Students with family
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If you are an international student at Hanken and your family is planning to come to live in Finland, it is important to know, which services are available for you and your family members. Additionally, it is important to prepare well and make sure to check what should be done already pre-arrival. We recommend that you carefully go through Info Finland’s Checklist and read the information below.
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Residence permit for non-EU/EEA citizens
If you, as a citizen of a non-EU/EEA country, plan to move to Finland as a student together with your family members (spouse/children), you need to apply for residence permits for both yourself and your family members already in your home country. Citizens of EU/EEA countries or Switzerland and their family members do not need to apply for a residence permit.
Residence permit processing times for family members
The Finnish Immigration Services' processing times for a residence permit based on family ties is longer (up to 9 months), compared to the processing time for a student residence permit (up to 3 months). Submit your and your family members' residence permit applications as soon as possible since it can take several months thereafter to obtain a appointment for the identifcation in person at the Finnish Embassy/Consulate. The processing time start after you have been able to complete the identification in person.
- The difference in processing times means that you must be prepared to possibly travel to Finland by yourself to start you studies timely and have your family members join you later once they have obtained their personal residence permits.
- Note! The Finnish Government has proposed changes to the residence permit regulations for family members of international students. If the proposal is approved, family members of international students may, from April 2027 onwards, be required to wait one year before they can apply for a residence permit on the basis of family ties. In addition, the processing time for a family member’s residence permit application can be up to nine months. This means that students planning to relocate to Finland with their family should be aware that, in some cases, it could take close to two years before family members are able to join them in Finland. Please stay updated by following Migri's pages.
Income requirements for students with family
- Please note that the financial requirement for a residence permit includes sufficient funds to support both yourself and any accompanying family members.
- The amount of money required is significantly higher than for a student arriving in Finland alone. Before applying, make sure you understand the financial requirements for your family situation. Read more about the residence permit process for family members on the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) website, and about the general residence permit application process on Hanken's webpage.
Registration with authorities
After that you and your family members have arrived in Finland, both you and your family members must complete some registrations with Finnish authorities.
- Citizens of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland must register their right of residence of an citizen of the European Union (EU registration). The EU registration process is also described on the pages for students and mostly also apply to family members.
- All foreigners regardless of nationality must also register at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency in order to obtain a Finnish Personal Identity Code, permanent address and home municipality in Finland. The registration process is also described on the pages for students.
Required documentation
If you are relocating to Finland as a family, the following documentation is required depending on your family status:
- Marriage certificate or proof of min 2 yrs cohabitation
- Children’s birth certificates
- Translations (if originals are not in Finnish, Swedish or English) and legalizations of the above listed documents.
Education for minors
The Finnish education system consists of early childhood education and care; pre-primary education; basic education; general upper secondary education; vocational education; higher education and adult education.
Compulsory education applies to all 6–18-year-olds. It includes pre-primary, basic and upper secondary education. Compulsory education is for free for all age-appropriate minors in public schools. Private schools are subject to fees. Early childhood education and care are NOT for free. In other words, you need to pay for the minor´s day care. Read more about education for minors at InfoFinland's webpages.
Health care
The services of Finnish Student Health Service (YTHS) are available ONLY for Hanken degree students. Family members of foreign students can use the local health care services. Read more about which health care services you are entitled to on InfoFinland's webpages.
Other useful links:
- Mieli: provides help in different situations related to wellbeing and mental health.
Job seeking in Finland for family members
If your family member lives in Finland with you and does not have a job, he or she can register as a job seeker in his/her city of residence. Please note that if you are not a citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland, you must have a valid residence permit in order to register as a jobseeker.
Read more on the pages of JobMarket Finland.
It is also important to be aware that finding employment in Finland currently is challenging and may require considerable time and additional effort. Therefore, it is recommended that you make use of the services and resources available. It is also important to plan your finances well in advance and ensure that you have sufficient financial resources to support yourself and your family throughout the entire study period, even if it takes longer than expected to find employment.
In both Helsinki and Vaasa region, there are various services that can be useful for you as a job seeker:
- Employment Coaching session at International House Helsinki: Discuss matters such as early-stage employment counselling, tips for job-searching, introduction to the Finnish labour market and job seeking in the Helsinki capital region.
- Vaasa Welcome office: Visit to discuss questions related to working life or training and education possibilities.
- Work in Finland includes a lot of information for job seekers in Finland, including open positions, events for internationals and inspiring material
- Info Finland incudes a lot of information about looking for jobs and working in Finland. Read more about how and where to apply for a job and about building a career in Finland.
Language learning
Learning the local languages, Finnish and Swedish, is highly valuable in many ways. It enhances daily communication, increase your career opportunities and help you to build stronger connections both to locals and to the Finnish society. At the same time, it also gives you a better understanding of the Finnish society and culture. Understanding Finnish and/or Swedish can significantly enrich your overall experience of living in Finland and open doors to staying in Finland on the long-term.
Language courses are organized by several actors in many cities in Finland, both as in-person courses as online courses. You can read more about language studies, self-studies and where to find language courses below.
Useful links:
- Info Finland about language studies.
- Kielibuusti/Språkboost offers a lot of material if you want to learn Finnish or Swedish. Check their pages to find language courses, practice the language on your own or to read more about integrating in Finnish or Swedish.
Hint! Joining a Finnish or Swedish language course is a great way to start learning one of the local languages and to better understand Finnish society. Moreover, it is important to start using the language as soon as possible, for example by joining a language café or mentorship program where you get to practice talking. Both in Helsinki and Vaasa, there are language cafés organized. Try also to use the language as much as possible in everyday life situations.
Read more about language cafés and other ways to practice the language on the pages of Kielibuusti/Språkboost.
Free time and building friendships
When you move to a new country you probably also look forward to get to know your new home city and build friendships, and maybe you want to get a hobby or take part in fun activities. In both Helsinki region and Vaasa region there are plenty of ways to join a hobby and different programs where you get to meet and network with locals, e.g. at mentorship programs, friendship programs or other events.
Helsinki region
- Hobbies: Adult Education centres in Helsinki Capital region offer a lot of courses, everything from language courses to cooking classes, for affordable prices.
- Friendship and networking: International House Helsinki (IHH) organizes, in cooperation with other actors, various Friend programs. At IHH you can also take part in a Spouse program.
- Mentorship: Different actors in the Capital region organize mentorship programs, where you can apply to get a mentor who can support your journey in Finland. Some of the programs focus mainly on career in Finland, while some focus on career as well as culture, language learning and social life. Familiarize yourself with e.g the Luckan mentorship programme.
Vaasa region
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Hobbies: Alma Adult Education Centre offers various courses, everything from language courses to sport classes for affordable prices.