Finland Student Residence Permit Renewal Guide!

This time most of the students are rushing for residence permit renewal. Here I am going to give the simple residence permit renewal guide. Documents Required!

• Your Passport
•  1 Visa Size Photo (35*47mm and 20-25mm head if you are Photoshop savvy you can edit by yourself and print in 55cent. otherwise you have to pay 10-16 Euro) 
• Your credit Reports and certificate of attendance for coming year from college. Remember to ask both documents. 
• Bank statement of last 3 months. If you have part time work you need to show your work contract and payslip from last 3 months. Otherwise you have to show €6000 bank balance.
•  Insurance certificate. If you are have Finnish kela card insurance certificate is not needed. Otherwise You can do it from International Student Insurance. Important thing to notice about insurance is Malmi police Helsinki doesn't accept insurance which have deductible more than $100. So Choose the deductible amount less than or equal to $100.
• Imp. Remember to fill up the visa application form before submitting documents to immigration.
• €80 Cash (No card Accept) as visa renewal fee.

If you miss any of your documents of point(2-5) you can go and give those next day or another easy option is to send it by post. The early you go it would be convenient for you. Take number (A---format) by pressing kaikki kansalaiset. You can take number before 2pm. Police office function hours is 8Am-16.15Pm. If you have got the number you turn will definitely come on the same day, wait patiently. If you have the genuine cause for residence permit speed up request then ask a piece of paper and jot down the cause on that so that they could take your cause into consideration.  

Insurance form filling tips!

Go to the website International student insurance. Click Apply Online. Choose Atlas Travel online application option.

Will your trip include US..Check no.
Date of coverage should begin:- The very next day that your visa ends.

Date of coverage should end:- Put 1 year duration from the coverage begin. If you put coverage begin 16 August, it will end on 15 August of next year so that the total duration will be 1 year.

Put your date of birth and check no. Then click Get quote. Then choose 100 dollar Deductible amount and apply. You have to pay 347 dollar~241 Euro. You can pay from visa electron card.

Way to find Malmi Police Station. (For Applicants of Helsinki).

Of course you can check map from Malmi Police or Malmi Police. But I will give simple directions for those who are confused about the way. Get down from train and climb up the stairs turn left and go straight towards market through the corridor. Before entering the shopping complex very near to its entrance if you turn left you can see stair to car and cycle park climb down those stairs. Then turn left and go straight till the end of that road. Don't cross the road and turn left and go straight. If you turn left without crossing road you will find visa office on your LHS.

There is photo studio in shopping complex (Malmin tori) near Lidl. Also there is nordea bank outside of the shopping complex for bank transaction. Otto Machines are there in the shopping complex for €80 visa renewal cash :).

BASIC FACTS ABOUT FINLAND:

Area
 Finland is the fifth largest country in Europe. The area of Finland is 338,000 square kilometres or 131,000 square miles, of which eight per cent is cultivated. Ten per cent of the total area is covered by lakes, which number 188,000, and 69 per cent by forests.

 Major Cities

 Helsinki, the capital, pop. 539,000 (the metropolitan area including the neighbouring towns of Espoo, Kauniainen and Vantaa has a population of 920,000). Tampere, pop. 189,000; Turku, pop. 169,000.

Population 
 The population of Finland is about 5,1 million with an annual growth rate of 0.3 per cent. After Iceland and Norway, Finland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe, with 17 inhabitants per square kilometre. Therefore, the towns are quite small according to the European scale. Most of the inhabitants (76 per cent) live in urban areas. About 56 per cent have completed post-primary education, 43 % have a secondary level degree and 13 % have a higher level degree.

Language
 Finland is a bilingual country, both Finnish (SUOMI/ FINSKA) and Swedish (RUOTSI/ SVENSKA) being the official languages. Around 6 per cent of the population speak Swedish as their native language. Most of the Swedish speakers live along the south and west coasts. The Lapps also account for a language minority with some 5,000 Sami speakers. The most widely studied foreign language is English, followed by German and French. You will be able to deal with all your official business in English.

 Religion
 The majority of Finns are Lutherans (86 per cent), and one per cent are Finnish Orthodox. Government Independent democratic republic since 1917, with a President elected for a six-year-term, and a 200-member, single-chamber Parliament elected every four years.

Currency

 The Finnish currency is euro (EUR), divided into 100 cents(sentti).

Climate 
 Finland is a Nordic country with four distinct seasons. The climate is milder than in many other areas of the same latitude partly because of the warming influence of the Gulf Stream. Temperatures range from minus 30 to plus 30 degrees Celsius. The long-term average is between +14 and +18 degrees Celsius in July, and between -6 and -15 degrees Celsius in February. Winter normally begins in November. There are good opportunities for winter sports in all parts of the country. If you are going to stay in Finland during the winter months, i.e. between November and April, you will need a good pair of warm, insulated shoes or boots, a warm winter coat, mittens and a hat/cap as well as woollen sweaters and long underwear. (Please note that Finnish buildings are generally well-heated and insulated, so it is warm indoors, even in winter.)

Historical Perspectives
 Finland and the Finnish national consciousness have been moulded by the country's geographical status between the East and the West. From the 12th century, Finland was part of the kingdom of Sweden. In 1809, after Sweden lost the war against Russia, Finland was ceded to Russia and became an autonomous Grand Duchy within Imperial Russia, its Grand Duke being the Tsar himself. During the 19th century Finnish national consciousness grew stronger. In 1906, Finland succeeded in establishing a new constitution based on equal and universal suffrage, Finnish women being the first in Europe to be given the right to vote. After the October Revolution in Russia in 1917, Finland declared itself independent. During World War II, Finland managed to retain its independence in the Winter War and Continuation War against Russia. After the war, Finland pursued a policy of neutrality and military non-alliance. Finland is a parliamentary republic with a multi-party political system. Finland joined the European union on the January 1st , 1995.

