General information
Submit your residence permit application electronically viathe e-service as soon as you have been admitted for studies at JYU. It is also possible to apply via paper form, however, it will be more expensive and the decision process will take longer. You must visit a in person to prove your identity. You can also prove your identity at a VFS Global application centre. Please note, that there might be a high demand for the appointments, and you may also need to travel to another country to prove your identity in case there is no Finnish mission in your country. Thus, we highly recommend booking the appointment well in advance.
A decision on your application will not be made before you pay the processing fee and have proven your identity. The applicant must remain abroad while waiting for the decision on the residence permit application. A residence permit card will be delivered to you abroad unless you have applied for a in addition to a residence permit.
To obtain a residence permit to study in Finland, international students must show that their income is secured during their period of studies in Finland. The Finnish Immigration Service has determined that starting from 1 November 2024, a student must have at least 800 euros/month (9 600 euros/year) at their disposal on a bank account in their name to cover first year's living expenses when applying for the residence permit.
If you are planning to arrive with your spouse/dependents, please note that they will also need to apply for residence permits. Please note, that in such cases the income requirement will be higher. You can find further information on the .
The first residence permit for studies costs 450 € (electronic application).
Degree students
Please apply for a residence permit as soon as you have received a notification of admission from us and accepted your study place. You may apply for a residence permit while your admission is still conditional, and we highly recommend you to do so as the processing times may be very long. JYU will notify the Finnish Immigration Service in case a conditional admission is cancelled. You may apply for a residence permit before paying the tuition fees (if applicable). In this case, you need proof of funds needed for the tuition fee payment.
A residence permit obtained for completing a Master's degree in Finland is usually granted for the duration of the studies (2 years), however, you enough to prove your income for one year of studies. Please note, that a residence permit can only be granted for the period that your passport is valid. Students studying for a higher education degree can be issued with a continuous residence permit (an A-type permit) in Finland. The student must meet the conditions of the residence permit throughout the studies. If your first permit is valid for less than two years, you should apply for an extended permit approximately 3 months before the first permit expires.
D visa
Starting from 01.04.2023, you can apply for a at the same time as you apply for a residence permit. The D visa allows you to travel to Finland immediately after you have received a positive decision on your residence permit application, and a D visa sticker has been attached to your passport. In this case, your residence permit card will be delivered to you in Finland. On average, the D visa allows you to travel to Finland for 1–2 weeks earlier than usual. We recommend applying for D visa if your country has long processing times and there is a risk that you may arrive after your studies at JYU have begun.
Please, note that citizens of countries exempt from visa requirement do not need a D visa.
Application process in a nutshell
- First, check which Finnish embassy or application centre you need to visit and book an appointment. There might be a high demand for the appointments, so you should book it well in advance. A Finnish mission or VFS Application Centre may be located in a different country from where you are staying. Be prepared to apply for a visa for the country in question.
- Submit your residence permit application via online service EnterFinland.
- Visit a Finnish embassy or VFS Application Centre in person for identification and fingerprinting. The estimated processing time of your application starts from the day of your visit.
- Wait for the decision. Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) will contact you if they need any additional documents. You will receive your residence permit card in the embassy or application centre, where you proved your identity. In case you applied for visa D in addition to your residence permit, you can travel to Finland immediately after receiving a positive decision on your application and your residence permit card will be delivered to you in Finland.
Please note that the university cannot speed up or affect in any way the residence permit process.
Documents required for the residence permit application
Besides general attachments such as a valid passport and passport photos, the following application-specific attachments are also required:
- notification/letter of admission
- details of comprehensive health insurance coverage (with a reliable and solvent company or institution)
- documentation of sufficient financial resources
- For scholarship recipients: proof of scholarship (JYU notification of admission is also the proof of scholarship)
- For tuition-paying degree students: proof of funds needed for the tuition fee, or receipt of the payment of the tuition fee
Customer instructions for students (migri.fi):
