Where education meets innovation

Programmes on our catalogue for Finland range from EUR 7,500 – 20,000 per year. Fees are set by each university and programme.

Budget around $1,300 a month for accommodation, food and transport. Costs vary by city.

IELTS 5.5–7.0 overall, depending on programme. English-test requirement derived from 248 of our 338 verified Finland programmes. Individual programmes set their own; your counsellor confirms the exact score.

During your studies you may work an average of 30 hours a week, and that average is measured across the whole calendar year rather than capped week by week, which comes to roughly 1,560 hours a year. Unrestricted work over the holidays is no longer permitted, so a full-time summer is only possible if the year-end average still lands at or under 30 hours. Full-time work is allowed without counting against the average when it is thesis work or a practical training placement that forms part of your degree, which matters for universities of applied sciences whose degrees include a compulsory placement. After graduating you can apply for a residence permit to look for work or start a business for a maximum of two years. A spouse, registered partner or cohabiting partner who joins you on a family-ties permit gets a full right to work and study, wider than your own 30-hour limit, and both partners must normally be at least 21 when that permit is issued. Weigh the two-year search permit against the job market: Finnish unemployment was 9.46 percent in 2025.

Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere, Lappeenranta, Joensuu

Finland issues a residence permit for studies rather than a student visa, applied for online through the Enter Finland service, and it is granted for the full length of your studies. You must show funds of at least EUR 800 per month, which the government states as EUR 9,600 for a year's stay, and the funds must cover your whole family if dependants come with you. The application fee is EUR 600 online and EUR 750 on paper at the time of writing; the fee is set by the Finnish Immigration Service and has been revised before, so confirm the current figure before you apply. Processing is 30 days or less for 82 percent of first applications submitted in spring and summer where the decision is positive, and otherwise an estimated 90 days. Health insurance must be in place before you apply and valid on arrival with no breaks: medical cover of at least EUR 120,000 if your studies last under two years, or pharmaceutical cover of at least EUR 40,000 if they last two years or more, with an excess of no more than EUR 300.