Applying for a residence permit and visa

Students from EU/EEA countries

Exchange students from the EU/EEA countries need a residence permit if they stay in Finland longer than 3 months. The residence permit is applied from a local police station in Finland.

Students from non-EU/EEA and non-Nordic countries

Students from non-EU/EEA and non-Nordic countries need a residence permit to enter Finland. Obtaining the required permits is at student's own responsibility. Submit your application as soon as you have received an acceptance letter from Mikkeli UAS. The application should be submitted to a Finnish embassy in your home country or in a country in which you are legally residing. If Finland does not have an embassy in your country, submit your application to a Finnish embassy closest to you. You have to wait for the decision abroad. You will receive the decision through the embassy at which you submitted your application. A residence permit for studies is granted primarily for one year at a time. Students whose studies last less than one year can be granted a shorter permit. Make sure your passport is valid for a minimum of one year. If your studies last less than one year, your passport has to be valid for the entire duration of your stay in Finland.

Livelihood

Your livelihood has to be secured either with a deposit in your own bank account or with an official scholarship/grant. Before a residence permit or a visa can be granted, you must make a bank deposit of EUR 6 000 (EUR 500 per study month) in your own name. If your studies last less than one year, you are required to have EUR 500/month you intend to stay in Finland.

You have to prove your secure livelihood with

• a bank statement indicating a sufficient deposit in a bank account under your name
• an official certificate of a grant/scholarship if you have been granted a scholarship by a government, an organization or an educational institution. A bank statement is not needed if the scholarship covers the required amount of funds entirely.
• a guarantee of sponsorship from a private person such as family member, friend or employer is not accepted

Further information on residence permits and visas is available on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service.

Documents required while studying at Mikkeli UAS

• passport
• residence permit or visa documentation
• health insurance
• travel insurance
• car insurance and a driving licence if you travel by a private car