Important documents during your exchange

The certificate of student status is a free-of-charge certificate of attendance or non-attendance available to all University of Helsinki exchange and visiting students. You can use a certificate of student status to prove that you are a University of Helsinki student in cases where a student card or transcript of studies is insufficient.

You can order your certificate of student status from Sisu and download it as a PDF. If necessary, you can also request it from the Student Services.

Arrival and departure certificates are mainly applicable to Erasmus exchange students. Some universities require one or the other, some both. Please follow your home university's instructions! 

Arrival certificate

If you need a confirmation that you have arrived and started your student exchange at University of Helsinki, you can have the arrival certificate signed during orientation. Please print the document and bring it with you to the Check-in Event. This document is provided by your home university.

If you need a signature for the arrival certificate after the orientation, you can visit our drop-in consultations.

Here are the opening hours and addresses for where to get the signature:
- International Exchange Services drop-in service (drop-in service in City centre, Kumpula and Viikki) 
or
- Kaisa House student information student service hours 

Or send your certificate by email to studentexchange@helsinki.fi
 

Departure certificate

Erasmus+ and Erasmus+ ICM students will automatically receive a Letter of Confirmation (also known as a confirmation of stay, end of stay or departure certificate) via email at the end of their exchange. This document is electronically signed by the University of Helsinki. The dates on the certificate are the ones stated as the duration of your exchange in Sisu. No action is required to receive it.

If you are not an Erasmus+ student and require a departure certificate, or if your home university requires you to use their own form, please follow the instructions below:

If you are still in Finland, we can sign your Certificate (Letter of Confirmation) at the drop-in consultation hour.  Please print your home university's certificate form and bring it with you.

Here are the opening hours and addresses for where to get the signature:
- International Exchange Services drop-in service (drop-in service in City centre, Kumpula and Viikki) 
or
- Kaisa House student information student service hours 

Please note that we can sign your departure certificate maximum 5 days before your departure. 

These certificates can be signed by Student Services or International Exchange Services. Please see you home university's instructions on when to return the papers.

If you have already left Finland and require a signature for your certificate, you can send the certificate to be signed by email to studentexchange@helsinki.fi 

After your arrival to the University of Helsinki, changes to your Learning Agreement (LA) are possible (overlaps, cancellations, courses fully booked etc.). You might need an acceptance for changes from your home university, but the University of Helsinki does not require you to update your LA due to minor changes. If you fulfill the prerequisites and if there's space in the course, you are welcome to include it in your study plan.

If you use a digital version of the Learning Agreement, you can request a signature from International Exchange Services. If you need a signature to a physical copy, you can visit us during our the office hours. We can also sign electronic copies by e-mail to studentexchange@helsinki.fi 

Please note that the LA is not a registration for any courses nor a guarantee that you are accepted to those courses. 

If you need more information concerning the LA, please contact International Exchange Services. If you need to make changes to your Learning Agreement, please consult your home university's exchange coordinators.

The transcript of studies (/records) includes only credits of those courses you have passed. It is not technically possible to add failed courses on the transcript. If your home institution requires proof of a failed course, you need to ask for this from the teacher of the failed course. Please note that teachers are not obliged to write such certificates, nor are they able to grade pass/fail courses if they haven't agreed to do so at the beginning of the course. 

The University of Helsinki does not send automatically your transcript of studies! You need to order the transcript once all your courses have been registered in Sisu. You have access to your Sisu account until end of February (if you are staying for the fall period) or September (if you are studying in the spring term/for the whole academic year). 

Here you can find instructions for ordering a transcript of studies.

Check with your home institution whether they accept an electronically signed transcript of studies or if they need a paper copy.