First steps of a joint degree student

The main point of contact for your study right is the education specialist of your degree programme: the education specialist will give you instructions on how to accept and activate your study right at the University of Helsinki. 
 
When you contact the University of Helsinki student advice with questions, please always remember to mention that you are a student of a joint degree programme and therefore staying in Finland for less than one year. By doing so, you will receive the right instructions for joint degree students specifically.  

You can apply for furnished student housing for the duration of your studies in Helsinki. The application form for HOAS and Unihome apartments is open from 1 April to 15 May (for studies beginning in the autumn term). Your programme will send you the link to the application form for joint degree students’ housing when it’s open.  

You can see the housing options on the exchange students’ housing instructions, but the application form itself is different for joint degree students.  Please note that the prices might still be updated before the application period begins. For other housing options, please see our general housing instructions.

Please follow the instructions given by the education specialist of your degree programme. 

Non-EU/EEA citizens who have begun their studies in another EU member state and have a valid residence permit to that EU member have two options depending on their immigration status. You can either apply for a residence permit or apply for a mobility notification. Please apply as early as possible as the applications’ processing times may take several months. 

Non-EU/EEA citizens who have begun their studies outside EU must apply for a residence permit to Finland. It requires booking an appointment to visit a Finnish mission abroad.   

EU/EEA citizens should apply for EU registration. 

Nordic citizens (citizen of Denmark, Iceland, Norway or Sweden), only need to register their personal data at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. Nordic citizens do not need to apply for EU registration at the Finnish Immigration Service. 
 

If you applied for a residence permit, it may already include a Finnish personal identity code. If you do not have a personal identity code (also called social security code) please apply for one at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. 

When you have received your personal identity code, please update it in the University of Helsinki student register.

You can activate your IT user account one the Student Register has notified you via email that your details have been recorded in the student information system Sisu (max. four months before your study rights starts). 

Your studies begin with orientation which includes a Check-In Event where you can take care of many of the formalities and get to know local student life. You will be guided by a local student tutor.  

Some of the general instructions during orientation are geared to regular degree students or exchange students. Therefore, please remember to follow the guidelines that you received from the education specialist of your programme for instructions on how to get access to student discounts, they are meant for joint degree students specifically.  

If you arrive after orientation, please let the education specialist of your programme know about when you will arrive. Arriving after the Check-In Event means that you will need to take care of many things independently.  
 
If you arrive after orientation, please contact HelsinkiUni Help for instructions on how to get the student discount for the public transportation (HSL). Please remember to mention you are a joint degree student.

Degree students are required to pay the Student Union membership fee. The education specialist of your programme will inform you if your degree programme pays it on your behalf. Read more about the Student Union.

EU citizens should apply for a European Health Insurance Card before arriving in Finland. It is issued by the national health care provider of the country where you have permanent residence, and it gives you access to medically necessary urgent health care. 

UK citizens should apply for a Global Health Insurance Card. 

Other non-EU citizens should purchase comprehensive health insurance before arriving in Finland. You will need to have health insurance when you apply for a residence permit or when you apply for a mobility notification.

As a joint degree student who is staying in Finland for less than two years, you cannot register a permanent address in Finland, and your health insurance is therefore vitally important if you fall seriously ill during your stay in Finland.  

All attending degree students are required by Finnish law to pay the Finnish Student Health Care Fee. The healthcare fees are used to finance the services of the Finnish Student Health Service.   
 
This fee is not included in your tuition fee. The education specialist of your programme will inform you if your degree programme pays it on your behalf.  

If you have social security coverage in another EU or EEA country, Switzerland, Great Britain or Northern Ireland, you do not have to pay the healthcare fee, but you need to follow the instructions from Kela. 

If the university where you completed your first study year or semester has granted you Erasmus+ student exchange funding (Erasmus+ KA131 student mobility, also known as Erasmus+ SMS), please see the instructions about the Erasmus+ requirements that you need to follow.

Fortunately, studying in Finland isn't all about bureaucracy and filling in documents! Please read more about student life in Helsinki from our external website.