Prearrival information for degree students

Applicants of joint application round in January will receive the admission letter by email in the first half of April (you can also see the result at Studyinfo). After that you need to accept the study place by the deadline given in the admissions letter or by the latest 9^th of July 2026. The confirmation is done online at Studyinfo and cannot be altered later.

Use your secure link in the message you have gotten from Studyinfo.fi. You can request a new link through Studyinfo.fi if your old one has expired, this is done by clicking on the expired link and on that web page requesting a new link to be sent to you.

If you do not accept the study place by the deadline you forfeit your right to enroll in the programme.

Please note that you can accept only one study place leading to a higher education degree in Finland per semester. So, if you have applied for several programmes/universities and get admitted to more than one, you need to choose which study place you accept. Please read more information studyinfo.fi.

If you cannot accept your studyplace yourself, contact the admissions office.

Your admission is conditional until original certificates are verified. This means that your study place offer may be withdrawn if we are unable to verify your documents and that you cannot register before the verification process is completed.

Degrees from Finland

If you have completed your degree at one of the Finnish universities or universities of applied sciences, your degree was completed at the earliest on 1 January 2003, and you have a Finnish personal identification code, you do not need to submit your educational documents, as Åbo Akademi University has electronic access to the required information.

For all other degrees: Use Option 1 or Option 2 (detailed below).

Option 1

Åbo Akademi University accepts official electronic transcripts (e-transcripts) from a few recognized sources. The transcript must always be verifiable from the service. Below is a list of some common electronic document services that are accepted by Åbo Akademi University:

• China Credentials Verification, Center for Student Services and Development (CSSD) – see more specific details under Country-specific requirements (China).
• Digitary
• Gradintelligence
• MyCreds / MesCertif
• My eQuals
• National Student Clearinghouse
• Parchment Exchange
• Truecopy

If your institution uses a service that is not listed here, please contact us at admission@abo.fi, and we will investigate whether we can accept your documents through this service as well.

Option 2

If your institution does not use any of the electronic credential services listed above to share official educational documents, your institution may send us your official electronic educational documents by email directly to Åbo Akademi University to the following email address: enclosures(at)abo.fi

In order for the document to be accepted, certain requirements must be met:

1. The email must be sent from the issuing institution’s official institutional email account
2. The sending email must be verifiable on the institution’s public website
3. The sending email must belong to a person or office that is responsible for issuing official educational documents, for example: registrar’s office, controller of examinations, awards and graduation department etc.
4. The attached document must be in PDF format
5. The email must include your application number as a reference number

• Documents sent by email that do not meet the above requirements are not accepted. Please give the above instructions to your institution’s representative when requesting that they send your documents.
• You will receive a notification when the verification of educational documents has been completed (some time in June/July). We will contact you separately in case we need any additional documents. Do not email any questions to enclosures(at)abo.fi as it is not monitored and only intended for submission of documents.

Alternative verification

If your home institution:

• Does NOT use any of the digital credential services mentioned to share documents, or
• If your home institution will not send copies of your official educational documents by email directly to the Admissions Services from an institutional email address:

Check if the country you have been awarded a degree in is listed on the webpage Country specific requirements. Follow the country specific requirements for verification.

If the country your degree is from is NOT listed under the country specific requirements and you cannot use option 1 or option 2, please send us an e-mail (admission@abo.fi). Do not send us original documents by mail.

After accepting the study place and possible scholarship you need to enroll for the academic year. You can enroll immediately after you have accepted your study place, but you need to enroll before the enrollment deadline 29 August 2026 3:00pm (Helsinki time).

• Before enrolling, pay your tuition fee according to the instructions in your admissions letter. We recommend you pay the fee in our web shop. The amount you need to pay can be found in your admissions letter.
• Enrolling as present requires you to pay the Student Union Membership fee by the enrollment deadline. Further instructions on enrolling at the university as a first-year student. 

Resident permit

If you need a residence permit, apply for it as soon as possible. You can start the application process as soon as you have gotten your admission letter. Please note that the residence permit process can take some time, especially if you need to wait for an appointment to get identified as part of the residence permit process or need to visit another country for the identification. It is highly recommended that you fill out application for residence permit electronically.

If given the opportunity to apply for a Finnish ID code at the same time as you apply for residence permit, do so. The ID code is required when staying more than 3 months in Finland and having it already when you arrive will be beneficial when dealing with housing, healthcare etc.

Below we have compiled links from the Finnish Immigration services (Migri), to help you navigate the residence permit process:

• How do I know if I need to get a residence permit? Take the Migri test.
• Migri web info on how to apply for residence permit for studies.
• Video guide on How to get a student’s residence permit in Finland?:

Insurance

• In order to obtain a residence permit in Finland, you will need a private health insurance. Migri has a list of suggested carriers.
• As a student, you must personally cover the costs if you become ill in Finland.
• The insurance is important, not just for residence permit purposes – but also so if the worst happens your insurance will help cover the cost of expensive medical fees.
• If you have a Kela card, a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) you generally do not need private health insurance.
• Do note that the student health care FSHS do not count as health insurance!
• We also suggest that you arrange travel insurance and renters insurance.

Finland has a high cost of living and students themselves need to finance their housing, food and other living expenses.

