Welcoming Guide

Health Care

General emergency number 112 (Ambulance, Police, Fire brigade)

Calls to 112 are free of charge. When dialing the emergency number, you do not need any area code.

Siun Sote Health Stations and Emergency Care


Insurance

Karelia University of Applied Sciences expects that all exchange and international students have a valid personal travel insurance during their stay in Joensuu. Karelia does not provide insurance for incoming students. This means that Karelia University of Applied Sciences is not responsible for any payments or arrangements should something happen.

Students who come from outside EU/EEA/Switzerland need a private insurance to cover their medical and drug expenses. Requirements for a suitable insurance are described on the MIGRI (Finnish Immigration Service) website: https://migri.fi/en/insurance. Please note that the requirement is different for exchange students and students coming to study the full degree in Finland!

 

Students from EU, UK, Australia and Quebec (Canada)

All EU students are advised to obtain the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC card) from their home country and always carry it with them. With this card, the students are entitled to medically necessary treatment at the same price as Finns. Please obtain the requested card already in your home country. If you do not have it, please ask your own health insurance office to send it to you.

UK students may use their EHIC card in Finland and other EU countries until its expiry date. The GHIC card (global health insurance card), which provides similar benefits as EHIC for UK nationals, replaces EHIC in the UK gradually as of 1.1.2021.

Finland has social security agreements related to health care with some countries Australia and the province of Quebec, Canada, but we advise you to carefully check the coverage of the agreement and conditions on which benefits are available at your own health insurance office before arriving in Finland.

Please note that despite the EHIC/GHIC card or the social security agreement between Finland and your country, personal travel insurance is strongly recommended.

 

Instructions related to COVID-19

Information on the coronavirus situation in North Karelia region and all the updated instructions are available on Siun Sote website.

Please also check Karelia's coronainfo website for information of Karelia's services, safety instructions etc. during the pandemic. The page is updated regularly.

The latest official information, instructions and updates on national level are available on THL website (Finnish institute for health and welfare).

 

Vaccinations

Please make sure that you have valid vaccinations against polio, tetanus, MPR and diphtheria and preferably also COVID-19 already in your home country. Read carefully the instructions that you receive before arrival. This is especially important for nursing, physiotherapy and social services students who aim to carry out clinical practice during their exchange period.

 

Health care in Joensuu

Exchange students in Joensuu are recommended to use private clinics in non-urgent situations. In public health care, the fees are the same as for the Finns if you have an EHIC card. The fees in private clinics are substantially higher but you might get an appointment sooner and claim back the cost later from your insurance company.

Read more >>

 

Pharmacies

Medicines are sold only at pharmacies (apteekki). Hygiene products are available in all supermarkets and department stores.

Yliopiston apteekki (address: Koskikatu 7) is open every day 8 - 23.

Other pharmacies are located in the centre (Siltakatu 10), Rantakylä (in K-supermarket premises, Puronsuunkatu 1), Noljakka (in Citymarket premises, Linjatie 2), Niinivaara (Niinivaarantie 52) and in Prisma shopping mall (Voimatie 2).
They are open on weekdays and Saturdays with shorter service hours.

 

Personal safety and police station

The crime rate is low in Finland in comparison with most other European countries. Visitors have little need to fear for their personal safety or their property. Nevertheless, reasonable caution with one’s personal belongings is always recommended as a precaution. Incoming international students are reminded to take into consideration that although Finland is by international standards a safe, tolerant and open nation where inappropriate behaviour is not usually present, this does not necessarily mean that one does not encounter such events in Finland.

In case something does happen, do not hesitate to contact the proper authorities!

Police

Tel: +358 295 450 311 (switchboard)
www.poliisi.fi/english/
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Visiting address (for e.g. reporting an offence)
Pykäläkuja 1, Joensuu. Mon-Fri at 8-16.15, closed during weekend
tel. +358 295 415 455, +358 295 415 320

Lost property office at the police station
Address: Pykäläkuja 1, Joensuu
Mon-Fri: 9 - 16.15
tel. +358 295 415 333

Another lost property office: Pohjois-Karjalalan löytötavarapalvelut Oy

Address: Raatekankaantie 4, Joensuu (in the premises of Kirpparilla flee market), tel. +358 600 550127

Open Mon-Thu 14 - 17, Sun 13 - 15. Closed on Fridays and Saturdays.

https://pklp.fi/ (website only in Finnish)

 

Medicines and narcotics

You can normally take the prescription and over-the-counter medicines you need with you when you travel. However, regulations may be different depending on the country you travel from and on the kind of medicines. Do check the detailed information from the website of the Finnish Customs!

The use and possession of narcotics are punishable acts in Finland, as are the production, selling, import and transport of narcotics.