University of Turku takes an active role in facilitating and encouraging international researcher's mobility.
New recruits, visiting researchers and teachers as well as doctoral researchers coming from abroad are offered International Staff Services. Accompanying families are also covered by the service. The services include support for relocation, information on immigration matters, and assistance of settling in Turku.
International Staff Services are provided for you by your faculty HR. When you need individual support, please be in touch with your HR contact person.
Before arrival
Stays less than 90 days
If you are a non-EU national and visit Finland for less than 90 days, check if you need a visa. You may work as a researcher without a residence permit for a maximum of 90 days if other conditions are met. If required, apply for a visa at the Finnish consulate or embassy in your country of residence. You will receive a letter of invitation from University of Turku.
Visa must be obtained prior to arrival in Finland.
NOTE: Interns might need a residence permit for shorter stays as well. More information on internships from Finnish Immigration Service.
Stays longer than 90 days
If you are a non-EU national and you intend to stay in Finland for more than 90 days, you must apply for a residence permit. For researchers, the permit type is called a residence permit for a researcher. With the permit you are allowed to conduct research, teach in a higher education institution or prepare a doctoral dissertation.
Otherwise, you can use Application Finder of Finnish Immigration Service to find a correct residence permit type for you.
You will receive a Hosting Agreement from your faculty HR which is needed as a proof of employment when applying for residence permit. Read the application instructions carefully, prepare the required documents and start your residence permit application on EnterFinland.
Accompanying family members can apply residence permits on the basis of family ties. Please notice that accompanying family members are advised to apply for a residence permit at the same time, even if they arrive in Finland later. The processing time for family members is significantly longer if applying separately from main applicant.
With the residence permit, you can receive a Finnish personal identity code which is required identification of persons in the registers and information systems of Finnish authorities. If you do not receive a personal identity code with the residence permit, you can request the code at the foreigner's registration at DVV (see section Foreigner's registration at Digital and Population Data Services Agency).
A residence permit must be obtained prior to arrival in Finland. You can make travel arrangements after your residence permit has been granted and the start of employment with the University of Turku has been agreed upon. Please note you cannot start employment before you have arrived in Finland and the job contract has been signed.
Note: Citizens of EU and Nordic countries as well as citizens of Liechtenstein and Switzerland do not need a residence permit for Finland but will need to register their right of residence if the stay in Finland exceeds 3 months (see section EU registration).
Start looking for housing well in advance. Housing situation in Turku is quite good, and the standard of housing is high.
Rent varies depending on the location, size and type of the flat. The rent of a studio or two-room apartment start from 550 € / month and is often around 600-850 € / month near the campus area. For a furnished flat, the rent is higher. Normally the rent includes heating but not electricity or water.
A private health/travel insurance is recommended for arriving staff members and their family members covering at least accidents or acute illnesses. The private health insurance should be obtained before travelling to Finland and be valid until you are entitled to Finnish social security and have right to use public health care services (see section Foreigner's registration at Digital and Population Data Services Agency and section Social security from Kela).
If you have the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) granted by another the EEA countries, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, please check whether the EHIC card is valid when you are moving to Finland. However, please note that EHIC card does not replace a travel/health insurance.
Booking appointments
It is recommended to book appointments for your first days in Finland already before arrival in order to avoid delays in the registration process:
- EU nationals: EU registration appointment at Finnish Immigration Service if you stay in Finland for at least three months without interruption. In the registration process you will be given a Finnish personal identity code which is required for identification purposes of persons in the registers and information systems of Finnish authorities.
- EU and non-EU nationals: Appointment for registration of a foreigner at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV). Your personal data will be registered in the Population Information System at DVV. Along with the registration you may obtain a personal identity number (if not obtained together with your residence permit) and a municipality of residence, if your stay in Finland exceeds one year or more. If a municipality of residence appointed to you in a foreigner's registration, you have the right to use the services provided by a municipality such as public healthcare and child daycare.
Buddy programme
University of Turku organizes a buddy programme through which you can ask for a buddy already before arrival in Finland. Buddy can be your first friend who can give you advice and tips for settling in at the University of Turku and in Finland.
If you are relocating with family members, apply for school and childcare places for your children as soon as your move to Finland is confirmed, preferably three months in advance.
Day care in Turku
Turku provides day care, pre-school education and playground activities for children under school age (7 years). Day care offers an environment where the child is able to play, learn and participate in everyday routines. The premises, equipment and materials of day care are tailored to suit the age and needs of the child.
Schools in Turku
Everyone living in Finland receives free basic education provided by the local authority. Basic education is given in the schools of Turku in Finnish at 38 schools, in Swedish at 4 schools and in English at the Turku International School (see the link below). In addition to the schools administrated by the City, the University of Turku Normal School and Steiner School also operate in Turku.
Turku International School
Turku International School offers primary (grades 1-6), secondary (grades 7-9) and upper secondary education (IB Diploma Programme).
After arrival
If you are an EU national, you need to register your stay in Finland if your continuous stay in Finland exceeds three months. In addition to registering your right of residence, you will receive a Finnish personal identity code. You should complete the EU registration prior to foreigner's registration in Digital and Population Data Services Agency. Read more of EU registration.
Fill out and submit the application on EnterFinland and book your appointment for EU registration already before arriving in Finland.
NOTE: Citizens of the Nordic countries need to register their right of residence at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency if they reside in Finland for more than six months. See more under next section ''Foreigner's registration at Digital and Population Data Services Agency''.
