Before the Exchange

Hanken will nominate you to your exchange destination after you have accepted your exchange place. After nomination you will receive information on the application procedure to your host university either directly from the host university or from Hanken’s international coordinator. Read all the instructions carefully and check the deadlines. Please also regularly check the host university’s website for incoming exchange students.

You can read Exchange Reports written by other students that have been to your host university while you wait for the application instructions. You can find the reports in the Mobility Online Portal. You can find the instructions on this page under "Mobility Online Portal".

Every application is different, and it is important that you carefully follow the instructions that you have received. You will be asked to fill in an application form either online or on paper. You will also need to attach some documents to your application.

The most common documents are:

• Transcript of records
• Certificate of enrolment
• Learning Agreement
• CV, Letter of motivation or a Letter of recommendation. You may need to have a professor at Hanken write you a letter of recommendation.
• Accommodation application
• Certificate of Grant or a Certificate of Finance. You will get a Certificate of Grant from Hanken. If you need a certificate of your Finances, please contact your bank.
• Certificate of Health. May for example include a chest X-ray or blood test. You can book a time for a health check at the student health service.  
• Copy of your insurance or European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

If you need a signature or stamp from Hanken to your exchange application, please contact the international coordinator well in advance. If you need to mail your application as a letter, it is your responsibility to make sure it gets to the host university on time. Remember to take a copy of all the original documents before mailing.

In the Mobility Online Portal you will find information about Hanken's partner universities as well as any pre-requisites that the student will need to fulfill in order to be eligible to apply for exchange studies at a specific partner university. Please note that level of study, language requirement, subject (e.g. limited to only Economics) and number of places can change from semester to semester. Please also note that some universites have a very quantitative approach. You must check carefully the information for the universities you are interested in. 

Instructions

How to search the Mobility Online Portal:

• Choose Study Level, Continent, Country and/or Partner institution.
• Click on Show exchange details
• For more information about the university click on the document icon (display details) next to the red/green icon (the icon is green when the application is open). The following information will be showed: level of the exchange studies (Bachelor/Master), language of instruction, Internet address of the university, any pre-requisites that must be fulfilled in order to be eligible to apply for exchange studies at the specific university, number of exchange places, length of term, amount of scholarship etc.
• To return to the start page click on Close Window and then Back to Preselection
• In the uploaded Fact Sheet you will find the partner university's own information about the exchange programme, this information may be from the previous year. Please note that you should always check the pre-requisites in the Mobility Online Portal under Additional Requirements (not the fact sheet).
• Some partner universities only accept students during autumn or spring semester. When the exchange application is open, only the available options will be displayed in the portal. 

When the exchange application is open you will be able to access the online application by clicking on the green icon next to the university you want to apply for. Please read through Exchange application page before starting your exchange application.

Exchange reports in the Mobility Online Portal

In the Mobility Online Portal you will find exchange reports written by students.

How to use the Mobility Online Portal to see the exchange reports:

• Start by clicking "QUESTIONNAIRES" in the upper right corner
• You can search for reports by choosing Continent, Country and/or Partner institution. You can also search by only Continent or Country
• Click on Show all existing questionnaires
• In order to see a report, click Open the questionnaire document icon to the far left of the university that you wish to view
• You can navigate the report by clicking the page numbers above the questions and answers or by clicking Next page
• In order to see the report as a pdf file or for printing or to save on your computer, click Print under the answer fields
• To return to the start page click on Close Window and then Back to Preselection

Please also note that there are no exchange reports available from new parter universities until someone has been there on exchange.

Grants

All students going on an exchange within the Hanken exchange programme are entitled to a scholarship from Hanken. The scholarships are intended to function as partial financing of the exchange and you are expected to study full-time at your host university (please see the terms & conditions you accepted before your exchange). Hanken's scholarships for exchange students are paid 1 July if you are going on exchange in the autumn semester and 1 December if you are going on exchange in the spring semester. The amount of the scholarship for to each university can be found in the Mobility Online Portal.

Please note

• You can only receive one grant for either exchange studies or an internship during each study level.
• You can only apply for either exchange studies or an internship grant during one application round (January - March).
• If you choose to study abroad as a freemover (at a university that is not a partner university of Hanken) you will not be entitled to a scholarship from Hanken

Exchange to all destinations

You will receive a Certificate of Grant from Hanken. It is proof that you are a Hanken exchange student and that you will receive a grant. You will need this document in case you are applying for a visa. The students who do not need a visa need to take it with them to their host country and show it when they register with the authorities.

