fee

So number two is to return your signed unfiled scholarship documents or pay your tuition fee if you’re liable.

So if you are a non-European Union or non-European Economic Area citizen and you did not receive a scholarship covering your tuition fee, make sure to pay your tuition fee in time. You cannot enroll at the university or get access to any of the resources or information from the university before you have done this.

If you did receive a full or partial scholarship, do remember to return the signed and felt documents according to the instructions given you in the admission letter.

3. Enroll as an attending student

So number three is to enroll yourself as an attending student at your university so all of the students have to enroll themselves either as attending or not attending student for each academic year.

So be warned that you cannot use any of your university’s services, get a student number or enroll in any of the courses before you have done this.

Also, do note that failure to enroll by the beginning of the semester will end up you losing your right to study. So I would suggest that you do this as soon as possible.

4. Apply for residence permit or register your residence

Just across one more thing off your list to number four is to apply for a residence permit or register your residency here in Finland.

All non European Union or European Economic Area citizens have to apply for a residence permit from the Finnish embassy at your home country, by the way, also for future reference, when I’m talking about European Union citizens, I’m also referring to a European Economic Area citizens.

It’s just easier to say just the European Union. However, there are two things you must be aware of right away.

As a result, when you visit the Finnish embassy in your home country, you must request to be enrolled in the Finnish population information system in order to receive your Finnish personal identity code along with your residency permit.

This code is extremely important because that helps you identify yourself, for example, in banks, hospitals, and other public services. Second thing to know is that you should definitely start this process really, really early.

It’s a process that could take quite a lot of time and it is most likely totally out of your control. So there is no point of panicking about something that you really cannot control.

So just do this again on time. So for those of you guys who are European Union or European Economic Area citizens, you do not have to apply for a residence permit.

Instead, you have to apply for registration for EU citizens. Right. Of residence from the Finnish immigration services. It’s also where your Finnish personal identity is formed.

So in addition to those previous steps, there is something that all of you guys have to do regardless of your citizenship. So all non-Finnish citizens who are staying in the country for more than one year need to register their residency here at the local register office or MAISTRE at the end finish.

This will be done in the local municipality that you will live in. So this will happen after you have arrived in Finland.

5. Apply for accommodation

All right, so number five is to apply for student accommodation, so I cannot emphasize this enough. You have to start applying for student accommodation right away.

Anyways, you need to start applying for student apartments right away because they usually have really long queues and there’s only a limited amount of apartments available for new students.

So this is just a friendly warning. But I promise you that if you leave this to the last minute, even to the last month, you will definitely be left out without a student apartment. Or if you get one, you will get it really far away from your campus. And that’s not optimal.

Always keep in mind that if you already have to apply for an apartment in the private sector, you could ultimately pay nearly twice as much as whether you applied for and received a student apartment or rent.

6. Buy your plane tickets

So tip number six is to buy your plane tickets early. So it’s not a cheap place to live in and neither is it a cheap place to fly into. So this should be obvious.

But the earlier you buy your plane tickets, the cheaper you will get them. Also, as a side note, if you’re coming to Finland to study for the autumn term, I highly recommend flying into the country a few weeks before and, you know, travel around the country before you actually start your semester.

If you’re feeling really adventurous. Actually, even a better recommendation is not to come straight to Finland but to actually fly to one of the larger cities in Central Europe and travel a few weeks from Europe before coming to Finland.

Traveling inside of Europe by train and ferry is actually really cheap, and especially for those of you who are coming to Finland from far away and have never been to Europe before.

This is a great excuse to travel and go around Europe just before you start your studies. So overall, Finland is a great country to be a student. One of the great benefits here is actually that students get a huge amount of different benefits that you would not get in many other countries.

Just some of these benefits include student-priced meals, student health services, discounts to public services as well as international travel. The thing is that to use all of these benefits, you actually need a student card.

7. Apply for a student card

So my last and seventh tip is to apply for a student card as early as possible. But if you want to start the application process already, I have I will have all the necessary links in the description box down below. So that’s it.

That’s my seven-point list of things that you should start working on right away after being admitted. Full disclosure, this list is not in any way extensive and there are other things that you have to start working on after being admitted. But I think these are a good starting point for you to actually have a smooth start for your studies.

At a glance, 7 things to do after being admitted to study in Finland

  1. Accept your admission offer
  2. Return your filled scholarship documents and pay the tuition fee
  3. Enroll as an attending student
  4. Apply for residence permit or register your residence
  5. Apply for accommodation
  6. Buy your plane tickets
  7. Apply for a student card

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About Author


Rubayet Al Sami

Rubayet Al Sami is the founder of StudyConnexion. He loves to write about higher education and study abroad. You’ll often find him helping others study abroad.