student visa finland

What is a student visa?

• A student visa is an official document that allows you to study in Finland for a defined period of time.
• If you are a non-EU or EEA national and you wish to study in Finland for more than 90 days, you will need a student visa. You will not need a student visa if you are an EU/EEA national (or Switzerland).

How to get a student visa in Finland

• You are required to apply for a residence permit for studies if you are a non-EU/EEA citizen.
• If you’re applying for a residence permit based on studies, these documents must be included with the application: Acceptance letter from the school, bank statements showing that your funds are sufficient to cover your expenses in Finland, housing confirmation (if you have arranged housing in Finland through the host university), and copy of passport.

You can find more information about student visas on [Enterprise Finland](https://enterprisefinland.fi/en/living-in-finland/visa).

Application process:

Applying for a Student visa

If you are intending to study in Finland, it is important that you lodge your student visa application before you travel to Finland. You should also be aware that applications must be lodged at least three months before the course commencement date.

Once the online application has been submitted, the visa applicant must book an appointment at the Visa Application Centre (VAC) and attend it with all supporting documents.

Student visa fees are as follows:

A$55 per person (for adults)

A$27 per child between 6 and 12 years old who applies for a visa separately from their parent(s), or A$41 if included in the parent’s passport

You may also need to pay additional service fees for using services provided by VFS Global and its partners including courier deliveries and/or other optional services such as SMS updates. For more information please visit www.vfsglobal.com/Finland/Australia/.

If you apply from outside Finland

Finland’s immigration system is very clear about who qualifies for a student visa. In other words, you have to be enrolled in a full-time course of study at least for half of the time that you’re here. That means that if you have been travelling around the world looking for work and have no intention to stay permanently, it’s not going to happen. If you think this might apply to your situation, please read on:

• The Finnish Immigration Service will grant a student visa to anyone over 18 years who has an educational or vocational training program that will last at least three months and be completed within two years of your arrival in Finland. You’ll also need proof that your place of education has confirmation concerning its status as a designated learning institution and its capacity to teach courses relevant in accordance with Finnish legislation. Furthermore, you must provide evidence indicating that you are able to cover all expenses related to your studies while in Finland; they include tuition fees and living costs (board, rent or mortgage). You’ll also need proof of financial resources such as paid upfront deposit or proof of savings or assets such as car(s) or house(s); documentation proving your ability to support yourself during the period of study; health insurance contract with insurance company authorized under Finnish law; documentation showing payment for travel between Finland and home country; passport valid for six months from date of issue; personal identification document (preferably passport); valid residence permit from home country (not required if issued after arrival); comprehensive travel insurance policy covering medical treatment abroad signed by both parties (not required if otherwise provided by law).

If you apply from another Schengen country

You can apply for a visa in another Schengen country if you have a valid reason for being in that country. You cannot apply for a visa at the Finnish mission in London or any other mission outside Finland.

If you are applying under the Visa Code, you must have a valid passport, a valid visa and/or residence permit of that country. If you are applying under national rules, you must be entitled to stay in the territory of that country at least 90 days from submitting your application.

Student visa validity

The student visa is valid for a maximum of one year.

If you study for less than one year, the visa will be valid for the duration of your studies.

Criteria for obtaining a student visa in Finland.

To qualify for a student visa in Finland, you need to have:

• been accepted to study at a Finnish higher education institution (polytechnic or university);
• sufficient financial resources;
• travel medical insurance;
• a residence permit;
• a valid passport and a visa; and
• an invitation to Finland.

Extension of student visa in Finland

• You must apply for a new residence permit at least three months before your current residence permit expires.
• If you are an exchange or degree student and want to extend your stay in Finland, you should apply for an extension to your residence permit as soon as possible after arriving in Finland and no later than 3 months before the expiry of your current residence permit.
• If you have come to Finland on a student exchange programme (Erasmus+, Nordplus, etc.) and intend to study at Arcada University of Applied Sciences for one full academic year, you can apply for an extended period of residence after having arrived in Finland. The maximum period of stay is 11 months depending on the duration of your exchange programme abroad.
• Please note that there is no visa extension fee if you have applied for a visa already from your home country and received a decision from the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri).

visit http://www.intergate-immigration.com/student-visa-finland/

You can visit http://www.intergate-immigration.com/student-visa-finland/ for more information on Student Visa Finland.