Accommodation in Finland for both international and Finnish students is offered mostly by student’s union or independent student housing companies, depending on the university. The normal student accommodation is at dormitories, where you normally have a shared flat with a private room and a shared kitchen, bathroom and toilet with 1-3 other students. There is normally a possibility for a furnished room with a bed, a mattress, a desk, a chair and a wardrobe.

Normally there is no linen or kitchenware, but often you can rent it from elsewhere. In most flats there is also a possibility to have an internet connection for some fee (app. 20 €/month). Students arriving with their wife/husband and/or children can apply for a family flat. The rents for the rooms in shared flats vary from 150-300 euros/month, for the family flat up to 850 euros/month, depending on the flat and the location. Therefore, no exact sums can be given here. For very short terms, there is a possibility to rent a guest room, depending on the host university. You get the most exact information by contacting the international students’ office of your host university.

There are no tuition fees in Finland. In the CBU, the students pay the tuition fees according to the practices of their home university. In Finland, students have to pay the student union membership (app. 100 €/ academic year or 50 €/ semester). The membership for the full academic year includes also the services of the Finnish Student Health Services (FSHS) free of charge (specialised medical care and dental care have a small fee). The membership entitles you as well to get the student card, which allows you several discounts and benefits.Student has to pay for the study material and for all the living expenses. Living expenses are relatively high in Finland, though comparable to the EU average. Since international students can work in Finland only on a restricted basis, one should not anticipate studies to be financed by part-time work.

Anyway, the meals at the student cafeterias are inexpensive, and at the supermarkets “ale” or “tarjous” indicate sales or special offers. The Libraries are well supplied also with international magazines and newspapers.

You can find several recommendations for the average costs for a single student, like 550 euros per month for living. In fact, many students come out with less money, and many need more, so no exact sums can be given here either.

There is not the possibility for CBU students visiting the Finnish host university to get the financial aid for studies in Finland from KELA (The Social Insurance Institution of Finland), as the requirements for non-citizens of Finland are quite strict according to the official character and length of the stay. More information: http://www.kela.fi/in/internet/english.nsf/.

EU and EEA (European Union/European Economic Area) citizens can enter the country freely, but they must register their right to reside in Finland if staying for more than 3 months. The registration costs 40 euros. Citizens of the Nordic countries are not required a visa or a residence permit. More information: http://www.poliisi.fi/english → Licences →  Permits and licences for foreigners.

 Non-EU/EEA citizens intending to enter Finland must secure a study visa/residence permit at the nearest Finnish embassy or consulate with the admission confirmation documents provided by the host university. Please note that the tourist visas cannot be extended in Finland. Non-EU/EEA citizens must also demonstrate that their own funds or scholarship will cover their living expenses in Finland. More detailed information is available from the Embassy of Finland at the home country and on the Directorate of Immigration (http://www.uvi.fi/).

Registration of a foreigner in Finland is needed for stays longer than a year or for working and receiving a salary.

Notifying the post office of moving is recommended, even if you are not required to register, if you are moving during your stay in Finland. Please inform the post office with a notification of moving (muuttoilmoitus), the form is available at the post office or on the internet site www.posti.fi.

Please note, that a foreign citizen must carry a valid passport in order to enter the country and during his/her stay in Finland, or in case of a citizen of a Schengen country a passport or an internationally recognised official identity card.

International students are allowed to work in Finland without a work permit max. 20 hours/week during academic semesters and full-time during holidays, according to international agreements. For a full-time engagement is needed a work permit. Please, inform detailed by the Directorate of Immigration. Citizens of Nordic countries, EU or EEA countries do not need a work permit.

Persons residing in Finland for less than 6 months must pay a final 35% tax-at-source on their income. The amount of salary does not affect the tax rate.  Apart from the tax, the employer is also required to deduct an employment pension contribution and an unemployment insurance contribution.

The income earned by persons who have been residing in Finland for more than 6 months are taxed at the same rate as permanent residents. More information: http://www.vero.fi/.

Finnish Student Health Services (FSHS; YTHS) are free of charge (specialised medical care and dental care have a small fee) for students, who own the Finnish Student Card for one academic year. Students may also use the general health services, especially for serious illness and emergencies or when the student health services are closed (evenings and weekends).

       Insurance

It is required, that all CBU-students have a valid personal (travel) insurance policy from an internationally recognised insurance agency for the duration of their stay at the host university. All EU students in Finland are advised to obtain a European Health Insurance Card from their home country and always carry it with them.

The Finnish monetary unit is the euro (EUR, €).

Opening a bank account is free of charge, but other services are usually liable to a charge. Fees depend on the bank. Using the web bank is usually the cheapest method. Banks in Finland (in alphabetical order): Handelsbanken, Nordea, Osuuspankki, Säästöpankki Optia, Sampo, Tapiola Pankki, Ålandsbanken.

You will be given an ATM card which will work in most cash dispensers/ ATMs (otto/pankkiautomaatti/pikapankki) throughout Finland. All banks also have special banking terminals (maksuautomaatti) for paying bills. Using them is much cheaper than paying bills at a bank desk. If you lose your ATM card, call 020 333, 24 h/day.

Telephone, international calls The telephone country code for Finland is +358. Note that the first number of the area code (0) is omitted.

You can call direct to all countries from Finland. There are several international prefixes of different companies for different prices. You can always use the pan-European code 00 + country code + area code + destination number.

There are not too many telephone booths left in Finland. The easiest way is to buy a prepaid sim card for a mobile phone e.g. at R-kiosk. Mobile phones cost up from app. 70 euros, second-hand ones are cheaper.

Skype is always an economic alternative.

Domestic number enquiries: 118 or 020202 (an extra charge) International number enquiries: 020208 (3,50 €/min. + local call)

Measurements In Finland the Unit of measurement is the metric system.

Electricity The electrical current in Finland is 220V (230V), 50 Hz. Plugs are the two-pin continental size.

Tipping A service charge is automatically included in restaurant and hotel bills. Cafés, hairdressers or taxi-drivers do not expect tips.

Smoking The non-smoking policy is very strict in Finland, meaning that smoking is prohibited in public facilities (schools, trains, busses, bus stops, hospitals, etc.). Cafés, bars and restaurants are normally smoke free, bur many have a special smoking room.