Residence permit and registration in Finland – degree students

International students staying longer than three months in Finland must obtain a Finnish personal Identity Code. It is needed for e.g. opening a bank account, activating your electronic student card, and for university database and statistical purposes. The code consists of your date of birth and five other characters, so it looks something like this: 010195-1234.

• If you need a residence permit you can apply for the code when you apply for the permit. Even so you need to visit the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) in order to register as a foreigner in Finland.
• If you don't have the code when you arrive to Turku you need to visit DVV to get it.
• DVV usually hosts dedicated pop-in service days for students in the beginning of each semester (September and January) where you can register as a foreigner and apply for the code without reserving an appointment.

When you have the code, remember to scan the residence permit card or decision paper you received from DVV and send it to disco(at)utu.fi. Otherwise your Identity Number won't be in the university database and e.g. electronic student card app will not work.

More detailed instructions are sent to students upon their arrival to Turku.

If you live in Finland, you can be assigned a municipality of residence in Finland on certain conditions. Your municipality of residence and the associated permanent address will also be recorded in the Population Information System. If you do not get a municipality of residence, your address will be entered in the Population Information System as a temporary address. 

When you have a municipality of residence, you can vote in the municipal elections of your municipality of residence (after 2 years of stay), and use the services that municipalities provide only to their residents. Sometimes you also need a municipality of residence to be able to use the services provided by the state authorities or to be granted financial benefits or support. The municipality of residence is always recorded by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

Read more on the DVV's website

In general, you should have minimum 800 €/month/person in your use. (approx. USD 830). More information about living costs you can find on this page about Financial Matters. 

• Many students in Finland finance their studies with part-time jobs. However, you should not completely rely on finding a job and being able to finance your living that way. Finding a job requires activity and initiative and many employers require their staff to know Finnish. Unlike in many countries, job opportunities on campus are uncommon.
• Your studies will be full-time. If you are in Finland with a residence permit for studies, your permit only allows working part-time. You may work in paid employment for a maximum of 30 hours per week.
• In order to receive a residence permit, you must prove that you already have the necessary funding at the time of application for at least your first year in Finland (= 9 600 €), in addition to the tuition fee (if you receive a tuition fee scholarship, the scholarship offer will function as proof of sufficient funds for paying the tuition fee).

If you are not an EU/EEA citizen you must obtain a residence permit from the nearest Finnish embassy or consulate in your home country.

• You can apply electronically online but a visit to the embassy/consulate is needed for the biometrical identification.
• You must obtain residence permit before you arrive in Finland.
• You need to have valid health insurance.
• You also need to be able to prove that you have necessary funding (800 €/month). 
• If you have a Finnish residence permit you do not need a visa to enter the Schengen area.
• See Finnish Immigration Service's website for detailed instructions.

If you come from a non-EU/EEA country, you need to prove that you have sufficient funds for living when applying for a student residence permit. Income is investigated in connection with every application. You need to be able to support yourself in Finland for the entire duration of your studies. As per  the income thresholds, you must have at least EUR 800 at your disposal every month to be able to pay for your accommodation, food and other needs. More information on the Finnish Immigration Service. 

If you arriving with your spouse or family, the amount of sufficient funds increases according to the amount of family members that are coming. More information on the Immigration Service's website. 

If you are a citizen of an EU member state, a Nordic country, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you do not need a residence permit to stay in Finland. However, you do need to register your right of residence, and apply for EU registration.