International Joint Master's programmes

After publishing the admission result, the head office or coordinating university of your double/joint degree programme will approach you with an acceptance letter. They might ask you to confirm your participation to them by a certain deadline. It could be that the Letter of Admission from Aalto University is sent simultaneously, or only to those who have confirmed their participation to the Coordinator (e.g. Master School Office in EIT Digital Master School).

In any case, be sure to reply to both letters: to the Coordinator, and to Aalto University. You will receive the Letter of Admission by email to the e-mail address you provided in your application. Please read and follow the instructions to accept your admission offer (confirm your study place) carefully. You have to accept your admission offer even when you are coming to Aalto University for the 2^nd year of your studies.

Please note:

• Once you have accepted the offer, the acceptance cannot be cancelled.
• If you have already accepted an admission offer in Finland, you cannot accept this one, or vice versa. Read more about the rule of accepting only one study place below.
• If you fail to accept the admission offer by the deadline, the admission offer will be cancelled – even if you had confirmed your participation to the double degree programme head office, and even if you had already completed your entry year at another university.
• If you are still uncertain how to proceed, please contact your programme coordinator at Aalto University for advice.

Depending on your programme, the deadline for accepting the admission offer may be pre-determined (e.g. 20 April 2022 at 3 p.m.) for all admitted students in the programme, or individual, in which case it is 14 days from the date you receive your Letter of Admission and instructions for accepting the offer. In both cases, the deadline is strictly non-negotiable.

The method for accepting the admission offer also varies by programme. Some programmes will send you an individual link to Studyinfo.fi and you accept the offer online. Other programmes will send you a paper form that you should submit to the programme coordinator at Aalto. Please refer to your Letter of Admission and Cover Letter for detailed instructions.

Irrespective of the method of accepting the admission offer, please check that your personal information is correct in My Studyinfo or on the form - espcially your mobile phone number. This is required for the activation of your Aalto user account later.

 You can accept only one study place leading to a higher education degree in Finland

  Do you already have a right to study at Aalto University but wish to accept a new admission offer?

Did you apply with an incomplete degree?

If you applied with an incomplete Bachelor's degree, Aalto University or the programme coordinator may require you to prove that you have completed your degree. Please revise the instructions provided on your Letter of Admission and Cover Letter regarding the proof of completed degree. Note that this information is very programme-specific, so please do not refer to any other source of information than your Letter of Admission. Your admission offer may be cancelled if you do not provide evidence of your graduation or if you do not complete your degree by 31 July. Please consider this and the schedule of the graduation opportunities at your Bachelor university when planning the remaining Bachelor studies. Contact your programme coordinator at Aalto as early as possible in case you struggle with your graduation plans, or you are not able to receive your degree certificate in time due to administrative processes.

Submit certified hard copy documents (only required in certain programmes)

Students in Nordic Master ISEE and Nordic Master Maritime Engineering programmes may have been admitted conditionally and must submit certified hard copies of their application documents by postal mail or courier service.The certified hard copy documents must be received by the given deadline. Admission is conditional until the certified hard copy documents have been received.

Conditionally granted study right will be cancelled if the certified documents; or documents according to the country-specific document requirements; are not received in the required manner by the deadline.

Students admitted to other programmes are not required to submit any hard copy documents to Aalto University.

 How to submit hard copies (NM ISEE & ME)

Students of non-EU/EEA country nationalities are required to have a residence permit for studies in Finland. EU/EEA students must register their right of residence in Finland. In both cases, action is needed as soon as possible after you have received the Letter of Admission from Aalto University.

 Non EU/EEA Citizens

If you are a non-EU/EEA citizen, you need to apply for a residence permit. You need the Letter of Admission from Aalto University in order to start the process – the invitation or acceptance letter from the coordinating university of the joint programme consortium is not sufficient.

The application process takes time, so please apply for the residence permit immediately, and start making the arrangements for the compulsory visit to a Finnish mission (embassy or consulate). You need to have a valid residence permit before arriving in Finland and starting your studies.

Note that the coronavirus pandemic may affect the residence permit application process. Please see Migri’s pages for effects of the coronavirus on their services.

Start by reading these:

• Instructions for degree students with tuition fees (Finnish Immigration Service, Migri)
• Residence permit application (Finnish Immigration Service, Migri)
• General information about the residence permit process (International Students → Arrival and settling in → Registering with the authorities)

As a student of an international joint programme (double degree), please note the following points:

• As of 15 April 2022, residence permits for Master's degree studies are granted for two years by default. There are many benefits with the 2-year permit even if you only intend to stay in Finland for one year.
• Your programme may provide you a health insurance which fulfills the requirements for the residence permit. Check this with your programme coordinator.
• In the application form, SECTION 7.1 Information on Studies
  • You are asked for a national learner ID number. You can find this number in Studyinfo portal using the same link you used to accept your admission offer. The number follows the following format: 1.2.123.456.78.12345678910
  • Duration of studies: The nominal duration of a Master's programme is two academic years, and an academic year is from 1 August to 31 July. Thus, you can give the start date of 1 August 2022 and end date 31 July 2024, or specific dates within this period, according to your travel plans and mobility scheme.
  • In question 'What were you accepted to study?' select 'Master's degree'.
• In section '7.5 Joint degree or joint programme between higher education institutions', select YES and provide the name of your Master's programme or Master School.

