For a new student

Online office hours for new students

Questions, problems regarding practical matters related to starting your studies at the University of Lapland? Who to ask? Join the online office hours and meet our student services' staff. 

Meeting times for new students in the International Master's Degree Programmes
Spring 2023 (all PM Finnish time):
March 16 at 12-13
April 13 at 12-13
April 20 at 12-13
April 27 at 12-13
May 25 at 12-13

Join the online office hours in Teams by clicking the link: www.ulapland.fi/MSU_office_hours

Orienteering for your stay and studies in Lapland - Pre-arrival Orientation for Studies in Lapland

It all starts with orientation. Equip yourself with the necessary information for your stay and studies for the upcoming semester and academic year.

You can start with the pre-arrival orienteering materials. You will learn more about real life in Lapland, the cultural orientation, yourself as a learner and then you will have a possibility to start learning Finnish. This is only the first scratch of the topic and in the beginning of your studies you will have orientation days where you will get to know these things in more depth.

Link: Pre-arrival orientation webpage

Orientation Programme

The Orientation Week for Master Degree Students and Exchange Students will start on Tuesday August 15th 2023 at 12:00 a.m. on-site.

Please inform your student tutor about your arrival time. Exchange students, please inform your arrival time also in the SoleMOVE system.

Links to the Orientation Programmes:

For International Master Degree Programme Students
For Exchange Students
For Doctoral Students

Changes to the programme are possible.

Master's Degree Students

Accept your study place by 14 July, at the latest, at Studyinfo.fi via a secure link sent to your e-mail address.

If you have decided to reject your study place, you need to notify us via Studyinfo.fi. Please note that you may accept only one study place leading to a higher education degree in Finland per academic term (Universities Act 558/2009).

Exchange Students

Doctoral Students

Master's Degree Student Register as attending

All international students have to register as a student of the University upon their enrollment. Being registered as attending is a prerequisite for signing up for any courses or accessing the university information systems.

For students required to pay a tuition fee, this fee is to be paid before registration. In order to enroll as an Ulapland student, you need to pay for the Student Union Membership fee 59,00 € (academic year 2023-2024) and register for attendance. All degree students are automatically members of the Student Union of the University of Lapland (called Lapin yliopiston ylioppilaskunta – LYY) and have to pay the membership fee before registering to the university (Universities Act (645/97/40)). As a member of the Student Union you are entitled to certain discounts, such as cheaper lunches at the university, discount on train tickets and long-distance bus tickets. Payment may be made by credit card. Information on alternative payment methods is available at the Student Union web pages. Please follow the more detailed instructions for fee payment and registration provided in the e-mail sent to you by the Student Services.

The compulsory student health care service payment for higher education students is paid to Kela twice a year. Pay the fee here.

Once your registration is complete, you will receive a confirmation e-mail from the Student Services. Please note that your right to study enters into force on 1 August (the first day of the academic year) at the earliest. Once your personal information has been entered into the system, you will receive an automatic e-mail message from the University study system, but you can only activate your user ID once your Right to Study is in force.

By presenting the study certificate, you are eligible for student-priced meals at student restaurants and health services at FSHS (Finnish Student Health Service) until you receive your student ID card.

Registering as non-attending

As a first-year student, you may register as non-attending if you are

• completing compulsory military service, voluntary military service (for women) or non-military service; or
• on maternity, paternity or parental leave; or
• unable to begin your studies due to illness or injury.

Doctoral Student Register as attending

The registration guidelines applies also to Doctoral Students. Membership of the Student Union is optional for doctoral students. For those wishing to join, the fee for academic year 2023-2024 is 59 € (autumn term 32,5 €, spring term 33,5 €). Doctoral students are not eligible for the services of the FSHS (Finnish Student Health Service, YTHS in Finnish), discounted meals at student restaurants that operate under the Kela meal subsidy system, or a student discount on train tickets from VR (The Finnish State Railways).

Registering as non-attending

As a first-year student, you may register as non-attending if you are

• completing compulsory military service, voluntary military service (for women) or non-military service; or
• on maternity, paternity or parental leave; or
• unable to begin your studies due to illness or injury.

