Coming to Finland


Before coming to Finland there are certain preparations you should undertake before leaving your home country. All foreigners except citizens of the Nordic countries need a valid passport. The citizens of the Nordic countries need an official identity card to prove their identity.

Depending on your nationality and the length of your stay in Finland, you will require a visa or a residence permit.

Citizens of the EEA countries (European Economic Area = EU countries and Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) need not apply for a visa or a residence permit before arriving in the country if they intend to stay for less than 3 months.

Citizens of the Nordic countries may arrive, reside, study and work in Finland without limitations. They do not need visas or residence or work permits.

Visa

A visa is granted for a maximum of three months and cannot be extended in Finland. A visa has to be applied for before departure to Finland in the country where the applicant permanently resides. Students who have been accepted to participate in entrance examinations must apply for a visa for the period of the examinations unless their home countries have concluded an agreement with Finland abolishing this requirement.

You can check at your local Finnish embassy or legation whether your country is among these. See: Virtual Finland -> Finnish missions on the Web.

Information about the Schengen acquis.

To be issued a visa, the applicant must show that she/he has enough funds to cover living expenses in Finland. "Enough funds" means about 35 e per day.


Residence permit

Citizens from countries outside the EEA (European Economic Area) who intend to stay in Finland for more than three months must obtain a residence permit through the Finnish embassy or legation in their country of residence before arrival in Finland.

If you have come to Finland with a visa to take an entrance examination, and you pass this examination, you will be eligible for a residence permit for one academic year at a time; the permit then needs to be extended at the beginning of each academic year by the local police authorities.

Citizens of EEA countries (Nordic countries excepted), as well as students with a visa who have passed their entrance examination, apply for a residence permit from local police authorities in Finland.

Foreign students must meet the following conditions in order to obtain a residence permit for study in Finland:
they must be at least 18 years old (in most cases)
they are intending to study at a university or another institution of higher education or in a secondary vocational institution
they can show proof that they have been accepted to study at such an institution
their application indicates the degree to which their studies lead, and the estimated length of the studies
they have funds or scholarships that will cover their study and living expenses in Finland.
Foreign students from countries outside the EEA are required to demonstrate that they have sufficient funds by depositing the sum of 5 000 € (2 500 € if the institution provides meals and accommodation free of charge), with no conditions restricting the use of this account. A new deposit is required at the beginning of each academic year. Foreign students participating in a scholarship or exchange programme show proof of acceptance by the programme sponsor in place of this deposit.

Citizens of an EEA country must demonstrate that they have sufficient means to cover their living expenses in Finland. The guarantee sum is not required of them.

Trainees coming to Finland through CIMO's programmes only need residence permits if their stay in Finland lasts longer than 3 months. For more information, see Practical Training | FAQ | Visas and work permits.


Work permit

Students who are citizens of the EEA countries or participate in EU education and training programmes need no work permits and they are allowed to work without restrictions (however, they need an employer's certificate). Other international students are allowed to do paid work for a maximum of twenty hours a week during the semesters and full time during the vacations. You will need a separate work permit if you intend to work more than this during the semesters. International students can obtain a work permit at a Finnish embassy or a legation abroad or in Finland from the local police authorities.

If you are coming as a trainee and/or as a full-time worker, you must obtain a work permit unless you are coming through CIMO's training programmes (see Practical Training | FAQ | Visas and work permits). Finnish missions, the Finnish Directorate of Immigration and the local police in Finland are the authorities who may issue a work permit.


Arrival

Helsinki Vantaa Airport is an international airport with good connections to all the European capitals and beyond, to the US and Asia. There are good domestic connections to other Finnish towns, some of which also cater to international flights.

From all Finnish airports there is an airport bus service or local bus to the centre of the local town, and sometimes to nearby towns too. There are also taxis available, including some special Airport Taxis or Yellow Taxis which have cheaper rates for groups of clients going in the same direction.

You can also arrive by sea, from Sweden, Germany or Estonia. The main harbour towns are Helsinki, Turku and Maarianhamina. There are international train links from Moscow and St. Petersburg, and from Sweden into northern Finland.

Within Finland there are good rail, bus and air networks, especially in the north south direction. There are also ferries and boat connections where necessary. Timetables are reliable, and trains and coaches do leave on time. Timetables vary slightly on public holidays, weekends and during the summer.


At the customs

The customs procedure in Finland is quite standard, with the usual international restrictions on certain goods. If you need to bring particularly valuable goods or equipment with you, or for instance special medicines, it is worth finding out beforehand whether you will need special documents for them.

Only the kind of alcohol that is ready for consumption as such can be imported. Strong alcoholic beverages may be imported by a traveller aged 20 or over, and mild alcoholic beverages (strength not more than 22% vol.) may be imported by a traveller aged 18 or over.

The import of weapons, narcotic drugs or medicaments without a special permit is forbidden. For personal use, a traveller may bring in medicaments prescribed by a doctor up to an amount sufficient for three months from countries outside the EEA and for one year from the EEA countries.

A person staying in Finland temporarily may import a vehicle tax free (max. 6 months), but will be given special instructions about the importation procedure. If you are staying for a longer period, check what documents you will need for this.

There are also certain regulations concerning departure. The exportation of articles over 50 years old that are of cultural and historical value is prohibited unless a permit has been granted by the National Board of Antiquities.




Information offices


            Tourist information is available from City Tourist Offices (Matkailutoimisto/Turistbyrĺ), which supply brochures and details of local sightseeing tours, accommodation etc. Helsinki City Tourist Office as well as many other tourist information offices can be found on the web.