For exchange and visiting students

Here you will find the annual application periods and deadlines for exchange and visiting student applicants.

When does the academic year begin? Does the University have summer or Christmas holidays? This page provides information about the schedules for the academic year and teaching periods.

After your Home University has nominated you for student exchange at UH, you can follow these instructions on the procedure of applying as an exchange student.

This page provides information on how to apply for the visiting student status (free mover), if your home university does not have a student exchange agreement with UH or if your studies in Helsinki are not based on an exchange agreement.

On this page you will find instructions for how to look for a supervisor if you wish to work on your thesis or do practical work/traineeship at the University of Helsinki.

On this page you will find a guide for incoming exchange students for finding courses at the University of Helsinki.

This page provides information on individual arrangements, intended to support your studies.

On this page you will find useful hints and sources of information for house hunters.

The Faculties at the University of Helsinki consider every exchange/visiting student application individually and make the admission decision on the basis of the fully completed application form and enclosures.

It is very important that you have good health insurance that is valid during the entire time your studies last. On this page you will find information on health insurance for exchange students.

You must apply for a residence permit if you are not a citizen of EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland and you plan to study in Finland for longer than 90 days.

HYY serves as an advocate, service provider and community for students. On this page you will find information on HYY's services, activities and events.

As a new degree student, you will start your studies with an orientation period under the guidance of a student tutor. On this page you will find information about orientation and tutoring.

Besides registering for the academic year, you must submit a separate registration for all the courses and examinations that you wish to complete. On this page you will find information on how to register for courses and exams.

After arriving in Finland you will have to register with a few relevant authorities within a certain period of time. On this page, you'll find information targeted to exchange and visiting students.

When your personal or contact information changes, if needed, remember to notify the university about the changes. When your study right as a degree student is active and your Finnish social security code is added to Sisu, some data is automatically transferred from the Population Data System to Sisu.

Whether you are a new or an old student, here you can find explanations for key terms related to academic studies and student life.

Here you can find information about learning facilities, such as libraries and learning centres.

Check on this page what documents you will need the for student discounts or for your home institution during your exchange at the University of Helsinki.

Here you can find information about grading scales and assessment principles at the University.

All you need to know about living in and finding your way around Helsinki. Read more about topics like cost of living, student life, health care and well being.

See where to call if you fall ill during your exchange.

These instructions are for exchange students at the University of Helsinki. If you need special arrangements during your studies or wish to extend, cancel or suspend your exchange or if you failed a course, read these instructions.

On this page you will find useful tips for sustainable travelling for both as incoming and outgoing students.

Experiencing culture shock or homesickness while studying abroad? Whether you're dealing with culture shock, homesickness, or both, the stages, experiences, and how to respond to them are all relatively similar. This page provides information on and tips for dealing with culture shock and homesickness.

If you want to seize every part of the process during your international studies, this section is for you. Here you can find a guide to reflect on your experience, which will aid your professional, personal, and intercultural growth.

You should prepare for your departure from Finland well before the end of your exchange studies. We have listed here things you should not forget. 

You need an electronically verified or printed transcript of studies if you are asked to provide official proof of the studies you have completed at the University of Helsinki. See on this page how to order a transcript of studies.

On this page you will find events for incoming exchange students coming to Helsinki for an exchange.

On this page you will find newsletters for exchange and visiting students.

If you are coming from abroad to the University of Helsinki as an exchange student or as a visiting student, we are here to help you! We also help degree students in matters concerning studies or traineeships abroad. In this page you will find contact information for the International Education Services.