Kotka
Get to know Kotka and apply for student housing.
3 steps in securing your study place
Entering Finland and residence permits
Programme-specific instructions, including time and place for beginning the studies
Username and computer for the studies
Student union Kaakko and student card
Student Affairs Advisors help you in general study-related matters and the Studies Coordinators (counselling teachers) in questions related to study contents and other academic issues. You can find their contact details in the programme-specific instructions on this site.
Admission Services helps you in questions related to the offer of admission, enrollment as student and tuition fees.
Students may be admitted from the waiting list until 1 August 2023. Please note that all study programmes do not use waiting lists and the amount of places on the waiting list may be limited.
You can follow your results in real-time if you have access to My Studyinfo service (Finnish personal ID number and online banking codes with e-identification enabled, mobile certificate or an electronic ID-card needed).
You will receive a notice by email both from Xamk Admission Services and the Studyinfo service, when you have been admitted to study at Xamk.
You will receive the official admission letter in the email from Xamk Admission Services. You can use the letter as proof of your study place when applying for a residence permit.
The email from Studyinfo service includes the link you need for accepting the offer of admission, and is sent automatically within 24 hours after the admission result has been published.
Accept the offer and enrol as student through My Studyinfo service or via the link included in the email you received from Studyinfo.
Accept the offer within 7 days from the notice of admission if you are:
If you cannot accept the offer electronically, please contact the Admission Services.
If you don’t accept the offer by the deadline, you will lose it.
Accepting an offer of admission is a binding choice, and you cannot cancel or change your choice later. When you accept an offer of admission bindingly, all the other higher education study programmes you have applied to in the joint or separate applications will automatically be cancelled.
You can only accept one offer of admission for higher education study programmes beginning in autumn semester 2023 (1 August – 31 December).
Visit Studyinfo to read more about accepting an offer of admission.
You can postpone the beginning of studies, if you have acceptable grounds for enrolling for non-attendance. In this case you need to accept the offer of admission, enrol for non-attendance and deliver a certificate on the acceptable grounds for the non-attendance by the deadline for accepting the study place offer.
Only the following reasons are acceptable grounds for non-attendance for the first study year:
You have been asked to upload certificate copies required in Joint Application, spring 2023 to your application form already during the application period.
If any certificate needed in student selection is missing from your application form, Xamk Admission Services will notify you about it by email.
You can access your application form through My Studyinfo service or via the link you received from Studyinfo after submitting your application.
The student selection is conditional until information about your qualifications used for applying has been checked. Qualifications are verified either from the national database in Finland or from the certificate copies uploaded on the application form. In case there is something unclear about your qualifications or certificates, you may also be asked to present the original certificates at the beginning of your studies.
Non-EU/EEA students need a student residence permit for the studies delivered on campus. Note that you cannot apply for a residence permit for studies that are delivered fully online (first study year in Environmental Engineering and Rehabilitation programme).
The residence permit application is submitted online but in addition, you must personally visit a Finnish embassy or consulate for identification as part of this process. The process takes several months.
Submit your residence permit application and book the required appointment to the Finnish embassy/consulate immediately (within a week from admission), to ensure you have the permit in time and can be present on campus by the given deadline.
To find the nearest Finnish embassy/consulate and to check their instructions for appointment booking, please visit Finland abroad website. It’s important to act quickly because the appointment times may be limited in some embassies/consulates especially during April-August.
The Finnish Immigration Services make decisions on residence permits for part-time studies on a case-by-case basis. Information on the mode of study is included in the admission notice for the purpose of applying for a residence permit.
In case the residence permit is not granted, the student may apply for a travel visa for the contact lesson days.
If you are a citizen of an EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you do not need a residence permit to enter Finland. However, you may need to apply for EU-registration.
See instructions for EU citizens on the Finnish Immigration Service website.
It is important that you get to know the regulations for a smooth enter to Finland.
Follow the regulations also closer to your arrival as situations / instructions may change at short notice.
Get to know Finnish Government’s information about Travel to and From Finland.
Student housing is provided by a separate housing organisation (not the university). Arrange your accommodation as soon as possible. Further information: Campuses and student housing
Remember to register with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency when you start your studies in Finland. The registration is free of charge and beneficial for you.
Register with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) for the following reasons:
1) You will be given a Finnish personal identity code unless you have already received one from the Finnish Immigration Service or the Finnish Tax Administration.
