Welcoming Guide

Information package, student tutor

Karelia's International Office will send a letter of acceptance and important information by email to those who have been accepted as exchange students.

The student tutor (buddy) will guide you during the first days to the Campus, Orientation Programme, accommodation, groceries, banks, etc. You can ask them for help if needed.

Due to COVID-19, special precautions and arrangements may be planned for Autumn 2022 to ensure everybody's safety.


Have the necessary documents to enter Finland

In general, a foreign citizen must carry a valid passport in order to enter Finland. Citizens of Schengen countries must have a passport or an internationally recognised official identity card during their stay in Finland. Passport is however needed also from Schengen citizens if one wishes to travel outside the EU from Finland.

Non-Eu/EEA citizens need a visa or residence permit

Instructions are included to the invitation email for students who come outside of Europe.

More information and details of the rules and regulations are available from the Embassy of Finland and on the Finnish Immigration Service webpages at https://migri.fi/en/studying-in-finland. 

Please note that tourist visas cannot normally be extended in Finland.

 

There are no more covid-related restrictions for entering Finland. In case of any changes to the situation, the following websites provide official information.

More information:

Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland

Information about entry to Finland by Finnish Border Guard

Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare: COVID-19 latest updates

 

Accommodation

Student Housing Company Joensuun Elli
Merimiehenkatu 30
Tel. +358 13 337 7800
E-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
https://joensuunelli.fi/

Joensuun Elli is a Student Housing Company owned by the City of Joensuu. Joensuun Elli has several student flats located in different parts of Joensuu. Most exchange students live in a shared flat where they have a private room and they share kitchen, bathroom and toilet with 1-3 other students. Exchange students are usually accommodated in a room which has basic furniture: a bed and a mattress, a desk, a chair and a wardrobe. However, there are no curtains, rugs, linen, dishes, cutlery, etc. in the flats.

You can apply for accommodation online or by filling in an application form and sending it by email to Joensuun Elli. Please mention in your application that you apply for a furnished room!

Rent for a room in a shared flat is about 200 - 350 euros/month. The rent includes electricity, heating and water. In the furnished flats, a furniture fee of 19 euros is added to the rent.

There is a free laundry room and a public sauna in every housing unit. Private sauna turn or parking space for a car can be reserved for an extra fee.

A "Survival Pack" can be rented from the Student Union POKA. The Survival Pack includes some necessities, mainly dishes. Or, there are quite many flea markets in Joensuu as well.

 

Study and living expenses

The average cost for a single student would be minimum of 700-800 euros per month. Since international students can work in Finland only on a restricted basis and part-time jobs are rare in Joensuu, one should not count on financing studies by working.

Exchange students at Karelia University of Applied Sciences are not required to pay tuition fees. Students are required to pay only for the optional study tours and study materials (handouts, books, printed materials, practical work manuals, copies, etc.).

Students who are enrolled in an institution of higher education are entitled to several student benefits by presenting their student card. In order to get a student card, you need to join the POKA student union of Karelia UAS. Please note that an ISIC card (International Student Card) does not entitle you to all of the student benefits in Finland.

Tips for those living on a tight budget:

  • Make sure that you are aware of all the possible student reductions and other reductions available and compare the prices. Ask the Student Union for a complete list of places that offer student reductions by showing your Student Card and get tips from fellow Finnish students. Please notice that the open market place (tori) is not necessarily the cheapest place to buy food in Finland as it is in some other countries.
  • Use the possibility to eat lunch at student price on campuses – the meals are tasty, well-balanced and substantial.
  • Check rummage sales and flea markets for inexpensive second-hand goods and furniture. To find bargains, you should look for ALE or TARJOUS signs which indicate sales or special offers. The flea markets are also worth visiting (cheap second-hand clothes, kitchenware, books, etc.). They are popular among all the students.
  • Take advantage of offerings of Sykettä Joensuu university sports