Erasmus+ exchange

If you are going on exchange via the Erasmus+ programme you need to complete one obligatory step before the grant can be paid to you:

• Grant Agreement: A grant agreement is sent to you by email in November/June. The Agreement tells you how much of your exchange is financed by the European Commission. Read the agreement, sign and upload it to Mobility Online before the deadline.

Voluntary step:

• OLS language test: Complete the Erasmus+ OLS (Online Linguistic Support) language test to assess your language skill (usually in English). Information about the test is sent per e-mail in November/June.

Other grants

To finance your exchange studies you can also apply for other scholarships. Information about available scholarships can be found on fyrk.fi Opens in new window  (in Swedish). Here you can for example find information on Svenska studiefonden’s grants (application deadline is in February for exchanges in the same year).

Financial Aid for students from Kela/FPA

The Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela/FPA) can grant you financial aid for your exchange semester. Remember to inform them about your exchange before your departure. You do not have to attach a certificate of your exchange studies, Hanken will inform Kela about this directly.

Students without a Finnish citizenship must fulfill certain requirements to be eligible to receive financial aid from Kela. Please read more on Kela's website.

Erasmus+ additional grants 

Erasmus+ additional grant for students with families

Students with families that go on exchange within the Erasmus+ program (i.e. to one of Hanken’s partner universities in another EU-country) may get an additional grant amounting to 200 euro/month. The requirement is that the student is a parent to a child under the age of 18. The additional sum can be granted even if the child stays in Finland during the exchange.

If you would like to apply for this additional grant, you need to be able to prove that you are a parent and you also have to fill in a separate application form. Please contact the International coordinator at Hanken for more information.

Erasmus+ accessibility grant for students with special needs

Special needs or disabilities do not rule out the opportunity of going on exchange. If you do have a special need/disability you need to contact the International Coordinator at Hanken well in advance of applying for an exchange place. This will enable us to sort out which universities would be appropriate for you to choose between.

Students with special needs that go on exchange within the Erasmus+ program (i.e. to one of Hanken’s partner universities in another EU-country) may apply for an accessibility grant for the exchange period (in addition to the Erasmus grant that all Erasmus students get). Please read the information that the Finnish National Agency for Education has compiled about the accessibility grant within the frame of the Erasmus+ program.

You will find information about who is eligible to apply for the accessibility grant, how to apply and a “Checklist for Exchange Students and Higher Education Institutions”. You will also find the application form, which is to be filled in both by you and by the International Coordinator. It will then be sent by the International Coordinator to the Finnish National Agency for Education, who makes the final decision about the approval/disapproval of the application.

Erasmus+ additional grant for green travel

From the autumn semester 2022 onwards, students receiving an Erasmus+ grant can apply for a Green Travel top-up if they use environmentally friendly, sustainable means of transport for their trip to and from their host country. Green travel is defined as travel that uses low-emission modes of transport such as bus, rail, or carpooling. Environmentally friendly mobilities are supported with a one-time top-up of 50 euro and up to 4 days of additional individual support to cover for travel days (approx. 16€/day). 

The top-up travel support is paid after the exchange once the student has submitted an application and a receipt or similar evidence confirming the travel arrangements. Please note that the main part of the travel or at least one direction of the round trip has been made using low-emissions means of transport.

How to apply for the Green Travel top-up

When you have paid for all your travel expenses you should fill out the compensation form below. Fill out the fields under Details of green travel and Travel plan. You do not need to fill out the project number. Remember to also sign the form. Please attach all receipts/other evidence of the means of transport to your application. 

After you have filled out the form send it as well as the receipts to outgoing.mobility@hanken.fi. The application must be sent in by 28 February if you were on exchange during the autumn semester. If you were on exchange during the spring semester it must be sent in by 31 July. The Green Travel top-up is paid to the bank account you specified in Mobility Online.

You can read more about the Green Erasmus project here.

Please note that all students going on exchange or internship must be registered as present at Hanken. The deadline is 31 August for studies in the Autumn term or full-year. The deadline for only the spring term is 15 January.

Read more under "To register as present".

Learning Agreement

You have made a preliminary course selection (Learning Agreement) in your exchange application, but now you have to make a new course selection for studies at your host university. You need to fill out your Learning Agreement in Hanken’s Mobility Online before the exchange or latest upon arrival when you have made your course selection.  If you do not complete your Learning Agreement in time, we will not be able to point out any problems with your course selection and it might be too late to change courses. Therefore, it is very important that you complete your Learning Agreement as soon as possible. At some universities, you are required to make your course selection early together with your application/registration.

