Before your arrival to Finland, you might be very excited and nervous. This might cause you to forget some things! There are certain things that need to be taken care of before your studies start in Finland.
We have gathered a checklist for you about things that should be done before you embark on your journey to Finland. Let’s take a look!
Checklist for things to do before coming to Finland
- Get an insurance – you will need a valid insurance when you apply for the residence permit.
- Apply for the residence permit. It is advisable to familiarize yourself with the Residence permit requirements already during the application process.
- Make sure to regularly check out the current health recommendations and travel restrictions regarding traveling to Finland. You can find the most updated information from these websites: The Institute of Health and Welfare (THL), the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Finnish Border Guard.
- Before booking your flight, find out whether you are allowed to book a direct flight to Finland or not. From here you can find all the countries that Finland has lifted travel restrictions from. If the travel restrictions are still in place, you are not allowed to travel with a direct flight and you will have to fly through another country that has opened its borders to Finland.
- Book a flight only after you have received the residence permit.
- Purchase face masks. You are required to use a face mask during your flight and recommended to use it in public places where it is difficult to keep safe distance to others.
- Apply for accommodation. There’s a student housing organization in almost every city that offers affordable apartment. You can also look for an apartment on the free market but this will be more expensive.
- Check that your passport is and will be valid during your time abroad
- Get any required vaccinations
- Apply on time for Scholarships and funding, if applicable
- Get a Credit Card.
- Submit a notice of migration to local authorities and postal service, redirecting your mail.
- Register with your home country’s embassy so that they know you are abroad.
- Try to learn about the destination as much as possible beforehand
After completing all of the steps in this checklist, you are ready to jump on a plane to Finland!
If you want to know more about Finland study programs or read success stories from other international students, check out our blog!
