Contents
Accept your study place!
Make financial arrangements for studying abroad!
Reserve accommodation!
Obtain health insurance!
Apply for residence permit (if necessary)!
Please also remember...
Degree students
You must confirm that you accept your place in the international master’s degree programme by the deadline mentioned on your letter of acceptance or you will lose your place in the programme. As soon as you receive the letter of acceptance, you need to start making travel plans and organising a residence permit to Finland to ensure that you will arrive in Tampere in time for the start of the semester. Please read the letter of acceptance carefully for instructions on how to enrol in the international master’s degree programme.
You will receive the following documents enclosed with the letter of acceptance:
You must confirm your place in the degree programme by returning the form by the date mentioned on the letter of acceptance, otherwise you will you lose your place.
Please send this form enclosed with the acceptance of the study place form
Please keep this instruction sheet, as it contains the reference number you need for paying the Student Union membership fee. You will need the reference number when you register at TUT.
Please return the completed application form enclosed with the acceptance of the study place form.
If you cannot start your studies in the programme this autumn and want to postpone the start of your studies for one academic year, please remember to select the correct registration alternative in the confirmation form.
Mailing address:
Please mail the acceptance of the study place form, enrolment form and student card application form to the following address:
Tampere University of Technology (TUT)
International Office
P.O. Box 553
FI-33101 Tampere, FINLAND
If you use a courier service, please use the address below:
Tampere University of Technology (TUT)
International Office
Korkeakoulunkatu 1
33720 Tampere, FINLAND
Exchange students
You will receive an enrolment form and a student card application form enclosed with your letter of acceptance. Please mail the completed and signed forms to the International Office (address below) within the deadline mentioned on your letter of acceptance.
Please note that the enrolment form and student card application form must be enclosed in one envelope. DO NOT send these documents by fax. Failing to return the enrolment form to the International Office before you arrive will delay your registration at TUT.
Mailing address for the enrolment form:
Tampere University of Technology (TUT)
International Office
P.O. Box 553
FI-33101 Tampere, FINLAND
If you use a courier service, please use the address below:
Tampere University of Technology (TUT)
International Office
Korkeakoulunkatu 1
33720 Tampere, FINLAND
Cost of studies and financial aid
There are no tuition fees for higher education in Finland. However, the Student Union membership fee is compulsory for all students.
Students are expected to make their own arrangements for financial support to cover the fees and other costs, such as travel expenses to and from Finland and living expenses in Finland.
Unfortunately, Tampere University of Technology cannot offer any financial aid to international students. Please contact the educational authorities in your home country to enquire about the availability of financial aid for studies.
The Finnish Centre for Mobility (CIMO) offers scholarships to foreign postgraduate (i.e. doctoral) students. To apply for these scholarships, postgradaute students must contact the educational authorities in their home country. The scholarships are announced annually to the governments of the recipient countries that will recommend candidates to Finland’s Ministry of Education for final approval.
More information on scholarships for doctoral students from CIMO:
Centre for International Mobility (CIMO)
Cost of living
The cost of living in Finland is on average comparable to the rest of Europe. For basic living expenses, students will need EUR 650 - 800 per month.
|
Student accommodation(TOAS) |
EUR 200-420 per month |
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Food/meals |
EUR 300 per month. Lunch at the university restaurant costs approximately EUR 2.5 per meal. |
|
Local transportation |
EUR 35 per month |
|
Academic expenses (e.g. books, stationery) |
There is at least one copy of each course book available at the TUT Library. Course books are available at the campus bookstore and cost approximately EUR 20-50 per book. |
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Personal expenses |
Approximately EUR 150 per month |
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Other administrative fees |
The Student Union membership fee is EUR 94,20 (academic year 2011-2012), except for postgraduate students, to whom the membership is optional. |
Currency
The currency used in Finland is Euro (€). There are 500, 200, 100, 20, 10 and 5 Euro notes, 2 and 1 Euro coins and 50, 10, and 5 cent coins. The smaller 1 and 2 cent coins are not used in Finland. All cash purchases are rounded off to the nearest 5 cents. Credit cards are widely accepted.
