Schengen Visa
Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland – Apply for a Schengen visa
The Schengen visa gives you the right to enter the Schengen area for the period specified by the visa type. You need to apply for a Schengen visa if you are a citizen of a visa-required country, you are arriving in the Schengen area before your Finnish residence permit becomes valid, and you don’t have a residence permit issued by another EU/EEA country. To find out if you are from a country with a visa requirement, check the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland's visa requirements webpage.
There are different kinds of Schengen visas that determine how many times you can enter the Schengen area and for how long.
- The type D visa can be applied for if you are also applying for a residence permit. This will allow you to travel to Finland as soon as your residence permit application is approved. The residence permit is then sent to a collection point in Finland within two weeks, and once the permit is available for collection, you have two weeks to do so. This option is not suitable for you if you are unable to travel to Finland within this time frame, or you do not have someone in Finland who can collect your permit on your behalf. Learn more about collecting your residence permit in Finland.
- The type C visa allows travel in the Schengen area for 90 days in a 180-day period. Apply for this if you aren't applying for a residence permit, or if the type D visa isn't suitable for you. The EU's short-stay visa calculator can be used to calculate the period of allowed stay.
Please note: You are not allowed to work with just a Schengen visa.
Mobility Notification
Migri – Mobility notification to Finland
Submitting a mobility notification is an alternative for non-EU nationals when they already have a residence permit issued on the basis of study in another EU/EEA country. It gives you the right to stay in Finland for up to 360 days if you are coming to Finland to fulfil a part of your study programme (exchange, traineeship, etc.).
If your stay in Finland is longer than 360 days, you will need to apply for a residence permit on the basis of studies instead. Furthermore, students coming from institutions that are not in the EU/EEA are not eligible to submit a mobility notification to Finland.
After arriving in Finland
Once you’ve arrived in Finland, you need to apply for a Personal Identity Code (henkilötunnus) and register your municipality of residence. These steps are very important, and you should aim to make these appointments as soon as possible.
Registering your right of residence
Migri – Register your right of residence
If you are an EU/EEA citizen staying in Finland for longer than 3 months, you need to register your right of residence at the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri). Nordic citizens (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland) complete this step instead at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) alongside the steps detailed below.
Personal Identity Code and registering your municipality of residence
DVV – Make an appointment
All newcomers in Finland need to make an appointment with DVV to register their personal details and apply for a Personal Identity Code (henkilötunnus). DVV’s website has more information about the personal identity code. You can make an appointment with the DVV counter at International House Helsinki. There are also service locations in Lahti (closest city to Vierumäki campus) and Porvoo for those studying at other Haaga-Helia campuses. On the registration page, choose ‘Registration of a foreigner’s municipality of residence and address’ in the Choose a service box.
The personal identity code lets you open a bank account, obtain a mobile and home internet subscription, and access many other services.
Please note: If you are a non-EU citizen, check your residence permit card once you receive it. You might already have your code included on the card. If present, it will be 11 characters long, and the first 6 numbers will be your date of birth. Even if you have this code, you still need to visit DVV to register your personal details.
Tax Card
Finnish Tax Administration – Tax cards for international students
Both EU/EEA and non-EU/EEA citizens are able to work while studying in Finland. Non-EU/EEA citizens are limited to a maximum of 1,560 hours per year, or 30 hours a week on average. Read more on Migri’s page for student residence permits about your working permissions.
All workers in Finland need make an appointment to visit the Finnish Tax Administration (Vero) and apply for a Tax Card (verokortti). A tax card is needed before you can receive salary. There are many Vero service points around Finland, and an appointment can be made by calling the contact number appropriate for your concern on the Vero contact page. You can also manage your taxes through MyTax, the Vero e-service.
Form 5042e can be printed and filled in advance in preparation for your appointment.
Student Healthcare Fee
Kela – How to pay the student healthcare fee
All degree students registered as attending at a Finnish higher education institution must pay the to Kela. If you have social security coverage from another EU/EEA country, Switzerland, or Great Britain and Northern Ireland, you are exempt from this fee. Make sure to bring your European Health Insurance Card (or Global Health Insurance Card in the case of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) with you, and alert Kela of your insured status.
The fee is 36.80 EUR per term, and you are not billed by Kela. You are expected to transfer the amount unprompted.
If you don’t yet have a Finnish bank account and strong verification credentials, you won’t be able to pay the fee through MyKela. You can manually transfer the amount using the bank details mentioned on the Kela page linked in the box above.
Finnish Identity Card
Poliisi – How to apply for an identity card
The Finnish identity card (henkilökortti) is issued by the police and acts as your main form of identification in Finland. If you have a residence permit card, this is not legally seen as a form of identification. It can be useful to apply for the Finnish identity card, especially if you are opening a bank account as a non-EU/EEA citizen. It will help you identify yourself at official services without bringing your passport.