Frequently asked questions

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 (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 exists 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 from our International Student Guide, pages 17-20.

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 your home campus.

Accommodation

1. I do not know my home campus at HAAGA-HELIA yet, so can I apply for housing yet?

In the HOAS application there is a question about your home campus. Home campus division does not exist anymore in Helsinki. Please select your "home campus" according to your field of study:

• Helsinki Hospitality or Tourism: Haaga Campus
• Helsinki Business or IT: Malmi, Pasila or Vallila campus (It does not matter which one you choose. Business and IT students will be placed in various locations and the home campus does not affect the placement).

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 the deadline.

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 on line to HOAS. We will automatically check from HOAS if they have received all of our students accommodation application. However, students still have to apply for housing by the given deadline, because we cannot guarantee that students who have applied after the deadline can receive a room from HOAS.

3. If I arrive during the weekend or after the pick- up to Helsinki, where can I get the keys to my apartment?
Students who arrive during the weekend or after the pick-up to Helsinki should arrange their accommodation themselves until they can pick up their key to their apartment from the International Services or their local HOAS office, because HOAS office and the HAAGA-HELIA International Services are not open during the weekends. If you cannot arrive during the pick-up please contact the International Services (housing(at)haaga-helia.fi) and check where you can get your keys. Normally the keys are delivered to the HAAGA-HELIA Pasila campus and given to the student tutors who pick-up the students, but students who arrive a long time after the pick-up have to pick up the keys from their local HOAS office.

4. How much is the deposit for the accomodation?
HOAS apartments at Helsinki: You need to pay a personal deposit of 500€ to confirm your accomodation. 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 is not available until 1 September, is this normal?
The Kamppi studio apartments and the Kamppi shared studio apartments are not unfortunately 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 to 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 Guide 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 the time to pick you up.

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 good 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 town 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 home town in Finland. You can select courses from various campuses in your home town, according to your field of study:

• HELSINKI, Business: Malmi, Pasila and Vallila campus
• HELSINKI, Hospitality and Tourism: Haaga Campus
• HELSINKI, IT: Malmi and Pasila campus
• PORVOO, Business: POMO and POINT campuses
• PORVOO, Tourism: POMO and POINT campuses
• VIERUMÄKI, Sports and Leisure: Vierumäki campus

3. Am I not 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 in the course list.