Welcome Hub Checklist for New International Students
If you are an EU/EEA citizen, register your right of residence: Registering an EU citizen's right of residence (Finnish Immigration Service).
Register your address officially to prove that you live in Finland on a more permanent basis: Registering your municipality of residence and permanent address (Digital and Population Data Services Agency DVV).
Apply for a personal identity code:
Finnish personal identity code (Digital and Population Data Services Agency DVV).
Apply for a tax card before you start working in Finland:
Tax card application (The Tax Administration Vero).
If you are a Non-EU citizen, check your residence permit expiration date and possible renewal process:
Renewal of residence permit card (Finnish Immigration Service).
Ensure you have the requested valid health insurance (Finnish Immigration Office).
If you are an EU/EEA citizen, make sure you have the European Health Insurance Card EHIC ( European Commission).
Pay the mandatory healthcare fee for students in higher education to Kela (Kansaneläkelaitos Kela).
Upload and learn how to use YTHSDigi, the Finnish Student Health Services app (Finnish Student Healthcare Services) for free of charge healthcare services.
Open a Finnish bank account: Opening a Finnish bank account (InfoFinland).
Acquire Finnish online banking credentials when opening a bank account. They are used widely for electronic identification and for dealing with various authorities.
Finalize your housing contract, whether you have student housing, or a private or public rental home. The biggest provider for affordable student housing is HOAS (Foundation for Student Housing in the Helsinki Region HOAS).
Take out home insurance if required by your landlord: Home insurance (InfoFinland).
Upload the HSL app and learn how to use the public transport in the Helsinki region: (HSL).
Also make sure you get your student discount on the HSL if eligible: Student discount on HSL season tickets (HSL).
Get a Finnish telephone subscription or a pre-paid subscription for a Finnish phone number and cheaper service: Telephone subscription in Finland (InfoFinland).
Activate your Metropolia user account: How do I activate my user account? (Metropolia UAS).
Log in to Metropolia Moodle, the online learning environment at Metropolia: Metropolia Moodle (Metropolia UAS).
Log in to Metropolia's web service, the OMA portal for course registration, study planning and academic info: OMA.
Activate your student card and library card in the Tuudo app.
Find instructions for printing and buying print credit: Printing, Copying and Scanning (Metropolia UAS).
Register for Finnish language courses offered by Metropolia if possible. You will need Finnish language skills when working in Finland: Finnish language courses in Metropolia (Metropolia UAS).
You can find additional language courses and self-study materials on the Finnishcourses.fi and Kielibuusti websites: Finnishcourses (Finnishcourses.fi). Kielibuusti (Kielibuusti).
Attend orientation sessions, workshops and other Welcome Hub activities: Metropolia Welcome Hub.
Meet your tutor students and join student WhatsApp groups.
Become the Metropolia student union member for extra student benefits (optional): Metropolia Student Union METKA (METKA).
Explore student clubs, sports, and events on Student’s Guide and the METKA website (METKA).
Get to know Metropolia’s services for students: Student services , Student Wellbeing Services and Career Services.
Get familiar with emergency numbers and local healthcare contacts: Emergency number 112 (Emergency Response Centre Agency Finland).
Register your child for kindergarten, called ”early childhood education” in Finland. Placement is assigned based on residential address: early childhood education in Helsinki (City of Helsinki), early childhood education in Espoo (City of Espoo), early childhood education in Vantaa (City of Vantaa).
Register your child for school. Placement is assigned based on residential address: enrolling and applying to school in Helsinki (City of Helsinki), enrolling and applying to school in Espoo (City of Espoo), enrolling and applying to school in Vantaa (City of Vantaa).
Find local hobbies and events on different info websites: MyHelsinki (City of Helsinki) , Fintegrate.fi (Fintegrate website) , ilmonet (Adult education institutions in Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa), Meetup (Meetup platform).