Forms

1. Do I need to apply for a visa or a residence permit for Finland?

2. I'm not an EU citizen, but I study a degree in an EU country and I have a residence permit in this EU country. Do I need a new residence permit for Finland?
Yes, if  you are a Non-EU citizen and you do not have a permanent residence permit (a student permit is not a permanent residence permit) in the country where you study, you will have to apply for a residence permit for Finland. Unfortunately there is no EU or Schengen residence permit, so Non-EU citizens have to apply for a new residence permit every time they move to a new EU country. You can apply for the residence permit in the Embassy of Finland in the country where you are studying. More info about the application process can be found in our Exchange Student Guide.
If you need to apply for a residence permit in Finland, you will also need a visa invitation from HAAGA-HELIA. You can ask for a visa invitation in the application form. The residence permit application process can take over a month, so start the process early.

3. Will I receive a confirmation letter of my exchange period? 

A confirmation letter of the exchange period will not be sent automatically from HAAGA-HELIA. If you need one, please ask for it from the International Services of HAAGA-HELIA.

Accommodation

1. I do not yet know my campus at HAAGA-HELIA, so can I already apply for housing?
In the HOAS application there is a question about your faculty/unit. Please select your unit (campus) according to your field of study:
•     Hospitality or Tourism in Helsinki: Haaga campus
•     Business or IT in Helsinki: Pasila campus 
It is very important that you apply for housing within the given deadline because housing will not be guaranteed to students who have applied for housing after it has passed.

2. Do I need to return my HOAS housing application by mail/email to HAAGA-HELIA? (This applies only to students studying in Helsinki) 

No, you do not need to return your housing application to HAAGA-HELIA.  You only need to fill in the housing application online to HOAS. We will automatically check from HOAS if they have received all of our students’ accommodation applications. However, students still have to apply for housing by the given deadline, because we cannot guarantee that students who have applied after the deadline will receive a room from HOAS.

3. If I arrive during the weekend or before or after the pick-up to Helsinki, where can I get the keys to my apartment? 
Students who arrive in Helsinki during the weekend or after the pick-up should arrange their accommodation themselves until they can collect the key to their apartment, either from the International Services or their local HOAS office. If you cannot arrive during the pick-up time please contact the International Services (international(at)haaga-helia.fi) and check where you can get your keys. You can also ask if your tutor can pick up your keys for you.

4. How much is the deposit for the accommodation? 

HOAS apartments at Helsinki: You need to pay a personal deposit of 500€ to confirm your accommodation. The payment deadline is 1-2 months before the rental agreement starts. You will get the deposit back after moving out, if your apartment is in the same condition as when you moved in.

5. Our HOAS studio apartment in Kamppi (Pohjoinen Rautatienkatu 29) is not available until 1 September, is this normal?
The Kamppi studio apartments and the Kamppi shared studio apartments are unfortunately not available until 1 September, because the apartments are used as a summer hostel until the end of August. Students staying in these HOAS apartments have to book a room from a hostel/hotel on their own expense until they can move into their HOAS apartment. For information on hotels and hostels in the Helsinki area, please visit http://www.visithelsinki.fi.

Pick-up Service

1. Because of my exams I can’t arrive to Helsinki during the pick-up, so can my tutor pick me up from the airport at another time? 

Pick-up is arranged only during the dates and times mentioned in the Exchange Student Calendar and it is not guaranteed outside those dates and times. If you arrive after the pick-up you can check from your tutor if she/he will be able to pick you up, but please note that this is totally up to the tutor because the pick-up is done as voluntary work, and is possible outside the pick-up dates and times only if your tutor has time for this.

Studies

1. Who is my contact person and study advisor at HAAGA-HELIA?
You will receive a welcoming e-mail from one of the international coordinators of HAAGA-HELIA International Services and this person will be your contact person during your entire exchange period. It is a good idea to write down the name, e-mail and phone number of your contact person at HAAGA-HELIA. Your contact person will help you with all the practical and study-related issues in Finland. In case you have some questions, please contact your own contact person.  

2. From which campuses can I select my courses? 

You can only select courses from the city in which you will live, because the distances are long: Porvoo is located 80km from Helsinki and Vierumäki 140km from Helsinki. Please contact the HAAGA-HELIA International Services, if you are not sure of your “hometown” in Finland. You can select courses from various campuses in your “hometown”, according to your field of study:
•     HELSINKI, Business: Malmi, Pasila and Vallila campuses
•     HELSINKI, Hospitality and Tourism: Haaga Campus
•     HELSINKI, IT: Malmi and Pasila campuses
•     PORVOO, Business: Porvoo campus
•     PORVOO, Tourism: Porvoo campus
•     VIERUMÄKI, Sports and Leisure: Vierumäki campus

3. Am I able to take the courses with prerequisites?
You are able to take courses with prerequisites. We do not expect that exchange students would have completed the exact courses that are a prerequisite for the Finnish students, but you should have the same level of knowledge to be able to successfully follow the lectures. This means that if the course is an advanced level course of marketing, you should have already studied some marketing courses before. Please check the course prerequisites from the course description. Links to course descriptions can be found on the course list.