If you have not received your Finnish personal identity code when applying for a residence permit, you can apply to be registered in the Finnish Population Information System and get the personal identity code at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) in the municipality you live in once you have arrived in Finland. This requires a personal appointment which is recommended to book in advance, prior to arrival in Finland. We recommend to book the appointment as soon as you know when you will arrive.

Note that the identity code is sensitive personal information, so please do not share it in social media or other open channels.

Additional information for exit students at Aalto University

Exit students, i.e. students who have started their joint programme in another EU country, have two options for the entry permit: a mobility notification or a residence permit for studies.

Mobility Notification

If you have a valid residence permit for studies issued by another EU Member State, you can apply for a mobility notification instead of residence permit. With the mobility notification, you can study in Finland for a period up to 360 days. Please note that:

• the mobility notification cannot be extended: if you stay longer for example due to delayed graduation, you must apply for a residence permit for studies.
• the mobility notification does not grant you a Finnish personal identity code. You must apply for this separately at Digital and Population Data Services Agency.
• For more information about the mobility notification, please read the page of Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) or contact Migri.

Residence Permit

If you decide to apply for the residence permit, you should do this while you are still in your entry university country and visit a Finnish embassy in there. Please remember that you must stay in this country until you receive the residence permit card.

 EU/EEA citizens

EU/EEA citizens do not need a residence permit, but upon arrival in Finland, must register their right of residence if their stay lasts for longer than three months. The application for the EU registration must be submitted within three months of the day of arrival, please see Migri’s information on registering an EU citizen's right of residence.

The application can be submitted online, but the registration process requires a personal visit at the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) service point. It is advisable to book an appointment for registration beforehand (already in the summer), as waiting times can be long and in September there may not be time slots available anymore.

When your right of residence is registered, your personal information will be recorded in the Finnish Population Information System and you will receive a Finnish personal identity code. The identity code is required for student healthcare, public transportation discounts, taxation, bank account, municipal services etc. In other words, it is vital for a smooth start of your studies in Finland.

If you have not received your Finnish personal identity code when registering as EU citizen in Finland, you can apply to be registered in the Finnish Population Information System and get the personal identity code at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) in the municipality you live in.

More information on registering with the authorities.

Citizens of the Nordic countries

Nordic citizens don't need a residence permit, but upon arrival in Finland, must register their personal data in the Finnish Population Information system. In connection with the registration, you will receive a Finnish personal identity code. More detailed information about the registration process on Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s (DVV) pages.

Please note that you must personally visit DVV for the registration. We recommend booking the appointment as soon as you know when you will arrive.

More information on registering with the authorities.

Nordic Master programmes and the SpaceMaster programme operate with the scholarship & tuition fee scheme of Aalto University while other international joint programmes have their own, programme-specific tuition fee & scholarship schemes. Please check the instructions for your programme below even if you have received a scholarship covering the participation / tuition fee.

Non-EU/EEA citizens, please note that irrespective of where you pay the tuition fee, a receipt of the fee payment or certificate of scholarship that covers the tuition fee must be attached to the Finnish residence permit application. Alternatively, you must show proof of sufficient funds for both the tuition fee and the living costs on your bank account when applying for residence permit. Note that the completed fee payment is a condition to enroll at the university.

Information about living costs and other financial matters in Finland is available on the page for International Students.

 Students admitted to Nordic Master programmes

 Students admitted to other programmes

After accepting an offer of admission, you have to enrol for the academic year 2022 - 2023. The enrolment period begins on 2 May 2022 and ends on 2 September 2022. We strongly recommend new students to enrol between 2 May and 31 July 2022 to ensure smooth start of studies.

All degree students must enrol as either attending or non-attending each academic year. If you do not enrol as either attending or non-attending by the end of the enrolment period (no later than 2 September 2022), you will forfeit your right to study.

At Aalto University, new students can defer the start of studies by enrolling as a non-attending student but only for statutory reasons (e.g. parental leave or medical condition). However, please note that due to joint programme agreements and conditions set by the funding organization of the programme, students in these programmes are usually not allowed to defer the start of studies for any reason.

How to enrol as an attending student

All students actively studying towards a degree should by law be members of a student union, which is why this is considered a condition for enrolment at the university. Read more about the student union membership and its benefits on AYY website. Enrolling as attending is also a precondition for using any Aalto services, e.g. registering for courses.

To ensure that your student status is valid from the beginning of academic year (1 August) you should enrol no later than 31 July 2022 and sooner if possible, by logging in to My Studyinfo and paying the membership fee of the Aalto University student union (AYY). If you wish to join the student association of your field of study (guild or subject-specific association), also pay any related membership fees. Each student will have a tutor appointed by the hosting student association, and you will receive more information of these in the newsletters for new students.

