Finland student visa for Indian students: All you need to know

Finland has an impressive educational environment with over 400 programs that are taught in English for undergraduates and postgraduates. This Nordic country also has over 20,000 international students studying within its borders.

Want to know more about possibly becoming a student in Finland? Read on to learn about the Finnish student visa process.

📝 Table of contents
Application Process Requirements Documents Checklist Fees

Each visa application is different, so if you have any questions or unsure of how to move forward, be sure to contact an immigration or visa professional. While this article can be a helpful guide to the Finnish process, it is not a replacement for professional advice. It is also recommended to keep updated on news and policies directly from the Embassy of Finland in India website.

🎓 Finland student visa application

In order to study in Finland, Indian students are required to apply for a student visa, which is also called a Residence Permit. The Residence Permit lets you stay in Finland for over 90 days and will be valid until the end of your program in the country.

You will need to apply for a Residence Permit before you arrive in Finland. And the process requires that you complete an application online and complete your biometric information in-person at a visa application centre in India.

You are required to have been accepted into a Finnish educational institution to qualify for a residence permit. The institutions include:

• Universities
• Universities of applied sciences
• Vocational education institution
• Upper secondary schools, in certain cases

If you would like to study in Finland for additional post graduate studies after having completed your Master’s, you will need to apply for a residence permit for scientific research.

You will also have to show either payment of tuition fees to the institution or ability to pay the tuition fees as part of your prospective application.

⏲️The Finnish Residence Permit is typically issued for 2 years at a time. But if your program is shorter than that, it will only be issued for the duration of the studies

A Residence Permit does allow students to work in Finland as long as the work is related to the degree that they are studying for. You can work an average of 25 hours a week during your academic program, and without restriction during holidays or breaks.

Once you have completed your studies in Finland on your Residence Permit, you can be granted a Residence Permit for an additional year to look for a job in the country or apply to further studies.¹

🛬 If you are going to Finland to study for less than 90 days, you can apply for a Schengen visa. However, short term study visas are not currently an option on the VFS Global Finland site from India.

The Embassy of Finland in India is the ultimate decision maker on granting visas to the country. However, Indian applicants will be working with the visa application centres through VFS Global to process and submit applications. VFS Global for Finland operates centres across major hubs in India:

• New Delhi
• Mumbai
• Chennai
• Bangalore
• Hyderabad
• Kolkata

The VFS Global centre will accept payment, take your photograph and complete your biometric data collection to finalize your application.²

Let’s take a look at the process for completing a Residence Permit application.

✏️ Finland student visa process

Here is a step by step guide for the application process online³:

1. Get acceptance into a Finnish educational institution
2. Pay tuition and other fees to reserve your place
3. Start the application process online
4. Create a new account and log in details
5. Identify the correct form for students
6. Gather and scan all your documents
7. Complete the residence permit application fully
8. Upload your supplementary documents to your application
9. Submit the application
10. Print the Certificate after successful online submission
11. Identify the VFS Global Finland centre that is most convenient for you
12. Book an appointment with the VFS Global Centre
13. Attend your appointment and bring your certificate
14. Complete the biometric data collection, verification and any fee payments
15. Track your application online
16. Await the decision

You may be requested by the Embassy of Finland to sit for an interview in case more information is required after application submission.

If you prefer to do a paper submission, you can do so by downloading the form on the Finnish Immigration Service website. You would then need to submit your entire application package to the VFS Global Centre.

If you are approved, the residence permit will be sent to the Embassy of Finland and you can arrange for collection of it. If you are not selected, you will be notified by phone or email.⁴

📋 Finland student visa requirements for Indian students

Make sure you meet all the requirements necessary to get a Finnish visa before you start your application. It is best to take the time to get your supporting documents and evidence of meeting the requirements ready beforehand.

One of the first requirements is to make sure you have a passport and that it is valid for the entire time you are in Finland and does not expire while you are in the country.

Second, you are required to get applicable medical insurance before you arrive in Finland. You can choose the provider that works best for you and meets the requirements. Your coverage will depend on the length of your stay in Finland⁵:

Length of stay	Minimum pharmaceutical coverage requirement
More than 2 years	€ 120,000
Less than 2 years	€ 40,000

🏦 Finland student visa financial requirements

You will need to show evidence that you meet the financial requirements to stay and live in Finland. To do this, the Finnish government requires that students show they have access to the following:

	Monthly Amount	1 year program	2 year program
In Euros	€ 560	€ 6,720	€ 13,440
In Indian Rupees*	₹49,577	₹5,94,922	₹11,89,843

All INR prices shown are converted at the mid-market exchange rate of EUR €1 = ₹88.53 as of June 25, 2021

So you will need to show proof that you have the amount required for your length of stay. This amount is over and above your tuition fees.