Student housing
Students are responsible for making their own housing arrangements. Student housing in Tampere is mainly administrated by Tampere Student Housing Foundation (TOAS) that maintains and rents out student accommodation. Many of the international students who come to study at TUT are housed in dormitories in the Hervanta suburb at a walking distance from TUT. International students are advised to start organising accommodation as soon as they receive the letter of acceptance. Please note that TOAS has only a limited number of furnished flats available for international students.
The TOAS tenancy agreements always start on the first day of the month. Please note that TOAS makes only fixed-term tenancy agreements and the agreements cannot be terminated in the middle of the semester. Exchange students sign their tenancy agreements according to their exchange study period: from August to December or from January to May. For degree students the tenancy agreements are made from August to May.
The deadline for making a housing reservation is 30 June for students who will start their studies in the autumn semester (accommodation starting in August). For students starting their studies in the spring semester the deadline is 30 November (accommodation starting in January). Please do not fill in the application before the actual application period has started! Such applications will be removed from the system. You can find the online form for applying for student accommodation at:
http://www.toas.fi/en/coming-from-abroad
After you arrive in Tampere, you need to visit the TOAS office to collect your key (office hours: Mon-Fri 9:00-15:30; on the first and last working day of the month 8:15-18:00) or you can ask your tutor to pick it up for you. If you arrive outside office hours, you should seek overnight accommodation in a hostel (please see section Arrival and first days in Tampere).
Please visit the TOAS website for detailed information on the application procedure (application form, reservation fee, TOAS bank account number, etc.) and the rules and regulations.
Student flats are usually two or three-bedroom flats, where students have their own bedroom and share a kitchen and a bathroom with the other students in the flat. Laundry facilities are located in the basement of each building.
Please note that student flats are only equipped with basic furniture, including a bed with a mattress, a desk, a chair, a shelf, and a kitchen table with chairs. Towels, bedclothes, desk lamps and kitchenware are NOT included.
About other forms of housing, please read more on Housing in Tampere page.
EU/EEA citizens
EU/EEA citizens are entitled to necessary public health care in all the EU / EEA countries and Switzerland, if they become ill or injured while temporarily staying in that country. Students from these countries need to obtain the European Health Insurance Card from their local Social Security Office before setting off for Finland.
Finland has health care agreements with some countries. Please contact the social insurance authorities in your home country for further information.
For more information, please visit the website of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (KELA).
Students coming from outside EU/EEA
If you come from a non-EU/EAA country, you need to have approriate health insurance when you apply for a residence permit to Finland. Please make sure that your health insurance covers the entire duration of your stay. More information on the Finnish Immigration Service website.
International health insurance packages have been negotiated with MARSH/SIP. These packages are primarily intended for non-EU/EEA students but can be bought by EU students, if they wish to obtain private health insurance during their stay in Finland. For more information about the student insurance, please check www.marsh.be/sip.
Apply for residence permit (if necessary)!
Students from the Nordic and EU/EEA countries do not need a residence permit to enter Finland. However, we recommend that you take your passport with you, as you may want to visit, for example Estonia or Russia during your stay in Finland (Please see also "Registration of EU citizens’ residence").
If you come from a country outside the European Union, you must obtain a residence permit before arrival, unless Finland and your country have agreed otherwise. Students need to apply for a residence permit at the nearest Finnish embassy or consulate as soon as they receive the acceptance letter. The permit process may take up to three months. Unfortunately the international office cannot expedite the process. Please note that the reason for entry (studies) must be clearly stated in the application for a residence permit. When you apply for a residence permit, you need to present proof of funds of about EUR 500 per month or EUR 6,000 per academic year and an appropriate health insurance policy.
For more information on residence permits, please visit the Finnish Immigration Service website.
Clothes
Winters can be extremely cold in Finland and temperatures can occasionally drop down to -20 degrees Celsius. Remember to pack some warm clothing. All the buildings are very well insulated and heated and summers are warm, so you will need some lighter clothes, too.