Fees and living costs

Application fee  

The Ministry of education and culture in Finland has preparations to introduce an application fee for 2025 application rounds in progress. Read more in the national application portal Studyinfo.fi. 
 

Test fees 

Students applying based on a degree obtained at a higher education institution located outside the EU/EEA are required to take the GMAT or GRE aptitude test. All students who do not fulfill the language requirement in another way, must take a language test.  

• GMAT or GRE test (varies between countries and test) is 200–280 €  
• Language test (varies between countries and test) is 200–450 € 
   

Immigration 

Non-EU/EEA citizens must apply for a residence permit to study in Finland. Here is the cost in relation to immigration: 

• Application fee for first residence permit is 350–450 €   
• Income requirement for living costs is 9600 € /year* (800 €/month) 
• Health Insurance is 450 € (estimation, varies a lot)

*The minimum required amount is most likely not sufficient, see the information below. 
 

Living costs

Monthly living expenses for students (including food, accommodation, travel, etc.) are around 750–1200+ €, depending on location and personal living habits. 

In Helsinki living costs and rent are higher, even for student housing.  

• A room in a shared apartment is around 400–500 €/month and a one-room apartment may cost 600–900 €/month. The rent in the student housing is approximately 20 % lower than rents for private apartments.   
• Food, transportation and other expenses are around 450 €/month
• The monthly living costs of a student in Helsinki are around 950–1200 €/month

In Vaasa the living expenses are slightly lower since it is a smaller city.  

• A room in a shared apartment costs around 250–400 €/month
• Food, transportation and other expenses are around 300–400 €/month  
• The monthly living costs of a student in Vaasa are around 750–900 €/month
   

Student Union membership fee 

All university students in Finland regardless of nationality are obliged to pay an annual Student Union membership fee. By paying the fee, students annually register as present for the academic year.  
 
The Student Union fee includes substantial benefits and services, advocacy work and events throughout the year. As a Student Union member, you are entitled to a significant student meal discount in student restaurants and reductions on public transport. The fee may vary from year to year. 

• Student Union membership is 70 €/year
   

Student health care fee 

The student health care fee (FSHS) is mandatory for most students. The fee is paid to the Social Insurance Institution of Finland called Kela once per term (spring and autumn), i.e., twice a year. 

The amount that must be paid is defined in a Government Decree and may vary from year to year. Read more about the health care fee for higher education students and the deadline for the payments on the KELA webpage. 

• Student health care is 35 €/academic year