💶 Finland is one of the few Nordic countries that uses Euros as their currency

If accommodation is provided by your Finnish institution, the monthly amount decreases to a minimum of €280/ ₹24,788 and if meals are provided then €195/ ₹17,263 per month.

You can show you meet the financial requirements by the following:

• Your personal bank statement with your name, name of the bank and the currency the funds are held in and showing the amounts required
• If the funds have come from a sponsor or parent, you may to show evidence of the origin
• A grant or scholarship letter or decision showing the amount that is covered
• If your Finnish institution is providing accommodation or meals, provide the certificate of benefits along with your application

For the bank statement requirement, the bank account can be in any country but you must be able to access it in Finland.

To clarify, the funds must be in your own bank account and not in anyone else’s. Sponsorship agreements are not recognized as meeting the financial requirement.⁶

🖇️ Documents required for Finland student visa

Here is the list of documents that are requirement with your Finnish Residence Permit application⁷:

• A valid passport
• 2 color copies of your biodata page on your passport
• Acceptance letter from the institution in Finland
• Proof of payment of tuition fees, if applicable
• Proof of health insurance during your stay
• Evidence of academic history in India
• Proof of meeting the financial requirement

You will also be asked to submit a passport photo that meets the photo guidelines.

Remember, that since the application is online, you will need to have scanned copies of all of your documents in addition to the originals.

⌛ Finland student visa processing time

The processing time for a Residence Permit is 2-3 weeks, assuming that everything is in order. You can track the status of your application through the EnterFinlandportal.⁸

✔️ Finland student visa checklist

The fastest and easiest way to apply for a Finnish Residence Permit is to apply online through the EnterFinland website. There you can upload your documents, complete your application and pay your application fee. But Indian residents will have to go in person to a VFS centre to complete their biometric data registration before their application can be fully submitted.

Here is a quick checklist to make sure you have everything you need for a standard Residence Permit application:

• Registration on EnterFinland
• A completed online application
• Passport photos
• Color copies of your biodata page in your passport
• Proof of acceptance letter
• Your bank account and statement showing the required financial amount
• Proof of academic history
• Proof of tuition payment, if applicable
• Print Certificate of the online application submission
• Appointment booked at VFS Global
• Biometric registration complete
• Application fee paid

Depending on the nature of each individual’s application, you may be asked for more documents or an interview to confirm your information.

🏷️ Finland student visa fees

You will have to pay 2 different fees in order to complete your Residence Permit application.

The first is an application fee:

	Amount
Student Residence Permit (paper)	€ 450
Student Resident Permit (online)	€ 350

This can be paid online using a credit card on EnterFinland when you are submitting your application.

It can also be paid at the VFS Global Centre in person. VFS Global allows for credit, debit or cash.

The second fee that you will have to pay is the VFS Global service fee when you go for your appointment:

	Amount in Euros	Amount in INR
VFS Global Service Fee	€ 70	₹6,213

All fees are non-refundable and non-transferable, even if your application is rejected.⁹

VFS Global sets their own exchange rate for Euro to INR conversions. So the price to pay in Indian Rupees may differ from the exchange rate conversion you may see on Google. Often companies are able to take that difference in the exchange rate as a hidden fee for conversions.

Finland student visa fees in Indian Rupees

How much will your Finnish Residence Permit cost in Indian Rupees? Let’s find out:

	Amount in Euros	Amount in INR
Student Resident Permit (online)	€ 350	₹30,985
VFS Global Service Fee	€ 70	₹6,213
Total	€ 420	₹37,198

All INR prices shown are converted at the mid-market exchange rate of EUR €1 = ₹88.53 as of June 25, 2021

At ₹37,198, Finland is one of the more expensive countries to apply to for studying.

💸 Save money on global money transfers from India with Wise

Wise lets you send money from your account in India directly to bank accounts overseas.

So whether you need to pay for tuition fees or application fees, you can do it right from India with Wise Android/ iOS app or website.

And if you are already studying overseas, money transfers and spending locally, a free Wise account and card lets you spend, hold, receive and send internationally from a single account. Plus with the card, you can swipe like a local whether you are on holiday or just at the grocery store.

🖨 If you found this guide helpful or want to refer to it later, right click on the screen and click ‘Print’, then save it as a PDF

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Sources:

1. Studying in Finland
2. VFS Global in India
3. VFS Global visa process
4. Visa process
5. Insurance
6. Financial requirements
7. Documents required
8. Processing times
9. Fees

All sources checked as of 25 June, 2021