Information sessions for exchange students coming to Helsinki

The International Exchange Services organises this online event to inform you about the issues you may be worried about before your arrival in Helsinki and what to expect during the orientation week. We will tell you about the university-related paperwork for your exchange such as the student certificate, arrival certificates, and learning agreements. We will try our best to answer your questions.

Welcome to the Pre-arrival information event on Wednesday, December 14th, 2022, 14:15 - 16:00 (Attention!!! Helsinki time) via Zoom.

The event is not going to be recorded. The slides of the event will be published here after the event (works at least with Chrome, not with Firefox).

The pdf version of the powerpoint presentation.

Each autumn and spring, before the classes begin, there is an orientation week which is a week full of activities for all new international students. It is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to get to know the campuses and the university and to get all the official matters out of the way.

Please note that if you miss the orientation week, the start of your studies will be more time-consuming and challenging as you have to take care of everything independently.

Degree students might receive some credits for the orientation. Please ask for more information from your degree programme coordinators.

Autumn 2022

• Orientation Week: 30 August - 2 September 2022

Due to Covid-19, most administrative matters will be taken care of online, to ensure everyone's safety and equal participation. However, we will try to organize some events face to face.

We will be sending you newsletters, so please pay attention to the guidelines and instructions in them. Each faculty organizes its own orientation, please follow your own faculty's orientation programme by first selecting your degree programme on the Orientation and Tutoring web page. 

All Important orientation events for international students will be announced on the Orientation and Tutoring web page.

Spring 2023

• Orientation Week: 11. - 13. January 2023

Get to Know Your Campus

The University of Helsinki comprises four campuses. Get to know yours in advance!

• City Centre Campus (Faculties of Arts, Educational Sciences, Law, Theology and Social Sciences, Swedish School of Social Science)
• Kumpula Campus (Faculty of Science)
• Viikki Campus (Faculties of Biological And Environmental Sciences, Agriculture and Forestry, Pharmacy and Veterinary Medicine)
• Meilahti Campus (Faculty of Medicine)

Hungry?

All Bachelor’s or Master’s students who have registered as attending are entitled to an affordable student-priced lunch at the UniCafe cafeterias on all campuses. For lunch prices and the contact details of the cafeterias, please visit the UniCafe website. You can use your Certificate of student status during the Orientation Week to get a student discount at Unicafe. Students without a certificate can get a staff member discount from UniCafe.

Guidance Corner provides low threshold advice and guidance services on, for example, wellbeing, digital skills and job seeking. Some of the Guidance Corner activities are regular weekly guidance and counselling sessions. Student services organises also a series of events about Student Life for international and exchange students in English. Read more on the guidance corner page!

Throughout the year, the University of Helsinki and its Student Union organise a wide variety of events and parties open to all students. Other student organisations and external parties, such as museums, also organise events for students. Exchange students are more than welcome to join these events, which we have listed in the Instructions for students under student events.

Concerns mainly Erasmus students!

A departure certificate is a document given to you by your home university (mainly for Erasmus exchange students). If your home university does not require it, you do not need to get a signature.

We will sign the departure certificates (i.e. "end of stay" or "confirmation of stay" documents) within three days before your study right ends.

If you leave earlier than three days before your study right ends, you can ask for a signature by visiting us on different campuses during our office hours: Drop-In services: https://studies.helsinki.fi/instructions/article/international-exchange-services-and-education-cooperation#paragraph-326.

Or from the Kaisa House Student Information: https://studies.helsinki.fi/instructions/article/student-services#paragraph-2990

Pop-up signature events and Drop-In times for Autumn 2022 will take place as follows:

Kumpula Campus: December 22nd, Thursday between 13-15 at the Physicum building lobby, Address: Gustaf Hällströmin katu 2. 

Viikki Campus: December 22nd, Thursday between 13-15 at Info center, 2nd floor, room 2050 Address: Viikinkaari 11

City Center Campus: December 23rd, Friday between 9-11 at Main Student Library Kaisa, 3rd floor lobby Address: Fabianinkatu 30

Kaisa House Student Information is open on Thursday 22nd December between 12-15.