Student residence permits and health insurance

Non-EU/non-EEA citizens must have a valid passport and will need to check at their local Finnish mission (embassy or consulate) whether a visa or a residence permit in Finland is required. The residence permits in Finland are issued by the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri).

You can apply for a study-based continuous residence permit (type A) for the entire duration of your studies.

The application process might take some time, so please apply for the residence permit immediately, and start making the arrangements for the compulsory visit to the Finnish mission. You should reserve at least two months, sometimes even more, for the application process. You need to have a valid residence permit before arriving in Finland and starting your studies.

When applying for a residence permit for studies, you can also choose to apply for a D visa. The D visa allows you to travel to Finland immediately after you have received a positive decision on your residence permit application. Please note that you need to also have the D visa sticker on your passport. In this case, your residence permit card will be delivered to you in Finland. You can give Aalto University's address if you don't have an address in Finland yet, as the card will be delivered to the closest DB Schenker collection point. More information on D visas on Migri's pages.

Please see more details on the residence permit application process below. 

The Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) has a step-by-step guide on how to apply for a residence permit for studies.

The residence permit process starts with an online application, includes a personal visit to the Finnish mission to e.g. prove your identity and give your biometrics, and ends when you receive your residence permit card. Bear in mind that there might not be a Finnish mission in the country of your legal residence; thus you might have to visit another country. Please check the Finnish mission operating in your legal residence from Finland Abroad.

As some Finnish missions are very busy during the height of the application season, it is important that you book an appointment as early as possible and arrange a visa for the visit, if necessary (i.e. if your visit is to a mission in another country). The processing time of the permit application is counted from the visit to the Finnish mission and not from the date when you submit your online application. 

When you are granted a residence permit, your personal information will automatically be recorded in Finland's Population Information System, and you will be issued a Finnish personal identity code. However, due to the residence permit processes in the Finnish missions at some localities (concerning at least the citizens of India and Pakistan), your information might not be registered in the Population Information System, or you might not get your Finnish personal identity code when you are issued your residence permit. In such cases, you need to apply for the registration and the personal identity code at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency after you have arrived in Finland. For more information, please see the instructions on how to apply for a municipality of residence.

• Read carefully the customer instructions provided by Migri. In addition, visit the Migri website for students to familiarise yourself with the application process and the application requirements.
• Check out Migri's step-by-step guide on how to apply for a residence permit for studies.
• When visiting the Finnish mission, make sure that you have your customer number and diary number with you. You can get these from EnterFinland.
• A common reason for delays in the residence permit application process is insufficient health insurance coverage. Please carefully read the insurance instructions by Migri.
• Another common reason for rejecting a residence permit application is lack of funding. Please carefully read the instructions by Migri regarding proof of funds. 
  • You need to prove your funding for the first year of studies at the time of the application. 
  • You are also required to have sufficient funding for the whole duration of the residence permit you are applying for, even though this does not need to be proved at the time of the application. 
  • Migri can monitor throughout your studies that the funding requirements are met. 
• Migri processes all student applications as urgent and the university cannot influence or speed up the application process.
• From the date of the decision, the delivery of the residence permit card takes approximately two weeks. You should wait for it in the same country in which you submitted your application. 
  • The only exception is if you have applied for a D visa; then you can travel to Finland immediately after a positive decision has been made. Please note that you need to have the D visa sticker on your passport before travelling.
• If you are granted a continuous residence permit (type A), you will also receive a municipality of residence. More information about municipality of residence is available on the pages of the Digital and Population Data Service.

Citizens of non-EU/non-EEA countries are required to have valid health insurance already when applying for their residence permit in Finland. This is a compulsory requirement for obtaining a residence permit for studies lasting more than three months. The same requirement applies to both degree-seeking and exchange/free-mover students.

You can search the requirements and possible options for private health insurance from Migri's website. If you consider other options, make sure that the insurance fulfills the necessary requirements.

Please note that students with a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) or a Finnish Kela card do not need a private insurance when applying for a residence permit.

Citizens of EU/EEA countries are entitled to medical care while staying temporarily in another EU/EEA country. Remember to make sure you have the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) with you when arriving in Finland.

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) serves as a proof of the entitlement. By presenting the card you can use the services of the municipal health care centres, and in case of an emergency, you are entitled to the same benefits with the same costs as local residents. 

It is strongly recommended to also have private insurance as an additional security. Please note that the individual systems of the EU countries and practices surrounding the use of the EHIC card may vary.