In Finland, a personal identity code is used to identify persons.
You must have a personal identity code:
• to receive a transcript of study records from your Finnish university.
• when you deal with the Finnish authorities.
2) You will be registered an address in Finland.
The address can be registered as temporary or as permanent.
You can find the most up-to-date information on how to register and other useful information about registration on website.
on 4 September 2023 on Kouvola Campus, Main building, address Paraatikenttä 7, Kouvola
The studies in this programme are delivered in-class on the Kouvola Campus, Finland.
If you are unable to be present on campus when the studies begin due to delays in the residence permit process, contact your Student Affairs Advisor for further instructions. All students must be present on campus by 11 September 2023 at the latest. The next possibility to start studies after that will be in August 2024 with a new group.
on 28 August 2023 at 9.00 am Finnish time (UTC +3), online
The first year studies are delivered fully online and don’t require presence on campus. You take part in the orientation and lectures online at times marked on the timetables.
You must ensure that you have a stable high-speed internet connection for remote online sessions and that your computer/laptop is equipped with a camera, microphone & speakers/headset. A mobile phone (smartphone) is not a suitable device for studies.
on 28 August 2023 at 9.30 am on Kouvola Campus, Meduusa studio, address Rykmentintie 4, room MS12.
The contact days in this programme are delivered in-class on the Kouvola Campus, Finland.
If you are unable to be present on campus when the studies begin due to delays in the residence permit process, contact your Student Affairs Advisor for further instructions.
All students must be present on campus by 4 September 2023. The next possibility to start studies after that will be in August 2024 with a new group.
Contact information
on 1 September 2023 at 12.00 noon Finnish time (UTC +3) on Mikkeli Campus, building M (Mikpoli), classroom MB310 address Patteristonkatu 2, Mikkeli
The studies in this programme are delivered in-class on the Mikkeli Campus, Finland.
If you are unable to be present on campus when the studies begin due to delays in the residence permit process, contact your Student Affairs Advisor for further instructions. All students must be present on campus by 11 September 2023 at the latest. The next possibility to start studies after that will be in August 2024 with a new group.
on 28 August 2023 at 9.00 am on Kotka Campus, main lobby, address Pääskysentie 1, Kotka
The studies in this programme are delivered in-class on the Kotka Campus, Finland.
If you are unable to be present on campus when the studies begin due to delays in the residence permit process, contact your Student Affairs Advisor for further instructions. All students must be present on campus by 11 September 2023 at the latest. The next possibility to start studies after that will be in August 2024 with a new group.
Contact information
on 7 September 2023 at 8.15 am Finnish time (UTC +3), online
The studies are delivered fully online and don’t require presence on campus. You take part in the orientation and lessons online at times marked on the timetables.
You must ensure that you have a stable high-speed internet connection for remote online sessions and that your computer/laptop is equipped with a camera, microphone & speakers/headset. A mobile phone (smartphone) is not a suitable device for studies.
You will need to have the username and password at use when the studies begin. If you have online banking codes from a bank in Finland, you can get Xamk username by logging in to the identity service.
The username for new students is available in the service within appr. 1-2 working days after you have accepted the offer of admission and enrolled as an attending student.
The service uses online banking codes from a bank in Finland for authentication and to activate your Xamk username you need to change your password there.
Please write down the username you get from the service.
In case you face problems either in authentication or in creating your own password, please try again later. If it still will not succeed, you can create a service desk help request to IT support at Xinfo.
If you do not have access to the identity service:
Students primarily use their own devices like laptops in the studies. There are given recommendations for the device and support available also before the studies begin.
Familiarize yourself with studying at Xamk and the services available for students, as well as digital studying environment by completing these two online courses.
Online orientation course 1: Xamk Digital environments 2023 – Digital tools
Online orientation course 2: Xamk Orientation 2023 – Studying and services
You can work with the course materials and tasks when it suits you best, and sign out whenever you need without losing any completed tasks. When you’re finished, you may upload a certificate to be used later on in Study and career planning course.
Tuudo is a mobile app designed to help students in their everyday life.
With the username you can access the intranet Lux.
Please add @edu.xamk.fi after your username when you are logging in. During the studies all news, instructions and other information are provided for students through the intranet service.
If you need a certificate about your study place at Xamk before the studies begin, you can use the admission letter sent from Xamk by email, or the result letter sent for all applicants.
