Apply for residence permit/right of residence - degree students
Residence permit and Right of residence in Finland
Citizens of non-EU/EEA countries who are planning to complete a degree in Finland must apply for a residence permit (study visa) before entering the country. Please apply for the residence permit electronically as soon as you receive the notification of admission. It is recommended to request a Finnish personal identity code as part of the residence permit application.
Please note that the university cannot expedite or influence the residence permit process in any way, and it is your responsibility to begin the application well in advance to ensure timely arrival.
Citizens of EU/EEA countries who are planning to stay in Finland for more than three months should register their right of residence at the Finnish Immigration Service after arrival in Finland.
Check more detailed information applied to your case below:
Residence permit (non-EU/EEA citizens)
We highly recommend applying for a residence permit immediately, even though your admission is still conditional. JYU will notify the Finnish Immigration Service in case a conditional admission is cancelled. You may also apply for a residence permit before paying tuition fees by providing proof of funds needed for the tuition fee payment.
As obtaining a residence permit may take up to 5 months, you should apply for a residence permit by 15 May 2026 at the latest, to ensure you will be able to start your studies on time.
Right of residence (EU/EEA citizens)
European Union citizens (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain) and citizens of Liechtenstein and Switzerland do not need a residence permit, but they must register their right to reside in Finland at Finnish Immigration Service if their continuous stay lasts for longer than three months. The three months of residence are always counted from the time you were last outside Finland. You do not need to register your right of residence prior to your arrival in Finland.
Citizens of the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland) must register their right to reside in Finland at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) instead of the Finnish Immigration Service.
You can start the process of registering your right of residence by submitting an online or paper application form to the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri). After the application form is submitted, you need to make an appointment to visit one of Migri's service points to complete your registration. The closest service points are located in Kuopio and Tampere. There is a fee for registration for the citizens of the EU and EEA countries.