Arrival at Aalto University

When you have been accepted for exchange studies by Aalto University you will receive a Letter of Admission by email. They will be sent by mid-June for students arriving for the autumn term and late November for students arriving for the spring term. Each Aalto school has their own process and timeline for sending them.

You should plan to arrive by the start of orientation. Attending orientation is mandatory for all exchange students, and you will receive all the information you need to start your studies smoothly. Your exchange coordinator will send you the orientation schedule that applies to exchange students at your Aalto school. Some orientation events are school-specific, so please follow the schedule given to you and attend the orientation of your Aalto school.

Teaching will start on the week following orientation. You can view the academic calendar for the exact dates of each teaching period.

Please apply for the residence permit immediately after receiving the Letter of Admission. It may take time for your application to be processed. Visit the website of the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) for Instructions for exchange students. Please note that the electronic Letter of Admission is accepted in all Finnish embassies.

If you have a valid residence permit for studies issued by another EU country, you can also check if you meet the requirements for a mobility notification to Finland.

While applying for the residence permit, please note that you can ask to be registered in the Finnish Population Information System and to receive a Finnish personal identity code. This is highly recommended as the Finnish personal identity code will help you with many practicalities in Finland. 

Exchange students at Aalto University do not receive the National Learner ID number asked in the application. You can apply for a residence permit without it.

EU/EEA citizens do not need a residence permit, instead they register their right of residence at the Finnish Immigration Service. The registration is required if you are staying in Finland for over 90 days without leaving the country. You can also obtain the Finnish personal identity code in connection with the registration.

You can fill in the online application before arriving in Finland and then book the appointment to visit the service point in Helsinki. The Finnish Immigration Service point in Helsinki is very busy and when you book an appointment, the next available time may be several weeks or even a couple of months away.

Students must personally cover the costs if they become ill, therefore you must have sufficient insurance that is valid for the whole duration of your stay in Finland. Please note that exchange students do not have access to Finnish Student Health Services (FSHS).

If you need to apply for the residence permit (non-EU/EEA citizens), you must take out private insurance that covers medical and drug expenses. For more information, please see Migri’s website on insurance.

EU/EEA citizens must take the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) with them to Finland. By presenting the European Health Insurance Card, you can prove the right to medically necessary treatment in Finland. The card must be valid for the whole duration of your exchange. We strongly recommend purchasing private insurance as well.

More information about Health care for exchange students.

Please note that you need to apply for housing yourself, see the instructions at Housing for exchange students. Aalto University does not own any student dormitories. The main student housing providers for Aalto’s students are HOAS and AYY.

Housing offers are sent via email, so it is important to check your inbox frequently after submitting a housing application. If you receive an offer from HOAS or AYY, we recommend you accept it even if the type or location is not exactly what you wished for. If you refuse an offer, it is very unlikely you will receive another offer.

When accepting the housing offer, please note that rental agreements with student organisations are often made for the whole term or whole academic year depending on your exchange study period. Please note that fixed-term contracts cannot be terminated before the end date of the contract. Make sure to read the terms and conditions of the housing offer before you accept it, you are responsible for the commitment you make. If you cancel your exchange, please remember to also cancel your housing applications.

If you prefer, you can arrange your accommodation through other channels. Just note that rental prices at the private market here in the Helsinki region are rather high. Although most of the private landlords are completely reliable, it’s good to keep in mind that there might be scammers posting ads that offer accommodation.

All exchange students are allocated student tutors who will help you at the beginning of the exchange with practical questions related to student life and arriving in Finland. All study-related questions should be sent to your exchange coordinator instead.

Tutoring is organized in co-operation with AYY, Student Guilds and Student associations. All tutors are volunteers and students of Aalto University. Tutors will contact you by email. Please be patient while waiting for the tutor’s email!

Your exchange coordinator will inform you of all the matters related to your studies, including course practicalities, school-specific guidelines, and Learning Agreement (Erasmus+ students) or study plan. Follow the instructions from your exchange coordinator, as there may be differences between Aalto schools.

What to take into consideration when planning your exchange:

• how to pay your rent and other possible bills (for example electricity and home insurance), these payments need to be made to the bank account and cannot be paid in cash
• card payments are most common method of payment in shops, some places don’t accept cash anymore
• cashier services in banks are limited (specific branches)
• some students use an internet bank (eg. Revolut, N26)
• opening a bank account in Finland can take a long time and unfortunately not all banks will give it for exchange students who are in Finland only for a few months
• living costs are rather high, please reserve sufficient budget for your stay, see examples on monthly costs

You will receive an activation email - Welcome to Aalto University! – when your digital identity is created. You need to activate your digital identity to get the username and password.

