Checklist for Exchange Student

Departure Orientation

Orientation for students going for exchange is arranged twice a year usually in mid-April and early December. The session covers issues which students deal with during the exchange period and provides information regarding countries and cultures, culture shock in the new environment, studies, as well as other more practical and detailed matters.

Erasmus+ and OLS language assessment

Students doing their Erasmus + studies or training have the possibility to make OLS online language assessment before the exchange period. The invitation will be sent by e-mail. The result of the assessment does not affect the selection process.

After the assessment students also have the possibility to follow an online language course for free.

Travel Arrangements

The travel and living arrangements related to the exchange process are student’s responsibility. The travel arrangements can be done after you have received the Letter of Acceptance. It is worthwhile to compare prices from different travel agencies. Please note that flight tickets with flexibility (right to make changes) are recommended , even if you need to pay some extra.

The International Office at the host institution should be notified of your travel schedule. Some of the partner institutions arrange pick-up service for exchange students upon arrival. Find out if such service is available and inform the host institution about your arrival time and details well in advance.

Country Entry Permits

The students are responsible for obtaining the necessary country entry permits. The type of entry permit that is needed for the specific country should be found out well in advance. The student should contact the embassy or consulate of the target country here in Finland to find out the details.

EU and EEA countries:

You do not need a visa when travelling to other EU or EEA countries when you are an EU citizen. A residence permit in these countries is needed if the stay exceeds three months. A student can usually obtain the residence permit from the local police in any EU or EEA country by presenting the Letter of Acceptance from the host institution. Students with non-EU citizenship need to have Visa/residence permit to other EU countries for studying or practical training.

Other Countries:

When applying for a visa or residence permit for countries outside of the EU and EEA, the student is generally required to present a passport, two photographs, the Letter of Acceptance from the host institution, a bank statement of sufficient funds or equivalent and a document stating that the student is covered under the national health insurance. The application for a visa or a residence permit should be submitted in good time before the departure, since the processing may take long.

Passport:

It is recommended to have a passport when travelling anywhere in the world because it is the best way of proving your identity. You always need a passport when entering a foreign country. Finnish students can obtain a passport from the Police.  Time for obtaining a passport is usually around 1-2 weeks.

More info

Accommodation

You should take care of the living arrangements before leaving for exchange, because it will make the start in the new environment much easier. Most of our partner institutions have student apartments which are available for exchange students. Some partner institutions automatically arrange an apartment for you. But in many cases, you need to apply for the accommodation by filling out and sending an application form to the host institution. If the host institution does not have student apartments, they usually provide contact information, through which the student can find an apartment from the open market.

You should remember that the quality of housing may not necessarily be as high as you may have accustomed to in Finland. You should also be prepared to pay a deposit that normally equals 1-3 month’s rent, or even the whole rent in advance for your entire stay abroad. You should always insist on a written rental contract and receipts of payments from the landlord or rental agency.

Insurance

The student should always have personal travel and health insurance with coverage for the whole length of stay abroad, when travelling, studying or working outside the Nordic, EU or EEA countries. Some countries or host institutions may require specific insurance, and this should be found out well in advance. The student should be aware of the conditions and risks covered by their insurance.

VAMK students going for practical training are insured by VAMK during the working hours. Please note that students need to take care of the liability insurance by themselves.

Residents of Finland are entitled to medical care while staying temporarily in another EU/EEA country or in Switzerland. Anyone covered under the Finnish social security system who intends to travel to an EU/EEA country or to Switzerland

More information can be found

Kela’s web page

European Comission-European Health Card

Schengen Visa and European Health Insurance Card

Enroll for attendance at VAMK

Please note that you need to enroll for attendance at VAMK in PAKKI even if you are completing exchange studies/traineeship abroad and you are not physically in Finland.

FSHS Healthcare fee payment

You need to pay the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS = YTHS) fee:

• if you go abroad on student exchange from Finland,
• you are studying for a degree in a Finnish higher education institution
• and you have enrolled for attendance

You have the right to use the services of the FSHS when visiting Finland during your student exchange or possible online services they provide.

Health Care and security

Before you start your mobility period abroad, it is good to check what kind of vaccinations are either required or recommended in the destination country. Take care that you have at least the basic vaccinations up to date. If you have an illness and medication is required, it is good to take own medication and prescriptions in English with you.

Before you travel, consider the security of the destination city and country. A good way is to check the travel and safety announcements. You can get information to support your decision from the websites and travel advice of missions of your home country abroad.

Crises may erupt unexpectedly. To make sure that the mission can help you in the event of a crisis abroad, it is advisable to have their contact information with you, and to find out if they have a service where you can submit a travel notification before you leave.

Financing

For detailed information please see Funding the Exchange.

Register for courses at the Host Institution

Before the beginning of the exchange, you should register for the courses at the host university. In some cases, this is not possible until the student arrives at the host university.