Arriving in Joensuu and Karelia

updated in December 2022

Good to know

Keep all your important documents in your hand luggage when travelling: tickets, visa/residence permit, admission and insurance documents, confirmation of your lease and address in Joensuu.
As of 1 July 2022, there are no COVID-19-related restrictions on entry to Finland. You are no longer required to present a certificate of your COVID-19 vaccinations or a negative test result at the border.
However, it is strongly recommended to get a full series of COVID-19 vaccinations before arrival.
Before departure, check if your airline or any of the transit countries requires a negative COVID-19 test. Wearing a face mask on flights might be required. Remember good hand and coughing hygiene and the use of hand sanitizer when travelling.
Instructions of the Finnish border guard

At Helsinki airport

Check the website of Helsinki airport for practical information
General information on transport to/from the Helsinki airport (trains, buses, taxis, car rentals)

Travelling to Joensuu

The train is the best way to travel to Joensuu from the airport. There are several trains daily from Helsinki to Joensuu (about 440 km north-east from Helsinki).

Commuter trains P and I operate between Helsinki Airport and Helsinki city centre.
If you are in Helsinki City Centre, take the Intercity or Pendolino train from the main railway station directly to Joensuu.

You can take a train also directly from the Helsinki airport to Joensuu (there is one transfer):

1) Take commuter train P to Tikkurila. (Please note: commuter train I does NOT go via Tikkurila!)
2) Transfer to Intercity or Pendolino train from Tikkurila to Joensuu. (Joensuu is the last destination)

Where to buy train tickets?

In advance from the VR (Finnish railways) website OR VR Matkalla App OR
- from the ticket vending machine at the airport, Helsinki main railway station or Tikkurila railway station, or
- from any R-kioski, for example at the airport or Tikkurila railway station

Buying online some weeks before the trip is the cheapest option. It is NOT possible to buy a ticket from the conductor on the train.

Safety instructions for travelling in trains: https://www.vr.fi/en/corona
Please don’t buy a student ticket since you are entitled to student discounts on Finnish trains and buses only with a Finnish student card!

Long-distance busses to Joensuu leave from the Helsinki city centre (Kamppi central bus station).

Matkahuolto, long-distance bus services.
Onnibus, long-distance bus services.

Flights between Helsinki and Joensuu

Finnair flies between Helsinki and Joensuu once or twice a day. Flight time is about 1 hour.
The Joensuu airport is located about 11 km from the Joensuu city centre. There is a bus leaving after each flight from the airport to the city centre. Airport info.

Arriving in Joensuu

Exchange students: please inform Karelia International Office (arrival form link sent to you!) and your student tutor about your arrival beforehand.
Degree students, please inform also your study counsellor.
- International Business: riikka.kaasinen (at) karelia.fi
- Industrial Management: jukka.tulonen (at) karelia.fi
If you wish, your student tutor will pick up your key and deliver it to you when meeting you. Please agree on this well in advance!

Public transport (local buses) in Joensuu

Maps, timetables, fares: https://jojo.joensuu.fi/en/web/jojo-english

Feeling sick after your arrival

If you get any flu or stomach flu symptoms after your arrival, remember the safety instructions (avoid meeting anybody, keep your distance, hand and coughing hygiene). You may also take an antigen home test.

Updated instructions on COVID-19 in North Karelia

You can complete a symptom assessment at omaolo.fi. If you meet certain criteria, the Omaolo service will instruct you to call the emergency help support number at 116 117 available 24/7.

In order to avoid contacts, you can order groceries online from K-Ruoka or Foodie. These services are unfortunately available only in Finnish but you can use translation apps like Google Translate or maybe you ask your tutor to help you. For ordering restaurant meals at home, you can use: Wolt: wolt.com/en or Foodora: foodora.fi/en/.