One of the Nordic countries in northern Europe, Finland shares land borders with Norway, Sweden and Russia, and has coastlines on the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland. Relatively little of the country is cultivated due to the severity of Finland's winter climate, and the landscape consists mainly of flat plains, low hills and around 188,000 inland lakes. There are nearly 100,000 islands located within these lakes, and 30,000 more offshore islands. Overall, about 10% of the country is under water, and nearly two-thirds is forested.
Finland is an advanced and affluent country with its economy built traditionally on timber and metal manufacturing industries, and now with equally important IT and telecommunications sectors. Finland's economic success has been underpinned by high levels of government investment in education, training and research, and it has a highly educated and skilled labour force. Finland has a fairly high level of unemployment, however, especially in rural areas.
The capital of Helsinki, spreading across several bays, peninsulas and islands in southern Finland, is a pleasant and clean low-rise city of around half a million inhabitants. It is expanding rapidly, largely due to an influx of immigrants in recent years, and now has quite a cosmopolitan feel. The city has a large number of attractive 19th century buildings, in architectural styles that reflect both Russian and Swedish influences, many green open spaces and numerous waterways. It also has a lively arts and entertainment scene, and its many open-air cafes and bustling market square are very popular in the summer months. However, the city is quieter during the severe winters when people opt to hibernate indoors. Finland's other main cities include the old capital of Turku, on the southwest coast, and Tampere which is located inland.
Until recently, Finland has experienced only low levels of immigration and it has a mainly homogenous population of Finns, with a significant Swedish minority. However, immigration has increased steeply in recent years, due to such factors as Finland joining the EU, the relaxation of refugee legislation, and the growing number of international firms based in Finland. Even so, Finland still has a low proportion of immigrants and very few living outside Helsinki and the other main cities.
To be eligible for Finland Student Visa or Residence Permit you must fulfill the following conditions:
You have to apply at the Finland Embassy or Consulate for Finland student visa or residence permit.
Once you have received the official letter of acceptance for your intended course of study, you can check your eligibility for obtaining a Finnish student visa or residence permit and then go ahead with the below mentioned procedure.
Remember that you will have to apply for student residence permit before you arrive in Finland.
A student who wants to stay and study in Finland, but is not a citizen of Finland, will require either a student visa or a student residence permit to fulfil this objective. However, the Finland student visa and the residence permit do not refer to the same document.
Finland student visa is a temporary short term permit that is issued to a foreign student who wants to stay and study in Finland for a maximum of 90 days (3 months).
Finland student residence permit is issued to a foreign student to wants to stay and study in Finland for duration of more than 90 days (3 months). Normally, Finland residence permits for students are granted for one year at a time.
A student visa is suitable for those foreign students who plan to take a short term language course in Finland or want to appear in an entrance examination. A student residence permit is suitable for those foreign students who have been accepted in full term degree courses in Finland.
Finland student residence permit is issued to a foreign student to wants to stay and study in Finland for duration of more than 90 days (3 months). Normally, Finland residence permits for students are granted for one year at a time.
A student visa is suitable for those foreign students who plan to take a short term language course in Finland or want to appear in an entrance examination. A student residence permit is suitable for those foreign students who have been accepted in full term degree courses in Finland.