Finland

All Students

Students should make sure their passports are signed and stamped when entering and exiting Border Controls. These stamps will prove the duration of your visit and more importantly prove to the visa official that you have not overstayed your 90-day visit.

It is important to understand the Schengen 90/180 rule. You are allocated 90 visa free days to use within the Schengen Zone, however you must remember these are rolling days and are added onto a cumulative total of days in the Schengen region. Leaving and entering does not reset your calculator – only leaving for a period of 90 days in a non-Schengen country will reset your visa free 90 day allowance. You can read about the Schengen rules here.

Study (less than 3 months)

Depending upon their nationality, Students who wish to study in Finland for 90 days within 180 day period or less can do so without the need for a visa as Finland is in the Schengen Region. To determine if you can travel to Finland without a visa please see the list of non visa required countries on the Finland website.

If you do not require a visa, you can enter Finland for up to 90 days to complete the following activities:

Tourism
Visiting family or friends
Attending business meetings
Cultural or Sports events
Short-term studies or training

Students who do require a visa should apply for the Short Stay Schengen Visa .

Gather Your Documents

The visa application form
One photograph
A passport
Travel insurance
Supporting documents
The invitation is a free-form letter indicating the host organisation’s or private host’s contact details and the invited person's details, such as name, date of birth, address, passport number, and purpose and length of visit.
In addition to the above, you may be asked to provide information concerning the itinerary, means of transport, return trip, financial means of support and assets and employment.
Proof of sufficient financial means to cover the duration and purpose of the stay and the cost of living in the country. In Finland a minimum of EUR 30 a day is required.
In addition, you must have sufficient means of subsistence for the duration of the stay and present the relevant supporting documents. You need to show at least 560 euro per month.

The required appendices vary by country, contact the mission or visa center to make sure which ones you need. The mission may request that you append certain documents to the application to show the purpose, conditions and duration of the visit. Examples of such documents are tickets, a confirmation of hotel reservation, a private invitation letter and an official invitation.

A full list of documents can be found here.

How to Apply

A Schengen visa to Finland must be applied in person at the Finland Visa Application Centres in London, Manchester or Edinburgh: Finland Visa Application Centres in the United Kingdom(layout.types.url.description) (Opens New Window). Visa application can be submitted by a prior appointment only.

Study (more than 6 months)

EU students do not need to a residence permit nor a visa to study in Finland. Upon arrival, you will need to submit a copy of your mobility notification to the Finish Immigration Service – once approved you will be able to study in Finland for up to 1 year.

A Residence Permit can be used for the following activities:

Your studies lead to a degree or a vocational qualification, or
Tou are coming to Finland as an exchange student.

Source: https://migri.fi/en/instructions-for-exchange-students

Non-EU/EEA/UK Students need to obtain a Residency Permit based on studies if they wish to study in Finland for a duration over 90 days.

If you are a citizen of an EU Member State, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you do not need a residence permit for Finland. If you stay for longer than three months, you need to register your right of residence.

Source: https://migri.fi/en/i-am-visiting-finland

If you are not a citizen of an EU Member State, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Iceland or Norway, in most cases you need to apply for a residence permit when you are moving to Finland.

A full over view of the process can be found below.

Gather Your Documents

Valid passport
Colour copies of the passport page containing personal data and of all passport pages that contain notes
Document showing that you are legally staying in the country where you submit the application
Certificate of acceptance/attendance from your educational institution in Finland
documentation of sufficient financial resources.
certificate of insuranc e
Documentation of paid tuition fee or documentation of scholarship

A full list of documentation can be found here.

Additional Documents

Students will need to have additional documents written in other than Finnish, Swedish or English and your documents must be translated by an authorised translator.

Further information on translationand legalisation can be found here.

How to Apply

Students have the option of completing and submitting online or submitting a paper application.

Students need to apply at their nearest Finnish Mission (embassy or consulate).

Source: https://enterfinland.fi/eServices/info/residencepermit#:~:text=You%20must%20apply%20for%20a,a%20member%20of%20your%20family

Work (less than 3 months)

UK Students who wish to enter Finland for work for less than 90 days for employment purposes will need a Residence Permit. The Residence Permit should include your "Right to Work". Please check your employment has been approved by the Finnsh Goverment.

If you are a citizen of an EU Member State, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you do not need a residence permit for Finland. However you are still required to register your residence.

Internship /Unpaid

UK and non-UK Students will need to apply for a residence permit for internship if you are going to Finland for an internship or for an unpaid traineeship through a training programme, such as Turing or the former Erasmus+ programme. A residence permit for internship can be issued for a maximum period of 18 months.

If you arrive in Finland for an internship, you always need a residence permit. You need a residence permit regardless of your home country or the length of your internship. You must be paid for your internship because you cannot get a residence permit for an unpaid internship. The requirements for a residence permit depend on whether you arrive for an internship for example through a non-governmental organisation.

Gather Your Documents

You will need to gather the following documents:

Valid passport
Passport photoLink to an external website, Opens in a new tab
Colour copies of the passport
Documents showing that you are legally staying in the country where you submit the application

Internship

Internship agreement containing the following information:
The employer’s assurance of or documentation showing the following:
- assurance or documentation showing that the internship does not replace a job
Depending on the nature of your internship, you must also attach:
- a certificate from your educational institution stating that the internship matches your studies or degree

Unpaid Traineeship

The training agreement between you and the organisation responsible for the training programme.

Further information can be found about the Training Agreement.

How to Apply

Students can apply online for the relevant Permit:

Source: https://migri.fi/en/internship

Work (over 6 months)

UK Students who wish to enter Finland and work for more than 90 days for employment purposes will need a Residence Permit.

To work longer than 90 days Student will need to apply for a Residence Permit. The residence permanent is dependent on the type of work you do. Students may also apply for a Residence permit post studies or for seeking work in Finland.

To find out which Residence Permit you are eligible for – please use the Application Finder.