Information for new degree students

Welcome to start your studies at Haaga-Helia!

Congratulations,

on these pages, we have collected all the important materials you will need to start your studies at Haaga-Helia. Please read them carefully.

Once all the joint application results have been published, you will receive an email with a link to the admission results letter. This letter serves as proof that you have been awarded a place to study. If you have access to the My Studyinfo service (you need a Finnish social security number and either online banking codes with e-identification enabled, a mobile certificate, or an electronic ID card), you can also access your results letter there. If you need a separate acceptance letter, please contact Study Services. Contact information can be found at the end of this page.

Remember to accept your study place and enrol for the academic year

To get started at Haaga-Helia, accept your study place and enrol for the academic year by the given deadline. You must also verify your identity electronically before the orientation days, which you will receive instructions for before your studies begin. Your right to study as a degree student at Haaga-Helia will start in January 2026.

Laptop and smartphone for your studies

All students must have a smartphone (with access to Microsoft Authenticator or a similar application) and a laptop for the duration of their studies. Haaga-Helia uses Windows 11 operating system. Read more about the device recommendations for students.

Orientation days

Note! The information on the orientation days below applies to joint application and Bachelor’s degree students only.

Studies starts with orientation during week 2. Attending the orientation days is compulsory. In case you cannot participate, please contact Study Services. Spring semester lessons are held starting from 12 January 2026.

Orientation days' general programme consist of orientation to studies at Haaga-Helia UAS and meeting other students from your study group. Hearing the best practices from tutors or alumni and getting to know your own Guidance Counsellor. You will also get familiar with the digital tools needed during studies and register for the courses of the first semester.

Orientation days programme for Bachelor's degree students in January 2026

The orientation days for students starting their studies in Haaga-Helia's Bachelor degree programmes in January 2026 are mainly organised between 5 to 9 January 2025. The duration and timing of the orientation days vary depending on the degree.

Please note that after the official programme of the orientation days, several student organisations also organises voluntary programmes for new students.

Orientation days programme for Master's degree students in January 2026

Useful videos for new student

Greetings from President Teemu Kokko
Study Services
Library and Information Services
Special needs support in Haaga-Helia
Instructions for Mathematics Placement Test (International business, Hospitality and Tourism, Open UAS)
Recognition of Learning

Students accepted through the Open Path

Sport and studies

International students

Internationals coming to Finland to study at Haaga-Helia must complete a series of steps before and after arrival. You can find the summarised roadmap below.

Residence permit, Schengen visa, and mobility notification

If you are a non-EU/EEA national and have been accepted into one of our on-site degree programmes, you will need to apply for a residence permit. Students enrolled in virtual programmes are not eligible for a residence permit. A Schengen visa is required for stays at Haaga-Helia of less than 3 months if the applicant does not already hold a study residence permit in another EU/EEA country. Holders of a study residence permit in another EU/EEA country may submit a mobility notification.

Visit the page linked in the button below to learn more about your steps depending on your personal situation.

Residence permits and registrations

DVV registration

Remember to register with the Finnish Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) when you start your studies in Finland. The registration is free of charge and beneficial for you. You can find information on how to register and other useful information about registration on Registration of a foreign student | Digital and population data services agency (dvv.fi).

Offer-holder information webinars

Haaga-Helia organises online offer-holder webinars for those who receive their Haaga-Helia study offer. We have three 1-hour webinars in which we discuss the immigration process and student housing and have an open Q&A where students can ask us questions about moving, studying, and living in Finland. All Offer Holder Webinars take place on Zoom.

Autumn 2025 Webinar Immigration and Housing Thursday 8 May (8.5.) 12.00-13.30 EET link to Zoom Meeting

We will also invite all international students to the Haaga-Helia Goin’ app, which allows you to connect with other new students before your studies begin.

Daily life and culture in Finland

Moving to a new country is exciting, and there are many things to learn about your new life. Learn more about how daily life is in Finland and what the local culture is like.

Daily life in Finland Finnish culture

Students waiting for residence permit

Residence permits and registrations

Living costs and student discounts

Daily life in Finland

Finnish Culture

Welcome to Finland Event

Tuition fees and scholarships

Course Connect: Support for International Students

Student housing

Chat with our students!

Introduction to Digital Learning Environments course

The Introduction to Digital Learning Environments course introduces you to the electronic systems you need as a student in Haaga-Helia. This is your first online learning experience, where you can learn how to cope on courses. What software can you use for free as a student? How to access study materials and submit assignments?

More information about this course during the Orientation Days.

Open hhmoodle.haaga-helia.fi in your web browser.
Complete the course on your own before your other studies start.

Support for students

As a student of Haaga-Helia, you will be supported throughout your studies and you get to enjoy several student benefits. Please read more about Financial aid for students on Kela's pages: Financial aid for students

You can get the HSL student discount electronically via the mobile app. You must live permanently in the HSL area to be able to get the discount.

By becoming a member of the student union Helga, you will get access to the electronic Slice student card. You can get the VR and Matkahuolto student discount with e.g. a Slice or Frank student card. Your student card will give you access to various student discounts: lunch, sports and public transportation among others. However, if you need paper certificates (e.g. a Kela meal subsidy card), please contact Study Services. Contact details can be found at the bottom of the page.

As a degree student, you will be entitled to use the Finnish Student Health Services. To be able to use the Finnish Student Health Services, you must pay the compulsory student healthcare fee to Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland) by 15 November 2025. Exchange students and open university students are not entitled to use FSHS services and thus, are not liable to pay the fee. Please read more about the healthcare fee on Kela's pages.

Student housing

Student healthcare FSHS

Students' wellbeing

Student union Helga membership

Helga’s Discord server

HSL student discount

Kela financial aid for students

Unemployment benefit

Safer space

Student Union Helga

A community and a safety net for students

Helga is your very own voice, an advocate of interests, and a service provider. Helga develops the student culture in Haaga-Helia and takes care that every student is welcomed into the community. Coveralls, tutors, and events are the most visible part of operations – in the background, Helga works continuously around subjects that concern higher education and municipal politics as well as security in students’ personal finances and other social questions in order to guarantee you the best study experience.