 Time in Finland

Finland

 There is only one time zone in Finland. From early Spring to Mid-Autumn so-called Summer Time is followed (set ahead the clocks by one hour in March) In Finland it is customary to use the following logic in indicating the time: 9.00 = 9 am. / 15.00 =3 p.m. / 19.30 = 7.30 pm. Public Holidays (Note: shops and banks are closed on holidays and close early on the Eves, but some kiosks and restaurants, however, remain open)

Information on education, training and youth issues in Finland, and on Finnish culture and way of life…recommended!

The Finnish Tourist Board www.mek.fi

Travel in Finland www.travel.fi/int/

Virtual Finland http://virtual.finland.fi

Finland Festivals www.festivals.fi/english/index.html

Education and Training in Finland www.edu.fi

Finnish Schools in the Internet www.edu.fi/english/koulut

Statistics Finland www.stat.fi

Surf Finland -explore Finnish Municipalities and Citieswww.netek.fi/surf

Forest and Park Service www.metsa.fi

The City of Helsinki www.hel.fi

The City of Joensuu www.jns.fi

The Town of Savonlinna www.travel.fi/Savonlinna


COPIED:-From the Website of University of Joensuu/ Savonlinna Departments.

Life in Lappeenranta.

Being student here in Lappeenranta, I am going to write down my experiences during my study hours (in Lappeenranta), which I hope will help to new comers to figure out the overall life style of Lappeenranta and all of Finland.

           As you come to Lappeenranta by train from Central Railway station, Helsinki ( Fare With student card €20, without student or VR card, €40) Most of your assumptions from Nepal has already become contrary to the fact. You will not find Europe according to your immagination. If you had come from Suvarnabhumi Airport Thailand, you consider Vanta airport very small. As you see everywhere forest in the way to Lappeenranta, building of your imagination start to collapse slowly. Coming to Lappeenrata in Train is very easy as it informs each and every locations through voice and in monitor in Finnish, English and Swedish. As you get down in Lappeenranta, you will call your tutor. Here tutor are students responsible for helping new-comer students. Don't forget to get the phone number of your tutor from Nepal. As you can ask with college/ University through email. They will provide you all details. I am emphasizing tutor here because he posses the key of your new room and he will take you to room from train station. You may feel little bit cold in August just as you come to Finland being new to here, don't worry ''-30'' or even more in coming winter will coach how to face cold in Finland.


 Tutor will take you to your new home. As you see, apartment be very simple, don't worry apartment in Finland are well facilitated. You can get hot and cold water from the same tap, as you can spin round the tap handle for hot water. Water is pure you can drink directly without filtration, unlike in Kathmandu. Attached bathroom is there with your room. You can get electric heater, refrigerator and furniture in kitchen and even mattress and a bed , table, chair, and case to put your belongings. This time you feel somewhat like Europe. Your 1st night would be night with doubt and confusions. Don't worry too much as you have already chosen Finland for your study, €6000 is there to save you.

I have mentioned overall travel feelings based on my own personal experience.

Why To Study in Finland?

Finland has been the study destination for many students from many parts of the world. In almost all polytechnics and Universities we can see students from Nepal, Russia, Germany, Spain, Italy, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Thailand, Turkey, Pakistan, China, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Bangladesh and other Europeans nations etc etc...., Taking CIMO's website as a reference I am going to jot down some good reasons for any international student to choose Finland.

• FREE EDUCATION.
• Nordic Country & EU country and Schengen Visa allows to travel 24 Schengen Nations.
• Unique Culture, Unspoilt Nature
• Internationally recognized expertise in many areas and Institutions of Higher education such as Universities and Polytechnics.
• Free Library and computer with good Internet connectivity. (There are also some polytechnics which provides Laptops to students even though they are providing free education).
• Finns are believers in equal right.
• Geopolitical Location is good. (Sweden, Norway, Russia and Estonia are Neighbour countries student can also go to these highly developed countries and can open up their perspectives and expertise in various field of study and business).
• Some 7000 foreign students representing more than 40 nationalities are studying in Finland thousands of others come for exchange programmes or independently.
• More than 300 international study programmes in English consequently excellent choice of subjects is available.
• Scholarships for post-graduate study and research. ( Finnish University and polytechnics provides not only free education they also fund to for your placement study of many degree programmes and also fund during your exchange study hours if you go anywhere as exchange student from Finland.
• Interdisciplinary (Russian & East European studies) to Intercultural studies.
• Quality of scientific research in Finland in High. ( In about 100 graduate schools which are attached to Finnish universities, systematic professional research training is available).
• Good Encouragement for practical Training relating to studies.
• Crime Rate in Finland is very low.
• Finns are really honest people to believe in.

In spite of these exciting facilities there are lots of students who are not fully satisfied with Finnish Education system and some other issues about Finland. Some argue that Education quality is not good as expected and it doesn't make student deserve to compete with the pace of 21st century. Many students from different polytechnics and Universities grumble about the teachers from their institution are not competent as they need to be. As far as the issues regarding jobs is concerned, it is a tough job to get job in Finland. Although you can survive here with English, Finnish is highly preferred and in many places it is pre-requisite to get jobs. Talking about temperature, it reach up to '-30' degree Celsius during winter, though everybody are adopting, it is very difficult during winter. We need to spent most of the hours inside the room. All the beauty of Finland is destroyed by snow during winter.

Snow in Finland during winter.