Exchange students can activate user accounts without strong authentication (strong authentication means Finnish online banking ID or an ID card issued by the Finnish police). Registration is done by using the personal registration link in your activation email, with your email address and mobile phone number in international format. If you notice that your mobile phone number or name is incorrect, please contact your Aalto school’s exchange coordinator. Sometimes there are other issues with the activation, in which case please contact Aalto IT services.  

Once you have activated your Aalto IT account, you can access Aalto services including Aalto email, and login to Sisu.

You will be automatically enrolled as attending for the duration of your exchange studies. You can download a Certificate of Student Status in Sisu which proves your attendance at Aalto University (this document is requested by Finnish authorities; they may refer to it as Certificate of Attendance).

In Sisu you can also check your personal information. Please remember to update them as needed (for example your address in Finland). If there is something you cannot update yourself, please contact your exchange coordinator.

Membership of the Student Union AYY is voluntary for exchange students but recommended. Please note that housing offer is only possible to students who are members of the AYY Student Union and have paid the membership fee. As a member you are entitled to many benefits and only members can activate the digital Finnish student card (Frank). It is useful in Finland because with the Frank app you can get all the student benefits and discounts.

When you want to join the AYY, pay the AYY membership fee (please carefully follow instructions for exchange students: Payment of the student union membership fee > Exchange students). Check your Aalto student number from Sisu and use it as a reference. You will only be able to login to Sisu once your Aalto IT account is created (approx. 4 weeks before the start of your exchange), see "Aalto IT account" above. 

Once you have paid the fee, send the receipt to Aalto student services at [email protected], and your membership payment will be updated into Sisu. Note that it may take a few days – only after this you can access Finnish student card FRANK.

Make sure to check your email regularly for more information from your exchange coordinator, specific to your Aalto school. Some schools arrange webinars for exchange students before the orientation week, where you get more information and can ask questions from the exchange coordinator. 

Once you have activated your Aalto IT account, you can access the course Pre-Orientation in Mycourses. The materials focus on information and services relevant to all Aalto students. They have been collected to help you get to know Aalto University and ease the start of studies.

Going through this material takes approximately 3-4 hours. Materials include texts, tests and videos. When entering the Pre-Orientation for the first time, please remember to log in to MyCourses with your Aalto IT account, search the correct course (Pre-Orientation) and click “self-enrolment”. Then follow the instructions on the first page (note: select exchange student at your own Aalto School as your study programme and select English as the language).

Please complete the Pre-Orientation before the start of your exchange. You will get more guidance specific to exchange studies at your Aalto school from the exchange coordinator during orientation.

Please follow the instructions from your Aalto school’s exchange coordinator before registering for courses and if you want to make changes to your Learning Agreement / Study plan. There might be limitations and you may not be able to choose all your preferred courses. Due to school-specific practices, it’s very important to follow the instructions of your Aalto school, given by your exchange coordinator. Please note that including a course in your plan does not guarantee a place on the course, you will need to register for it in Sisu and be accepted.

Course registrations are done in Sisu with two steps:

1. Create a personal study plan in Sisu. Exchange students do not have any ready-made structure, so add each course.
2. After you have added the courses into your study plan, you can register for them.

The course registration opens 4 weeks before the start of the teaching period. The registration order does not affect whether you are selected, so you do not have to worry on how fast you register as long as it is within the registration period. You can register for courses on your own, but you will also receive further guidance from your exchange coordinator.

When you come to Finland, please remember to bring with you at least:

• A valid passport (recommended over other forms of ID)
• The Letter of Admission from Aalto University
• Proof of your insurances
• The European Health Insurance Card (students from EU/EEA countries)
• Proof of financial means to support your stay (e.g. a certificate of an Erasmus grant)
• Prescriptions if you are on medication

It is also good to have with you a payment card and some cash (euros).

You can also read the pages targeted for all International Students starting their studies at Aalto. Note that there are some differences between degree and exchange students (for example related to enrolment to the university, AYY membership, FSHS access, HSL student discount). The differences are mentioned in the texts, but if you’re unsure that it applies to you as an exchange student, you can always contact your exchange coordinator.

• Moving to Finland and financial matters
• Campus guide
• Local transportation and travelling in Finland
• Living in Finland
• Working in Finland

There’s plenty of information on Aalto’s IT services for students on their website, including email, password, printing services, IT classrooms.

To be able to fully operate in the Aalto IT environment during studies, follow the below steps. You must have your Aalto IT account activated first.  

