Information for applicants

Degree students will typically need a Residence Permit A and other students a Residence Permit B. If you arrive from non-EU or non-EEA country, you will typically need to apply for a residence permit.

The type of the Residence Permit impacts for instance if you are eligible for student benefits, such as subsidized lunches, transportation discounts, or Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) access.

Note that if you are from non-EU or non-EEA country you are required to have a valid health insurance when applying for the residence permit. The Finnish Student Health Service, if you are entitled for that, provides only basic health care services, and not any medical operations or emergency services.

Please ensure that you have all relevant documents with you and can prove you have sufficient funds (€9,600 per year or as instructed by Migri) to support yourself while in Finland when entering the country at the Finnish border.

You must be able to access these funds from within Finland (i.e., you should be able to withdraw money from your bank account in Finland) and be prepared to provide proof of this at the Finnish border if requested.

Additionally, the funds must be designated solely for your personal use, meaning no one else should have access to them.

The Finnish authorities can cancel your residence permit if you do not comply with the terms in your residence permit, which may include but not be limited to following reasons:

• Your studies are not progressing at a normal pace.
• You do not enter Finland and start studies as planned.
• You do not attend the classes (“no-show”).
• Your main reason to be in the country is something else than your studies, e.g. employment.
• Break any laws or regulations (even traffic laws) or provide false information to any authorities.
• You finish your studies.

Please note that Metropolia will notify the relevant authorities if a student is not genuinely participating in the study programme.

Please also note that cancellation of your residence permit means that you need to leave Finland and the Schengen area within the given timeframe.

If you are from non-EU or non-EEA country and your residence permit in Finland is granted based on your studies it may have conditions related to the progress of you studies to remain valid, which may include but not be limited to complete your studies on schedule as outlined by Metropolia UAS.

Please check the detailed terms and restrictions from the Migri.

If you are from EU or EEA country, there are no restrictions on how many hours per week you may work.

If you work while studying either during the semesters or during summertime, you will typically need to pay taxes from the income.

Please see the instructions from the Finnish Tax Authorities.

The specialist in student health care offers you general, mental and oral health services and supports the well-being of study communities for bachelor and master degree students. Note that this service does not include operations or emergency services.

For more information see FSHS site.

Metropolia does not have housing services to offer. Thus, it is the student's responsibility to find an accommodation for the period of their studies. There is a lot of competition in affordable housing, so it is important to start searching for a room many months prior to arrival.

More information on accommodation

You need to check what insurances you are required to have, this depends on if you are an EU- or EEAcitizen or not.

For further information see Student's Guide.