The Learning Agreement needs to be signed by a) the student b) the international coordinator at Hanken and c) the international coordinator at your host university. After the Learning Agreement has been signed by all parties, it works as a guarantee that all courses can be transferred towards your Hanken degree. You can read more about the transfer of credits under After the Exchange.

If changes happen during the semester you need to update your Learning Agreement immediately to have it approved by all parties again. If you drop a course, you need to substitute it with another. You cannot return home before you have finished all the courses on your Learning Agreement. Work or a summer job is not an excuse to return home before all the exams are done. The host university’s exams cannot be completed remotely from Hanken.

Which courses should I choose and how many?

Participation in the Hanken exchange program requires you to complete a full course load during your exchange, normally 30 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System). One ECTS credit corresponds to one credit at Hanken. Universities outside Europe often calculate credits differently. If you are unsure what is considered a full course load at your host university, please check the Mobility Online Portal.

If you are a Bachelor student you can transfer your studies as a minor subject at Hanken (grundstudiehelhet avlagd utomlands). The requirement is at least 25 ECTS of which minimum 15 ECTS are business studies.

If you are a MSc student, your studies will usually be transferred as elective studies. However, please discuss your course choice with a professor if you would like to choose courses within your major.

During your exchange, you will mainly study business studies. However, it is possible to take a course in e.g. political sciences, psychology or other subjects that support your degree. Choose courses that, as far as possible, do not overlap with courses that you have already studied at Hanken. We recommend that you do not choose more than one course in your major subject.

We recommend you take a language course in the local language to get an insight into the language and culture of your host country. Please note that the language course should be on a higher level than the courses you have previously studied at Hanken.

If you fail to achieve the full workload, you may be required to return part of or all of the scholarship that you received from Hanken. If you become ill and cannot participate in an exam, make sure that you can prove this with a sick note from a doctor.

Transfer of Credits

Generally, all successfully completed at your partner university should be transferred to your degree at Hanken. You can read more about the transfer of credits under Transferring Credits from Studies Abroad and After the Exchange.

Before you go on Exchange, you need to put your planned courses as a study draft in Sisu. You can find the instructions under "The study plan". Please note that you need to do separate study drafts for each course. After your exchange you will then apply for inclusion of your exchange studies. Since you have already added the course you are planning to include to your study plan via a study draft, you can make the application through your study draft. Then your transferred course will be shown in your study plan directly in the section where the study draft was before. You can also apply for inclusion without making a study draft first. Then you need to remember to add the transferred course to your study plan yourself after your application has been approved.

Booking travel tickets

Please check the semester dates at your host university before you book your tickets. Also check when the host university arrange orientation days. It is mandatory to attend the orientation days. The exam period can be from January – March during the autumn semester and June – August in the spring semester. It is important to remember this when you are planning your winter holidays or possible summer jobs. The host university’s exams cannot be completed at Hanken (and vice versa). You have to complete all the courses and do all exams at your host university before you leave.

You can find exact semester dates at your host university on the web, often under academic calendar or in the universities' fact sheets in the Mobility Online portal Opens in new window .

Visa and travel documents

Some destinations may require you to apply for a visa. The visa application procedures may take a long time, so please start the process in time.

Usually, you need a Letter of Acceptance (a certificate from your host university stating that they have accepted your application). The Letter of Acceptance will be sent to you after registration or when you have successfully handed in your application documents to the host university. Please, read the information about the visa application procedures provided by your host university.

The embassies usually also have useful information on their websites. By reading this information you can prepare your visa application while waiting for the Letter of Acceptance. Sometimes the embassies require that you personally hand in your visa application, so prepare for this, in particular, if you don't live close to the embassy. Please, note that some countries (e.g. USA) require a proof of finance, a certificate stating that you have particular sum of money on your account. You can use the Certificate of Grant that you receive from Hanken if it is suitable.

Please also make sure that you have a valid passport well in time. Some destinations require your passport to be valid also after the exchange (usually 6 months).

Accommodation

You can find information about accommodation in your host country by reading the information available on your host university's web pages for incoming exchange students. You might also find information in the host university’s fact sheet in the Mobility Online Portal. You can talk to previous exchange students at your host university for accommodation tips or you can read about how previous exchange students have arranged their housing in the exchange reports. 

Apply for accommodation well in advance and follow the deadlines set by the host university. The host university may offer you the opportunity to apply for on-campus housing or may help you with finding accommodation on the privet market.  Many host universities select students for their available housing options on a "first come first served" basis. Thus, if you apply in time, you are more likely to get accommodation.

Please be aware that in some cities it can be hard to find accommodation. Be prepared that you may have to travel to your exchange destination a few weeks in advance to sort out the accommodation situation. Some universities encourage incoming exchange students to get in contact with each other to find accommodation as it may be easier/cheaper to rent an apartment together.