Please inform Student Services if you will be non-attending and present the official documents required as proof of your entitlement to this status.

Don't hesitate to ask for more information

University of Lapland
Student Services
PO Box 122, 96101 Rovaniemi
Street address: Yliopistonkatu 8, Wing E, ground floor
Tel. +358 40 485 6583
opinto (at) ulapland.fi

Get a mandatory health insurance

Make sure you have a valid health insurance throughout your stay in Finland. In addition, you will be required to present proof of insurance when applying for a residence permit and upon your arrival at the university. The insurance must cover medical care, personal injury, and liability for loss or damage.
If you are an EU citizen, the European Health Insurance Card is a sufficient document. Please note, however, that this card covers only emergency treatment and that obtaining an additional insurance coverage is strongly recommended. A good option is the Aon Student Insurance or the Student Insurance Program (SIP) provided by Marsh.

Do you need a residence permit and visa?

As an international student, you may need to acquire a residence permit or a visa before your arrival at the University of Lapland. You may study for three months without a visa or residence permit if you are a citizen of a visa-free country. To get a residence permit, you need to present evidence of finances, i.e. you should be able to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to cover your living expenses while in Finland. Further information is available on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service.

Apply for a Finnish personal identity code

After your arrival in Finland, your key personal data – e.g. your name, date of birth, nationality, family relationships, and your address in Finland – are registered in the Finnish Population Information System. You will be registered as a resident of a Finnish municipality if you intend to stay in Finland permanently or if you intend to reside in the country for at least three months as a student. Further information on the registration process and applying for a personal identity code will be provided during the orientation week.

If you need to apply for a residence permit, you can – and should – apply for a Finnish personal identity code with the same form in connection with the residence permit application.

Be prepared for costs of studying and living

Finnish universities have introduced tuition fees. The fees are applicable to new master’s degree students from outside the EU or EEA countries who have started their studies in autumn 2017 or later. The fee is 8,000 euros per academic year and equal for all Master-level programmes. All students subject to tuition fees and starting their studies in autumn 2019 will be granted a scholarship of 4,800 euros. In addition, one-fourth of the students admitted will receive a scholarship covering 100% of the tuition, and one-fourth a scholarship covering 80% of the tuition.

In Finland, the cost of living is relatively high, but still comparable to other EU countries. The average living expenses of a student in Rovaniemi are 600–900 euros per month.

Get your User ID

You will receive an email account and a username for logging in to the university systems. You will receive an email with further information from the student register once you have registered as a student. Activate your User ID and authenticate yourself as advised. You can also get your User ID during the orientation week or anytime later by visiting our ICT Service Desk and authenticating yourself by presenting a valid identification such as passport.

More about user rights and passwords >

Order your student card

If you have registered as attending and paid the Student Union membership fee, you can download the free Pivo or Tuudo application that functions as an electronic student card on your smartphone (iOS and Android). In order to get the

More about the student card >

For more information, contact

University of Lapland
Student Services
PO Box 122, 96101 Rovaniemi
Street address: Yliopistonkatu 8, Wing E
Tel. +358 40 485 6583
opinto (at) ulapland.fi

Student tutor

Your personal student tutor will be there to help you at the beginning of your studies in Rovaniemi. Tutors are volunteers who have the knowledge and training to perform their duties. Each international Master's degree student and exchange student is appointed a personal tutor. The tutor will get in touch with you already before your journey to the north starts and will meet you upon your arrival. The tutor will help you settle down in Rovaniemi and become familiar with the Finnish student life and local culture. The tutor can give you assistance with matters related to housing, banking and registration and provide advice on practical academic matters like using Peppi and signing up for courses.

Teacher tutor

Teacher tutors are important contacts for degree students especially in the early stages of their studies. Your relationship with your personal teacher tutor will last throughout your studies. Your teacher tutor will help you make your personal study plan (PSP) and will give assistance with study-related matters. You will meet your teacher tutor when your studies begin.

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