• The Finnish immigrations services requires that you, in addition to the tuition fee payment, have at least 800 euro/month in your bank account to cover your cost of living in Finland. 
• Cost of living in Finland is high and the sum required might not be enough to cover housing, food, travel etc. Plan for a buffer for unexpected expenses.
• For examples of common food costs, visit the infoFinland web page.
• Examples of what you need to budget for:
  • Travel expenses
  • Residence permit costs
  • Housing cost
  • Insurance
  • Public transport
  • Food
  • Clothing
  • Medicine
• Students generally do not need to pay for study materials such as course books while attending ÅAU. The university also offers computer labs on campus, even if most students buy their own laptops.
• It is advisable that you have both cash and a payment card (i.e. a debit or credit card that can be used internationally) so you can pay for things your first weeks in Finland.
• Opening a Finnish bank account is a long process, assume that it might take weeks to sort one out after you arrive in Finland since you need both a Finnish Identity code and a Finnish postal address, as well as having these registered with the DVV.
  • ÅAU organizes joint visits to the DVV (registrar’s office) for new students during the start of the fall semester, so you do not need to book your own time at the DVV.
  • Check the orientation week schedule for when the joint visit to the DVV is arranged.
• See the InfoFinland web page about everyday life in Finland for further advice.

Åbo Akademi University does not provide on campus housing or dormitories, and unfortunately we cannot help you secure housing or apply for housing.

Begin your housing search as soon as you receive your admission letter and have accepted your place in the master’s programme.
While the housing situation in Turku and Vaasa is generally good, it may still take time to get approved—so don’t delay!

You are responsible for finding your own housing.
We can provide guidance on where to look, but the application process is up to you.

• • Apply as early as possible, ideally right after accepting your study place.
  • You do not need to wait for your residence permit to start looking for accommodation.
  • Do not wait until you arrive in Finland—the housing market is especially busy at the start of the autumn semester.
  • General information about housing in Finland 
  • Housing in Turku
  • Housing in Vaasa

• Look through the information and links on this page, for help and guidance on how to start your studies. Please note the checklist available in the column at the right!
• Arrange your travel. Here you find information on different ways of reaching your campus city.
• Note that there are restrictions on bringing in medicines in Finland. You find more information on the Finnish Medicines Agency’s web page.
• Check your email regularly for updates and additional information, all emails from ÅAU are sent either to the email address you used in your application or to your abo.fi email (if activated).
• Plan to arrive in Turku or Vaasa so you can participate in the student orientation week 24-28 August 2026 This week is mandatory and very important for you to set yourself up for a successful time studying at ÅAU – so do prioritize participating!
• Get in touch with your student tutor. They are students themselves that have experience on how it is to start your studies at ÅAU and move to Finland, and can help you with the first weeks as a new student and to orientate yourself at ÅAU.
• Have both travel plans and housing sorted before arrival!
• Take photocopies of all important documents and your passport.
• Remember to bring with you to Finland:
  • You admissions letter
  • Your passport
  • Your residence permit card
  • Original bachelor’s degree certificate and original transcript of records.

Here you find a collection of links to helpful things right at the start of your studies, while you are still finding the rythm of your life as a student at Åbo Akademi University.

• Participate in orientation week
• Did you miss the orientation week? Check out the “Orientation week in short format” on the learning platform Moodle.
• Start using your ÅAU student user account
• Check out the online resources for planning your studies
• Log in to the intranet using your ÅAU user account. Here you find most information for students regarding academic life
• Check out the university libraries
• Check out your new home city Turku or Vaasa
• Check out the Student health care offered and pay the student health care fee.

How does ÅAU work?

Åbo Akademi University is the Swedish-language multidisciplinary academic university in Finland, with campuses in Turku and Vaasa. We offer programmes taught in both Swedish and English.

• The academic year is split into two terms, each split into two periods. Exact times is found on the academic year page.
• A master’s degree is projected to take two academic years to finish, but students are granted a study right of four years when admitted. Read more about study time duration.
• If you want to familiarize yourself with the university’s organizational structure, you can check out the organizational chart here. It gives you an overview of both the administrative and the academic organization.
• ÅAU have four faculties, three located in Turku and one located in Vaasa. You can read more about our faculties here.
• As a student, you have access to an array of services:
  • Admission office and exchange office
  • Study advisors
  • Study psychologists
  • Career office
  • ICT services

Adjusting to life in a new country and new city can be challenging, here we have compiled some resources available to you. You find both resources for academic life as well as resources for life outside the university.

Life in Finland

• ÅAU information about student life and traditions in Finland.
• Wondering about student associations? – Look at this page.
• Link to the survival guide for new international students
• Are you bringing your family with you to Finland? Check out the information about schools and daycare compiled for academic staff, but also applicable to students with families.
• InfoFinland – a great resource on life in Finland, containing practical advice and information on moving and living in Finland
  • Moving to Finland as a student
  • Cost of living in Finland
  • Your rights and obligations in Finland
  • Finding a job in Finland

Life in Turku

• International House Turku – a information hub providing counselling and guidance services promoting and supporting the integration of immigrants and international newcomers in Turku and the Turku region. The services are offered in many languages, across multiple channels and they are easily accessible.
• InfoFinland about Turku
• Study in Turku – information hub about being a student in Turku

Life in Vaasa

• Welcome Vaasa, advice and guidance for international newcomers and immigrants on settling in Vaasa. Multiple service languages and a wide offering of guidance.
• InfoFinland about Vaasa
• Happy student city Vaasa – Information hub about being a student in Vaasa