Note that you are responsible for the housing expenses. You might be required to pay a guarantee or to pay a part of the rent in advance.

Health care and insurances

Get acquainted with student medical care abroad. Living abroad due to studies is usually regarded as temporary residence. In this case, if you are covered by the Finnish health insurance you remain covered and your entitlement to treatment is determined in accordance with the agreements between Finland and the destination country. Country-specific information about health services can be found here. The country-specific information concerning healthcare services assists you when you travel abroad and may need treatment because you have suddenly fallen ill.

Please check the health care information in your host country well in advance. You should also check if you need any vaccinations. Please note that you might have to get some vaccinations several times. Plan enough time for this before your departure. You can check which vaccinations you may need on rokote.fi (in Finnish). If you are covered by the Finnish Student Health Service (YTHS/SHVS) any vaccinations can be taken there.

You can find country-specific health care information at eu-healthcare.fi.

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)

If you are covered by the Finnish health insurance system and you travel as an exchange student within Europe, you should apply for a European Health Insurance Card Opens in new window   from KELA (The Social Insurance Institution of Finland). As some host universities require a copy of the Health Insurance Card when you fill in their application form, we recommend that you apply for the card at the latest when you receive the confirmation of your exchange study placement. Take the card with you when you leave for your stay abroad. If you aren’t a Finnish citizen, but covered by a state social security system in any other Member State of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you can apply for the card via your own health insurance institution in the country where you are insured.

The European Health Insurance Card mainly covers emergency treatment, and in such cases guarantees you the same basic medical treatment as the local residents are entitled to in accordance to the laws of that particular country. It does not, however, cover any costs induced from any services outside the national health care system. Should you need special transportation to Finland due to illness or injury, you would also have to pay for it yourself. It is therefore important to purchase private travel insurance to cover any such possible costs.

Hanken's insurance to students with a mandatory semester abroad

Hanken insures all students that have a mandatory semester abroad within their bachelor studies. The insurance is valid the whole exchange period (including some days before and after your exchange). It also covers the trips to and from your host country. If you are planning on taking other trips before, during or after your exchange, you need to get another personal insurance to cover them. Hanken’s insurance doesn’t insure your luggage or have a third party liability coverage.

Regardless of the destination, Hanken recommends that all students get their own extensive insurance. It is very important that you have a valid insurance that covers e.g. travelling, belongings, health care, accidents, hospitalization and special transportation home in case of injury/death. Also remember third party liability coverage! Make sure that the insurance also covers trips to other countries you might visit during your exchange.

Please also read about travel insurances on the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ webpages.

It is important that you keep yourself informed about global events such as political instabilities, epidemics and natural disasters when you are about to leave for your exchange. It is also important to prepare yourself for a potential crisis while being abroad.

Travel Information (Resemeddelande/Matkustustiedote)
Read the current travel information for your host country published by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (only available in Finnish and Swedish) and how you can prepare for a crisis abroad.

If you aren’t a Finnish citizen or a permanent resident of Finland, please follow the instructions of your home country’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Notification of Travel (Reseanmälan/Matkustusilmoitus)
All students who are Finnish citizens or permanent residents in Finland are recommended to submit a notification of travel to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. This means that you give the Ministry your personal details, contact details and information about your travel. This way the Ministry can contact you in case of an emergency or crisis. Your personal details will never be given to anyone except necessary authorities. Citizens of other countries should look up how they can make a notification of travel to their home country’s ministry of foreign affairs.

Always check the contact information for the embassy of your home country at your destination and notify the embassy of your stay in the country. You can find the contact information for Finnish embassies abroad here. We also recommend you to follow the embassy on Facebook. You can find the Finnish embassies on Facebook here.

Please note that it is important for you to register with the authorities at your host country. You will get instructions from your host university.

Please also read the information under the following links:
Before your travel abroad

During your travel abroad

Consular services

"Utrikesministeriets tjänster för resenärer" - flyer.

Please note the information is only available in Finnish or Swedish. If you are a foreign national and not a permanent resident in Finland, please see the instructions of your home country.

Keep yourself informed about global events:
1. Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs

2. Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare

3. World Health Organization

4. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control

5. Foreign and Commonwealth Office

In the event that you should choose not to accept an exchange post because of acts of terrorism, epidemics, a natural disaster or other similar events, Hanken can only in a very limited capacity try to find a new exchange place at a university in another country; this is dependent on the registration schedules maintained by the host universities.

You can find a checklist below with information on some things you need to do or think about before and during your exchange semester.