Both EU and non-EU nationals shall complete the registration of a foreigner at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV). DVV can register your data in Finnish Population Information System and register your temporary or permanent address and file your first postal address change. Personal identity code will be given to you if not previously received by Finnish Immigration Service. Additionally, your marital status/family relations can also be registered if you have the required original certificates as well as legalizations and translations, as required.
The registration and postal address change should be completed within one month of your relocation to Finland.
When specific conditions are met and your place of residence in Turku will be registered as your permanent home address, a municipality of residence in Finland can be assigned to you. The municipality of residence is issued in case you stay in Finland for work / study for more than a year. Without a municipality of residence, you will be considered a temporary foreign resident. Municipality of residence entitles to use municipal services, most importantly public health care services.
For registration of a foreigner, book the appointment, fill out the application and bring the required documents to the appointment.
If you have accompanying family members, the required appendices of the main form need to be fill out for each family member. All family members must also be present in person at the appointment. The processing time for family members is significantly longer if registering separately from main applicant.
As an outcome of the registration of a foreigner, you will receive a confirmation in a few weeks once your information have been entered in the Finnish Population Information System.
If you have an employment contact, visit the tax office to get a tax card. The tax card needs to be delivered to the University’s payroll services well in advance before the first payday.
Turku tax office is located in DataCity, street address Lemminkäisenkatu 14 - 18. You can make an appointment by calling to Finnish Tax Administration, +358 29 497 050. For the tax card, you need to present your filled in tax card forms, official identification document, your residence permit or certificate of EU registration, your employment contract.
An estimate of the total income earned in Finland during the calendar year is also asked when applying for a tax card. A tax percentage calculator can be used to estimate the tax percentage.
Please note that you may note receive the tax card during the appointment, the average processing time is 1-3 days. In some cases, a Finnish identity code can also be obtained from the tax office.
You are able to apply for a Finnish identity card from Police of Finland when have a valid residence permit and your municipality of residence has been registered at DVV (for stays longer than a year). Non-EU nationals may wish to obtain a Finnish ID card in order request online banking codes with strong electronic identification from a bank when opening a bank account in Finland. Strong electronic identification is a means to prove your identity in electronic services.
An ID card will be issued for five years or until the expiry of your residence permit, whichever is sooner. A foreigner’s Finnish identity card cannot be used as a travel document.
You can apply for the identity card by visiting a local police station when you do not have strong identification codes for an online application. You can book an appointment via the Police online service or by calling the police helpline at +358 (0)295 419 800 from Monday to Friday between 8:00 and 16:15. You may also go to a police station without an appointment, but be prepared for long waiting times. More instructions on how to apply can been seen here. Please have your passport photo taken before the police appointment and bring the required documents to the appointment.
Standard time during which identity card application will be processed and card be delivered to the collection point is 8 working days.
Identification for the purpose of electronic identification
If you are in Finland for less than a year, you may be interested in identification for the purpose of electronic identification documents (todistus ensitunnistuksesta) for the bank and strong electronic identification purposes. An application for identification shall be made together with the bank or other certification service provider before visiting the police station. The bank will be sent a certificate to the bank whether or not the police have been able to identify you.
You need to open a bank account in Finland in case you do not hold a bank account in the SEPA area. To open a bank account, you need to present your official ID, Finnish identity code, residence permit card or EU registration to Finland, address in Finland which has been registered at DVV, an employment contract or a grant letter. To obtain online banking codes for strong electronic identification, you would need to have your identity card or passport issued by an authority of Finland, another ETA country, Switzerland or San Marino (non-EU nationals, please see previous section, Finnish ID card).
Please notice also that banks have a statutory obligation to identify and know their customers. In addition to the personal details, the bank must have sufficient information on the customer's business, financial position and origin of funds.
You can be covered by Finnish social security either on the basis of employment or permanent residence in Finland. For non-EU nationals, permanent residence will be evaluated based on matters such as the residence permit type or intention to stay two years or more. You can become entitled to social security coverage in Finland starting from the date you move or start in your work. Read more here.
Kela is the Social Insurance Institution of Finland which grant social benefits in Finland. All who are covered by Finnish social security can be issued a personal health insurance card, the Kela card. To apply for the Kela card, please fill in Kela card application and notification of Moving to Finland, attach a copy of your employment contract to the application papers and deliver those to Kela office. By presenting your card at the pharmacy or at many private medical clinics, you can get a direct, on-the-spot reimbursement for your costs. See more here.
Please notice that for the use of public services in Finland, such as health care services, you need to have been issued a municipality of residence in Finland or have a valid EHIC card issued by an EEA country of your permanent residence. The municipality of residence is issued by Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) along with your foreigner's registration process (see section ''Foreigner's registration at Digital and Population Data Services Agency'').
If do your research work on a grant, you might need the pension insurance policy for self-employed persons to be entitled to Kela benefits The insurance is provided by the Farmers’ Social Insurance Institution (MELA). See more in the section ''For grant researchers: Mela insurance''.
Grant researchers are responsible for handling their pension and occupational accident insurance. For those receiving a grant or scholarship awarded in Finland, the Farmers’ Social Insurance Institution Mela handles statutory pension and occupational accident insurance. This insurance is for those covered by Finnish Social Security (Kela). Grant researcher needs to check whether they are obliged to take the insurance from Mela.
An insurance application for Mela must be made within three months of starting work. Mela also provides group life insurance, and short-term sickness security. In addition, occupational accident insurance can be complemented with accident insurance for leisure time.