Residence permits and registrations
Lead paragraph
From this page, you will find information concerning residence permits and other immigration issues.
| You are | Duration | Permit | When | Application |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOT citizen of an EU member state, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland |
Over 3 months | Residence permit | Before arrival | www.migri.fi -> E-service |
| NOT citizen of an EU member state, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland (and not from a visa-free country) |
Less than 3 months | Visa | Before arrival | Visa application |
| NOT citizen of an EU member state, but you have a valid residence permit issued by another EU Member State |
Over 3 months | Mobility notification | Before arrival | Mobility notification to Finland |
| Citizen of EU member state, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland |
Over 3 months | Right to reside | After arrival | Right to reside application |
Residence permit and visa
Students who are NOT citizens of an EU member state, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland have to apply for a residence permit if the studies in Finland last for longer than 90 days. If you are staying a maximum of 90 days you might need a visa. You may study in Finland for 90 days without a visa or residence permit if you are a citizen of a visa-free country. For information on visas, please see the website of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.
If you are a citizen of an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland, you are not required to have a residence permit for Finland.
Start the application process for the residence permit immediately after receiving the acceptance letter from Haaga-Helia. The process might take several weeks. If you submit an incomplete application, the processing time becomes even longer, so please read carefully all the instructions.
Mobility notification
If you have a valid residence permit for studies issued by another EU Member State and you will study at Haaga-Helia via student exchange programme (Erasmus+ or bilateral), you do not have to apply for a residence permit to Finland. Instead, you should make a mobility notification to Finland.
Please make sure that you submit all the required documents. If something is missing, the Immigration Service will automatically decline your notification and you will have to pay the fee again.
Mobility notification to Finland
EU/EEA citizen's right of residence registration
If you are a citizen of an EU member state, Liechtenstein, or Switzerland you do not need a residence permit to stay in Finland. You can stay and work freely in Finland for up to three months. You need to have a valid identity card or passport. If your stay lasts for more than three months you have to register your right of residence. You are recommended to register AFTER arrival in Finland.
Register your right of residence
Finnish personal identity code
All international students who do not have a Finnish personal identity code have to apply for it before their arrival or register at the local registry office after their arrival to Finland to apply for one.
Please note that not all nationalities will be able to get the identity code when applying for a residence permit/visa.
Finnish personal identity code is needed for various day-to-day practicalities e.g. making medical appointments. Various service providers might also request this information on their forms.
How to apply for the Finnish personal identity code
You have to apply for the personal identity code from the local Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) of the city where you are living in Finland.
Before visiting your local DVV, fill in the Registration information of a foreigner student https://dvv.fi/en/international-student. Then visit the DVV Agency and take following documents:
- Passport (or EU ID card)
- Haaga-Helia Study certificate
Please note that it can take approximately 4 weeks to get the code. Universities are obliged to collect the code for administrative purposes.
The Finnish personal identity code is in format: your birth date + xxxx, e.g. 29.10.1990 - xxxx).
Exchange students
International Services will collect the Finnish personal identity codes couple of months after a student visits DVV Agency.