Welcome everyone to the step-by-step guide of applying for a Finnish residence permits for studies (Part 2).
In case if you missed the Part 1, click this link and check it out. I covered up to step 3 in Part 1.
Now we are moving to step 4.
Step 4:
This step is very important because we are going to attach relevant documents here in this step. I would recommend adding a PDF version of all the documents.
Let’s go through each options one by one (Image 20). I am keeping the section name in Bold.
- Attach the scanned copy of your passport in the section titled “Copy of a valid Passport.”
- In the “Certificate of acceptance/ attendance from a Finnish educational Institution” section, attach the offer letter you received from the University.
- In “Clarification of the Income” section, attach your personal bank statement. It is better to attach 3-6 months of bank statements.
- Attach your health Insurance in the next section titled as “Health Insurance” you received from Swisscare or similar companies.
- In the “Previous degree/ qualification certificate” section, attach your previous degree certificate. If you are going to pursue your master’s degree, then attach your bachelor’s degree certificate.
- If you have any previous working experience, you can attach the employment certificate in the “Any employment certificates” section.
- The section titled “Document showing that you are legally staying in the country where you submit the application” is for individuals who are citizens of one country but are currently residing in another country when applying for Finnish residence permits. For example, if you are a citizen of Thailand but currently living in China for work or study purposes and applying for a Finnish residence permit from China, you need to attach your Chinese residence permit in this section. However, if you are applying from Thailand, you can leave this field empty.
- “Response to possible refusal” section is not applicable for you. Leave it empty.
- If you received a scholarship for tuition fees, attach the scholarship document in the “Clarification on tuition fee or scholarship” section. If you are required to pay tuition fees, attach the document showing proof of payment or sending tuition fees. If you have a partial scholarship, combine the scholarship document and the proof of tuition fees payment into a single document and attach it here.
- Clarification on origin of Fund: here you need to attach the sponsor documents.
- If you are a self-sponsored student, you need to attach documents showing your source of funds. You can include your salary certificate, bank solvency certificate, tax certificate, etc., to justify your source of funds.
- If someone else is sponsoring you, you need to provide supporting documents such as bank statements, job certificate, salary certificate, tax certificate, bank solvency certificate, affidavit (optional), etc., of the sponsor. If you have multiple sponsors, you need to attach the documents of each sponsor individually.
- If you are selling gold or properties to finance your education, you can attach the sales agreement and/or the transaction in your account.
- You can attach 5 documents in this section. If you need to attach more documents, then use the “Other attachments” sections.
That is everything in 4th step. Let’s move to the 5th Step,
Step 5:
you need to decide which embassy you will visit for biometric data submission. If you are unsure, you can check out this link here (Embassy and consulates of Finland). Select your country and then click on “Residence Permit to Finland”. Here, you will find information about which embassy you need to visit for an interview and to submit biometric data.
In this step, you can also decide whether to pay the embassy fee through online banking or during your visit to the embassy for biometrics. Personally, I paid at the embassy, but you can choose to pay earlier.
Step 6:
Finally, in step 6, review all the information you entered in the previous steps. If there are any mistakes, go back and make corrections. Once you are confident with all the information and attachments, click the submit button.
That’s it! Your application is now submitted to the Finnish embassy for further processing. I hope this article has helped you navigate the application process.
Thank you for following through the process. I wish you all the best for your future studies and experience in Finland.