Study on top of the world

Lapland is the northernmost province of Finland and the European Union. The seasons are very pronounced here. During the six months of winter there is a lot of snow. Summers can be very warm and there is 24 hours of daylight. The University is located in Rovaniemi, on the Arctic Circle. Rovaniemi is a dynamic, growing city with a strong, diverse business base and international expertise. It's also the official hometown of Santa Claus. The Lapland University of Applied Sciences is operating in three different campuses - Kemi, Rovaniemi and Tornio. Due to the location of Kemi and Tornio on the northern cost of the Bothnian Baý, into which the region's three great rivers flow, the area is sometimes called Sea Lapland.

The weather varies in autumn and spring. For example in August and May it can be quite warm during the day and you can often wear jeans and a t-shirt or long-sleeved shirt. However, the nights can be surprisingly cold. In winter time it can get really cold. In February 1999 the temperature near Rovaniemi dropped to -52 Celsius degrees, which was a record in Finland. If it’s of any comfort, the temperature rarely gets that cold here. But temperatures of -20°C or even -30°C are very common between December and March. Summer is usually warm and sunny in Finland, but it can be occasionally rainy. During the daytime temperature can be around 25 degrees Celsius. Kemi and Tornio are located on the Bothnian Bay which makes the climate little bit milder. Permanent snow comes later than in the inland and leafs comes to the trees earlier in the spring. For more information on weather in Finland, please visit:

www.fmi.fi

www.foreca.fi

Are you adventurous? Are you shy? Are you wild, calm, artsy, smart? Perhaps no one is all these things at once, but luckily the student life of all three cities - Tornio, Rovaniemi and Kemi - embraces all kinds of wanderers, offering fascinating events, trips and hobbies. You’ll find a variety of things to do in your free time: culture, sports, shopping, restaurants, cafés - whatever suits you. Come as you are and find your niche in the polar beat of Lapland.

All accepted students are eligible to apply for student housing through the local student housing foundations. In Rovaniemi, student housing is provided by Domus Arctica (DAS) and you can apply for it once you have been accepted as a student. In Kemi and Tornio Lapland UAS accommodation coordinator helps all accepted students to find the accommodation through housing companies or from the private market.

The cost of living in Finland is comparable to the rest of Europe on average. For basic expenses such as food, rent and transportation, an undergraduate (Bachelor’s or Master’s) student will need 600 – 900 € / month, which will be spent roughly as follows (all figures are in euros):

• Rent 190 –350

• One/two-room apartment (private sector) 450 and up

• Food (including lunch at school) 250

• Transport by local bus 50

• Leisure activities, other personal expenses 130

The living expenses of doctoral students are higher (about 1200-1800 € per month) because they are not entitled to the same benefits as undergraduate students.

For many years in a row, Finland has been ranked the safest country in the world according to the World Economic Forum (WEF). The ranking takes into account common crime and violence rates as well as terrorism, and the extent to which police services can be relied upon to provide protection from crime. 

Even though it can be cold and dark here during the winter, our streets, houses and public spaces are well lit. Our houses and apartment are also well heated and insulated. People behind their scarfs are also warm. If you have enough clothes on you and a reflector, you have nothing to worry about. You´ll make it.

EU citizens and citizens of Liechtenstein and Switzerland do not need a residence permit, but they must register their right to reside in Finland if their stay is going to last longer than three months.

If you are from another Nordic country (Sweden, Norway, Denmark or Iceland), you must notify the local register office no later than one week after moving to Kemi, Rovaniemi or Tornio.

Non-EU citizens have to apply for a residence permit in advance through a Finnish diplomatic mission. The permit must be applied for in the country of which the student is a legal resident.

Students coming from outside of EU and EEA countries have to pay a tuition fee. Fees are applicable to new bachelor´s and master's degree students starting their studies in autumn 2017 or later. All accepted students required to pay fees are also eligible to apply for a scholarship.

You have several options of travelling; you can fly, travel by train or by bus.

Flying

There are several direct daily flights from Helsinki-Vantaa airport to Rovaniemi by Finnair and Norwegian Airlines. The flight time is appr. 1 h 20 minutes. Rovaniemi airport is about 8 km from the city centre and there is an Airport taxi at your service. Please note that your student tutor is not obligated to pick you up from the airport, but you need to take an airport taxi (appr. EUR 10) or an "ordinary taxi (appr. EUR 15-20) on your own cost  to your residence.

There are several direct daily flights from Helsinki-Vantaa airport to Kemi-Tornio airport by Finnair. The flight time is appr. 1 h. Kemi-Tornio airport is about 5 km from the Kemi city center and 20 km from the Tornio city center. There is an Airport taxi at your service.

By train

In addition to flights, there are direct train connections from Helsinki to Rovaniemi and Kemi by VR, the national railway company. You can either take the day train or travel during the night. It takes about 12 to 13 hours by train to travel from Helsinki to Rovaniemi. If you arrive by train, you will need to take an “ordinary taxi” on your own cost (about EUR 10-15) to your residence. If you want to go to Tornio you need to stay at the Kemi station and travel to Tornio by bus or taxi. Bus to Tornio costs about 6 € and takes 30 minutes to Tornio.

By bus

There are also several bus lines from Helsinki to Rovaniemi, Kemi and Tornio and more information can be found at Matkahuolto web pages.  The travel time by bus varies from 13,5 hours to 17,5 hours. If you arrive by bus, you will need to take an “ordinary taxi” on your own cost (about EUR 10-15) to your residence.

Getting a job in Finland can be challenging. Most of the places require the employee to speak Finnish. However, in Lapland, international and multilingual staff is often sought for tourism related jobs. Below is some information about working in Finland for citizens of the Nordic Countries, EU citizens, and non-EU citizens.

Citizens of the Nordic Countries

A citizen of a Nordic country can live, work and study in Finland (or in another Nordic country) as long / much as he/she wants without a residence permit, but he/she must fill in a notification of change of address (Muuttoilmoitus).

EU citizens

An EU citizen can live, work and study in Finland as long / much as he/she wants if the stay lasts less than three (3) months. If the stay is longer than three months, an EU citizen must register his/her right to reside in Finland. After registering, an EU citizen can live, work and study in Finland as long / much as he/she wants. There are some exceptions to this rule with the new EU citizens. Please contact the immigration office for further information.

Non-EU citizens

If a student from a non-EU country is studying in Finland for more than three months he/she needs to get a residence permit before arriving in Finland. With the residence permit students can work if the work is directly related to the studies (practical training) or if the work is part-time (max. 25 hours per week). During periods when there is no teaching in the institution, students can work full-time. For further information, please contact the immigration office or a Finnish Embassy.

For more information, please visit:

www.mol.fi

www.migri.fi

No, we have reindeers. You can see them roaming in the woods from your apartment balcony. There are, however, two polar bears in Lapland: Sisu and his mother Venus at the Ranua zoo nearby.