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Before arrival
This is a list to remind you of the about the
practical matters that you should take care of before
leaving for Finland. Please do not make any definate
travel plans or apply for accommodation before you have received
the official Letter of Confirmation from the University of
Kuopio.
Apply for housing
Residence permit
Confirm your study place
Insurance
Travel arrangements
Notification of arrival
Banks
Clothing
Photos
Apply for housing with Kuopas
Instructions and housing application form have been sent to
you along with the pre-arrival information package. Please note
the following deadlines:
- 15 June (for autumn term / full academic year)
- 30 November (for spring term)
Apply for a residence permit (if necessary)
Students
coming from countries outside the EU / EEA and staying
in
Finland for longer than three months must acquire a residence
permit. Residence permit must be applied at your nearest
Finnish Embassy or Consulate before your arrival in
Finland. A list of Finnish Embassies and Consulates can be found at:
http://www.formin.fi/public/default.aspx?nodeid=15131&contentlan=2&culture=en-US
As of 1 September 2007 health insurance is a requirement for obtaining a residence permit for all non-EU students. Further information
Citizens of the member states of the European Union (EU)
and European Economic Area (EEA) do not need a residence
permit. However, if you are staying in Finland for
longer than three months you must register your right to
reside in the country. This is can be done at the local police
station after your arrival in Finland. Take several
passport-sized photos with you for registration purposes.
Confirm your study place
Degree students must
submit
confirmation form for acceptance of the student place no
later than 4.15 pm on 1st
August 2008. Please not that according to Finnish law you
are allowed to accept
only one study place in a degree programme leading to a higher
education degree during any one academic year.
For further information please see
http://www.koulutusnetti.fi/index.php?file=326
Exchange students
should contact the the
International Office
to confirm their study period at the University of Kuopio.
Insurance
Because the University of Kuopio does not have
an insurance policy for its students, you should make sure
that you have a valid insurance to cover for any
medical treatment you may need. The students with
third-country national are required to have the insurance
already when they apply for the residence permit. For the EU/EEA
citizens, too, it is important to make sure that you are
comverd by insurance during the whole period of being abroad.
Do not forget to check that your insurance comvers your travel
to/from Finland.
The requirement is the same for degree-seeking and exchange students. Also students applying for an extension of residence permit must have the health insurance.
Third-country national means a person who is not a citizen of either one of the EU countries, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland. Students from Quebec, Canada are also exempt from the health insurance requirement.
The type of health insurance policy depends on the duration of studies in Finland:
A) Third-country nationals studying in Finland for less than two years
A student who enters Finland to study for less than two years is not usually granted the right to domicile, i.e. a home municipality in Finland, and therefore is not entitled to municipal health care services. Consequently, the student must have private insurance which covers costs of medical treatment up to 100 000 euros.
B) Third-country nationals studying in Finland for at least two years
A student who enters Finland to study for at least two years is usually granted the right to domicile, i.e. a home municipality in Finland and is therefore entitled to municipal health care services. Consequently, the student must have private insurance which covers costs of medical treatment up to 30 000 euros (primarily costs of medicines).
In order to be granted a home municipality in Finland, a student must register at the local registration office (maistraatti). Requirements for the right to domicile are that the student has a residence permit at least for the period of one year and the duration of studies in Finland is at least two years. (Documents of the duration of studies are available at the Student Services.)
NOTE: The right to use Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) does not exclude a student from having to take out the health insurance.
Health insurance must be obtained prior to applying for a residence permit. The insurance must be valid for the duration of studies. The insurance policy must be issued by a reliable and financially sound company or institution. Foreign countries and international insurance companies offer a range of insurances. Below are links to some international insurance companies, which have come to our attention. Please contact them directly for further information on prices and coverage.
Here are a few examples of insurance companies you may consult:
Travel arrangements
Kuopio is located in Eastern Finland, about 400
kilometres to North-East from Helsinki, the capital of Finland.
Travel connections from Helsinki to Kuopio are excellent. There
are about 5 -10 daily
flights, 7 trains and 5-10 coaches from
Helsinki to Kuopio.
For train and coach timetables and fares and and
domestic flights, please see:
http://www.vr.fi
(Finnish railways)
http://www.matkahuolto.fi/en (Coach travel services)
http://www.expressbus.fi
(Coach travel services)
http://www.finnair.fi
(International and domestic flights)
http://www.blue1.com
(International and domestics flights)
Notification of arrival
If you would like your
peer-tutor to meet you at the airport/coach or railway station
in Kuopio, please fill out and return this
form at least two
weeks before your arrival.
Please avoid arriving at weekends, for the university, offices,
shops and banks are closed.
Unfortunately we cannot guarantee
that your tutor will be able to meet you upon arrival if we
receive this form later than two weeks before arrival.
Banks
It is also a good idea to find out what is the most
advantageous way to send money to Finland. You can also open a
bank account in Kuopio. The rates of money exchange are
approximately the same in all Finnish banks.
Clothing
Finland has four
distinct seasons and temperatures vary a lot depending on the
season. If you are spending winter in Finland, please pack
warm winter clothes with you or be prepared to buy them.
It is also a good idea to bring either an umbrella or raincoat
with you. Kuopio is a comfortable sized city and most places
are within easy walking or cycling distance. Therefore you
may also want to bring good walking shoes.
Photos
You might also want to bring several
passport-sized photos with you. Photos are needed for
registration purposes, student card, residence permits
etc.
Updated on
04.11.2009/PN
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University of Kuopio, International Office, P.O. Box 1627, FIN-70211 Kuopio, Finland
Visiting address: Savilahdentie 9, Snellmania, 2nd floor, B-entrance, tel: +358 50 413 7733, fax: +358 17 163 496, e-mail: forename.surname@uku.fi
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