There are three alternative enrolment methods:

A) Use the personal link from the email from the My Studyinfo portal with which you accepted your study place. The email includes a personal link to log into My Studyinfo, please see further information in Studyinfo. If you have deleted the email, please contact student services (at [email protected]), the email cannot be sent again and you have to complete your enrolment following the instructions from the student services.

B) If you have a Finnish personal identity code and Finnish e-identification service (by an online bank or other Finnish service), you can enrol directly by logging into My Studyinfo.

C) If you cannot use the payment methods in My Studyinfo and therefore cannot enrol online, contact the student services (at [email protected]).

If you are liable for paying a tuition fee to Aalto University or participation fee to your programme, please note these conditions:

 Students admitted to Nordic Master programmes

 Students admitted to other programmes

You should apply for housing as soon as you have accepted the admission offer to Aalto University, or as soon as possible with the respective housing provider (e.g. not earlier than four months prior to the intended start of the contract). You need the Letter of Admission from Aalto University in order to start the process - the invitation or acceptance letter from the coordinating university of the joint programme consortium or confirmation of your participation to the programme is not sufficient. Student housing is provided by the Aalto University Student Union (AYY) or the Foundation for Student Housing in the Helsinki Region (HOAS). University does not own student apartments and students are responsible for seeking housing themselves.

Some double degree programmes may have special arrangements for housing. You will receive the instructions for housing application from your programme coordinator at Aalto University.

Please read carefully further instructions for seeking accommodation under housing.

Studies in Aalto University start with an orientation on 29 August – 2 September 2022. Check on your programme page (section "starting your studies") the exact start date of the orientation programme and plan your arrival schedule accordingly. Consider reserving a couple of days for settling in before the orientation programme. The teaching begins on the week starting on 5 September 2022.

More information about how to continue your journey from the airport and how to use public transportation in Helsinki region is found in the section arrival and settling in.

The Aalto IT username and password are used to login to all Aalto online services. Once you have activated your IT account, you have access to many electronic services, including your Aalto email. The university uses email as the primary means of communication, so it is essential that you keep on top of your Aalto email at all times. You can activate your Aalto user account in July at the earliest after you have enrolled for the academic year and received an activation email for your Aalto user account.

You will receive an email when the activation of Aalto IT account is possible. The email will be sent to the email address you have used when you applied to the university. Please follow the instructions of IT services and activate your account as soon as possible.

There are three alternatives to activate your IT account:

A. If you have Finnish online banking details, Finnish mobile certificate or with a Finnish electronic ID (HST) card, you can activate your account at password.aalto.fi.

B. If you don't have the identification methods described above, you will receive an activation email, please follow instructions at aalto.fi. The activation uses the email and the phone number you used when you applied. Please check that your phone number is correct in MyStudyinfo.

C. If none of the above is possible, you must visit the IT service desk to activate your Aalto IT account. Please remember to bring official, photographic ID with you (such as passport).

The student card is proof of your student status and it is the simplest way to get student discounts in, for instance, the university restaurants and public transport. For additional information on the student card go to the AYY site.

You can download an electronic student card for mobile devices, after you have enrolled as an attending student. The electronic card is accepted for example in the university restaurants and public transport as proof of student status. The app will ask you for a Finnish ID number but you can leave this field blank if you don't have one yet.

Please note that the right to student discounts begins once you have enrolled as attending but at earliest on 1 August. The activation of electronic student card is not possible before 1 August.

If you want to make use of the student benefits and discounts from the very beginning of the academic year (1 August 2022 onwards), you must enrol as attending by 31 July 2022.

University students who are entitled to use the services of the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) are required to pay a student healthcare fee to Kela (The Social Insurance Institution of Finland) for each academic term. All students who are registered as attending for the current term and are studying for a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree are entitled to FSHS services.

If you are entitled to FSHS services, you must pay the student healthcare fee. Note however:

• You do not have to pay the healthcare fee if you have social security coverage from another EU/EEA country or from Switzerland or the United Kingdom. Even if you do not have to pay the fee, you can still use the services of the Finnish Student Health Service. Read more on KELA's website.
• You cannot get an exemption for example for using occupational health services instead of FSHS, or for not receiving any financial aid for students.

You are not billed for the student healthcare fee but must make sure to pay it in OmaKela for each academic term, see How to pay the student healthcare fee.

The due date for paying the student healthcare fee is determined based on the date on which you register as attending (below, the bolded due dates are the most common ones for new Aalto students):

Note: This is an additional, compulsory fee for all students who enroll as attending at Aalto University. It is not included in the tuition fee of Aalto University or of your programme. It is not an insurance or a medical cost that your insurance could reimburse but rather an access fee to high quality healthcare.

To get off to a swift start with your studies, you should look at the contents of your studies and practicalities during the summer and reserve time for orientation. For additional information, see Getting started with your studies.

Complete our self-study Pre-orientation on MyCourses learning platform in July, as soon as you have activated your IT credentials. The pre-orientation takes 3-4 hours to complete.