Student guide
Moving to Finland and financial matters
Plan your budget and payment methods
By anticipating your monthly living expenses, you save yourself from surprises and can focus on your studies without worry.
Examples of typical monthly expenses are listed here. If you need a proof of estimated expenses on a document, you can download Certificate of Required Funds below this section.
| Accomodation | €250-450 | The rate for student housing. Renting from the private market is likely to cost from €600 upwards per month. |
| Transportation | €35-60 | The lowest rate is for 30 days of unlimited travel for students (not including PhD) on public transportation within the city of Espoo. The rate is higher if Helsinki is included. For more information, see Local transportation and travelling in Finland. |
| Food | €170-320 | Estimate includes one average priced student meal per weekday (€3,20 per meal in campus restaurants) and groceries/other food at €30–50/week. |
| Phone | €20-40 | This is an estimated monthly price for a postpaid mobile phone subscription for local calling, texting and data transfer. A pre-paid phone card is often the easiest option. For more information see Living in Finland. |
| Internet | €0-30 | Student housing contract with HOAS/MOAS and AYY includes an internet connection (covered as a part of the rent). If you need internet access in other accommodation, the cost will depend on where you live and how many roommates you have to share the service with you. |
| Sports | €30 | This is an average monthly price for the UniSport facilities. Note that the price per month is significantly lower when based on annual commitment. Private providers generally charge more but may also offer student discounts. For further information on sports, see support for studying. |
| Entertainment | €50+ | Going out, eating out and socializing will have an effect on your finances even though many places offer student discounts. |
| Clothing | €30-50 | You may need to buy some warm clothes and winter shoes etc. for the cold months if you are not used to winter at home. |
| Travel | €50+ | Exploring the regional attractions and other cities is of course voluntary but still worth budgeting for, as it is relatively cheap with student discounts. |
| Miscellaneous costs | €50-100 | Your budget should also include funds for spontaneous activities, one-off payments and regular costs like haircuts. |
| Total | €600-1200+ |
See more information about shopping under Living in Finland.
In addition to monthly expenses, you should also prepare for some one-off expenses at the beginning:
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Travelling with a taxi from the airport may cost up to €60 (please check the exact fare from the driver before the trip).
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You may need to stay in a hotel or hostel for a few days if you arrive before your accommodation is available.
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In all housing options you are required to provide 1-3 months' rent as a deposit.
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Furniture, kitchenware and other household items as most of the apartments are rented unfurnished. Estimate of costs depend a lot on where your purchase these or do you buy new or second hand. See more under Living in Finland.
Paying in cash is getting rarer in Finland. Grocery shopping and other daily purchases can be done in cash but for example some student restaurants do not take cash payments anymore. All though you should carry some cash in euros with you upon arrival, we recommend that you carry a credit card (VISA, MasterCard etc), if possible.
As it may take a while to have your own Finnish bank account and thus have access to local contactless payment methods, it is important to have some other payment methods besides cash at the beginning. You can read more info about opening a bank under Registering with the authorities and opening a bank account.
Plan what to bring
You don't have to pack all your belongings with you, you can get practically everything you need in Finland. However, there are some things that make it easier in the beginning.
Documents are needed in different registrations and eg. for opening a bank account.
EU-citizens:
- a valid passport (recommended over other forms of ID)
- European Health Insurance Card
- print of admission letter from Aalto
- proof of financial means to support your studies (for example certificate of grant/scholarship if applicable, bank account statement from home bank etc.)
- a few passport-sized photographs
- a few copies of passport
- prescriptions if you are on medication
Non-EU citizens:
- a valid passport
- residence permit card
- proof of health insurance
- print of admission letter from Aalto
- print of scholarship letter (if applicable)
- proof of financial means to support your studies (in addition to possible scholarsip letter: bank account statement from home bank etc)
- a few passport-sized photographs
- a few copies of passport
- prescriptions if you are on medication
Aalto university does not offer students any personal IT equipment. There are good computer facilities available to students 24/7 on campus. Printing is also possible on campus without additional fee (up to a certain quota). If you want to have the opportunity to work in your apartment as well, we recommend bringing the following:
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Laptop or tablet for personal use
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Plugs: Finland uses power outlets and plugs of types C & F. Bring an applicable adapter with you if needed. See more here.
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Ethernet cable: you might want to carry your own ethernet network cable to fluently access wired connection in HOAS/MOAS and AYY apartments (see more on HOAS/MOAS and AYY webpages).
At the beginning of the semester in September the weather is modest but temperatures may temporarily get close to 0 already during October. All though you can easily buy clothing with reasonable prizes in Finland, you might want to bring some warm clothes with you to save the trouble of shopping. The key is layers (T-shirts with long sleeves, "long-johns", wool sweaters and socks etc) and water repellent or resistant shoes! See more under Living in Finland.
Aalto University doesn't distribute any study materials such as course books or stationery to students. All course materials are accessible in the university library and other study facilities or materials are available online. However, if you have some specific materials that you wish to have access to, bring them with you. Your programme will also inform you separately if there is something spesific that is needed during your studies.
Plan your arrival and first day in Finland
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Ensure you have a place to stay before arriving in Finland, as the university does not have any emergency housing, guest rooms or 24-hour reception. If needed, book a hostel/hotel for the first nights. More information about options can be found under housing.
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Find out how, where and when to get the keys to your accommodation. In some cases your student tutor can help, in some cases you might need to pick up the keys yourself. Note, that housing offices are open on weekdays only and close at around 4.00 pm.
- HOAS’ main office is located in the centre of Helsinki (street address Pohjoinen Rautatienkatu 29), a walking distance from the central railway station and Kamppi metro station and main bus terminal.
- AYY main office (including housing office) is located at the campus in Otaniemi, Espoo (street address: Otakaari 11).
- In Mikkeli, MOAS office is located at Maaherrankatu 44.
- Purchase a prepaid card for your phone if needed. You can eg. visit R-kiosk at the arrivals terminal at the airport.
- Continue from the airport. Helsinki-Vantaa Airport is located in Vantaa. It is easy and safe to use trains, buses or taxi to arrive from the airport to Helsinki city centre.