Download Aalto Virtual Desktop on your own computer

• Through the virtual desktop you can use a virtual workstation in the Aalto network from any computer worldwide, also directly from a browser without installations.
• Your personal directory is accessible from the workstation, as well as resources in the internal Aalto network (such as library databases).
• The workstation will also enable access to software. Available software is marked “VDI Windows 10 3D” here (login with Aalto account)

Install AnyConnect VPN-service

• Through the VPN service you can connect to Aalto network with any device outside the network. This enables access to all Aalto services from outside the Aalto network.
• With AnyConnect VPN you can pass possible firewalls.

Install Microsoft Office 365

Install and activate Zoom and Teams apps  

IT services online chat service is open for questions. The chat window is visible on the IT services aalto.fi pages. You do not need to sign in to chat.

IT Service Desk contact information and opening hours

Please follow the instructions given by your housing provider and if you have any questions, please contact them directly.

• Please remember that not all apartments are furnished. Even if you have rented a furnished apartment, remember to check which essentials are included and what you need to bring with you e.g., bedlinen.
• HOAS for exchange students: what services are included in the rent, furniture included and picking up keys (your Aalto school may send you more details, if applicable)
• AYY Instructions for new residents

You will need the HSL card application for foreign exchange students signed by Aalto, in order to buy a travel card with the student discount (personal card). You will receive the form from your Aalto school upon arrival. With the application form you can visit any HSL service point selling personal cards.  

You can also use your HSL travel card to access some of the university buildings and to print, by first activating the card online. More instructions will be given during the orientation.

You are entitled to student discount prices in campus cafeterias either with the Kela meal subsidy card or with student card Frank (if you join AYY). Kela meal subsidy card and more information will be given to you by your Aalto school during orientation.

Sign in to Aalto-Primo with your Aalto IT account, after which your information will be transferred to the library system automatically. You can get a library card from the Aalto University Learning Centre during customer service hours with a valid ID with a picture. You need to have a Finnish postal address to be able to get a library card. Usage regulations of the Learning Centre apply to all customers.

It is optional for exchange students staying in Finland less than 1 year to register with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV). You can do it to:

• be given a Finnish personal identity code
• register a temporary address in Finland

You may need these for example to make a home insurance contract or an electricity contract, or when opening a bank account. 

If you obtain the Finnish personal identity code, please inform your exchange coordinator so that it can be added to your personal information in Sisu. 

If you are a

• Non-EU/EEA citizen: you may already have the Finnish personal identity code when you applied for the residence permit. If you were not able not apply for the Finnish personal identity code during this process (or if you have done the mobility notification), you can register with DVV to obtain it.
• EU/EEA citizen: you can receive the Finnish personal identity code when you register your right of residence with Migri.
• citizen of a Nordic country: you only need to register if you are staying in Finland for over 6 months, otherwise it’s optional.

Unlike stated on the DVV website, exchange students at Aalto University do not need to have a Finnish personal identity code to receive a Transcript of Records.

See more about the registration of international student on DVV website and book an appointment for the visit.

You can look for second-hand items in:

• Otaniemi Recycling centre on campus (by AYY):
• Fida (student discount), SPR Kontti, reuse centres in Helsinki area (Kierrätyskeskus, student discount)

• Joining a guild (engineering sciences) / student association (arts, business)
• Joining other student associations
• Joining AYY's Aalto International chat on Telegram
• Joining relevant Facebook and Telegram groups for your School / associations
• Checking out tips on sustainability - Welcome to sustainable Aalto

Orientation programme for the Spring term 2024 (small changes and updates are possible): 

Orientation programme will be sent to the students per email.

The orientation for exchange students of the School of Chemical Engineering is organized in the beginning of September (for autumn term exchange students) / early January (for spring term exchange students). Exact dates to be confirmed yearly.

Orientation sessions are held mainly on campus. Links to the possible online sessions and a detailed schedule will be sent by email directly to AaltoCHEM's exchange students.

All new exchange students are expected to participate in the Orientation. Orientation will include compulsory and voluntary parts.

During the orientation the academic practices will be explained, online Tools (e.g. Sisu and MyCourses) will be introduced etc. There is also a chance to ask questions and take care of the necessary paperwork (e.g. Erasmus certificate of arrival).

Orientation programme for the Spring term 2024 (small changes and updates are possible): 

Orientation programme for the Spring term 2024 (small changes and updates are possible): 

Orientation programme for the Spring term 2024 (small changes and updates are possible): 

Contact information of the School of Science guilds: 

• Computer Science Guild (Computer, Communication and Information Sciences)
• Inkubio (Life Science Technologies)
• Guild of Physics (Engineering Physics & Mathematics and Operations Research)
• Prodeko (Industrial Engineering Management)