When you have got your username for Xamk services, you can also order an electronic study certificate in student register Peppi. Login to Peppi > Orders > Select the document > Select the language and press Order > Download the electronically signed study certificate from the Documents tab. The study certificate includes instructions on how to verify the electronic signature.
All degree students (bachelor and master degrees) enrolled for attendance in higher education can use the health care services provided by FSHS. Students can use the health care services primarily in the town where the studies are located in but also remote services and consultations are available.
Students who are entitled to FSHS services are required to pay the health care fee annually to Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, regardless if they use the services or not. Kela is a government agency that provides basic economic security for everyone living in Finland.
Also foreign students must pay the healthcare fee. You don’t have to pay the fee if you have social security coverage from another EU/EEA country or from Switzerland or the United Kingdom and you send the required document of it to Kela.
Students beginning the studies in August 2023 need to pay the fee on their own initiative for autumn semester 2023 by 30 September 2023 according to instructions given by Kela.
Watch the video on FSHS student health care services.
Students from other EU or EEA countries than Finland will have to provide a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) when accessing FSHS services. The card must be obtained before coming to Finland. Students from Britain and Northern Ireland may provide a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).
Students will have to present the card at each visit, whether remote or in person. In the absence of a card, students may provide a provisional replacement certificate.
Kela financial aid is available in the form of study grant, government guarantee for a student loan and housing supplement (available on certain conditions only). The qualifying conditions for student financial aid are: full-time study, academic progress and need of financial assistance.
Students in bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes are also eligible for discounted meals. In the beginning of studies, you can ask for a meal subsidy card on paper from the student affairs office, or you can download the mobile Pivo meal subsidy card.
This is how you can activate the mobile meal subsidy card:
1. Download Pivo app, sign in with your online bank user identifiers and add your payment details.
2. Open Pivo and select Student card
3. Under Authentication, select Meal Subsidy Card, if you are NOT a member of Student Union Kaakko
4. Create a meal subsidy card by following the app’s instructions.
If you are not a Finnish citizen and have come to Finland for study purposes, the general rule is that you cannot get financial aid from Finland. The eligibility criteria for financial aid from Kela is available on their website.
Students are eligible for general housing allowance on the same terms as everyone else. Find out more from Kela website.
Adult education allowance can be granted to employees and entrepreneurs who have at least eight years of employment history. You need to have been employed by your current employer for at least one year before the beginning of the studies to be supported, and you also need to leave your work on part-time or fully unpaid study leave.
If you are unemployed or about to lose your job in Finland, consult your TE services office for information on the possibility for independent study supported by unemployment benefit.
Students have to pay for their own living expenses (including food, accommodation, clothing and social activities) and costs for books and other study material.
When planning your studies in Finland it is important to know the costs for the living and studying and to arrange sufficient funding for your studies.
Costs for basic necessities per month are estimated to be:
In addition, costs per month for clothing, travelling, commuting or social activities should also be considered. An average Finnish student spends a total of EUR 600-800 monthly.
In the full-time studies there are requirements for presence on lectures and other practical study methods in daytime, during weekdays. Though students may work part-time during the studies, one is not advised to plan the personal finances on it. Finding a part-time work may be difficult, especially without knowledge of the Finnish language.
Students with a residence permit for studies have a limited right to work during the academic year, see Finnish Immigration Service website for more information. Also then the main purpose of the stay in Finland is studying and making progress in the studies.
Student Union Kaakko is present on all four campuses of South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences: Mikkeli, Savonlinna, Kouvola and Kotka. Any member of Student Union Kaakko may apply to become an active operator in the student union. The work to promote and support student life is important and interesting – if you would like to join, keep your eyes and ears open year-round so that you will not miss the application process.
Joining student union as a member is the official and for this reason the recommendable way to receive the official student statement and student card, which gives you access to numerous student discounts and makes your life much cheaper and easier in Finland. The student card also works as a smartphone app (android and IOS) under the app called slice.fi.
The undertakings specified in the Universities of Applied Sciences Act will continue to be the most important responsibilities of the student union: it acts as a link between its members, promoting their social and intellectual objectives and efforts, as well as their objectives related to studies and students’ position in society. For its part, the student union prepares students for an active and critical citizenship and promotes social awareness. South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences has various bodies and steering groups that include representatives from Student Union Kaakko.