Register for the academic year following the instructions on this page if you have been granted in the student admission for 2026 the right to complete a first-cycle or second-cycle universiy degree or both. This is the only way to record your new study right information in the Student Register. In subsequent years, register for the academic year according to the instructions on the website
You may register as an attending or non-attending student for your first academic year,
If you already have a study right at the University of Helsinki, but you have been granted a new right to complete a degree at the University of Helsinki this spring, first complete the registration to your new study right for the academic year following the instructions on this page. Afterwards, wait a few days before registering to your other existing study rights in Oili, so that you will not have to pay the Student Union membership fee several times.
Degree students need to register as attending or non-attending for each study right.
If you have already registered for attendance or non-attendance, please contact Admissions Services at the University of Helsinki.
You must pay the university student’s health service fee to Kela if you register as an attending student for the whole academic year or only for the autumn or spring term. Please note that starting from the autumn term 2023, the healthcare fee is no longer included in the tuition fee or scholarships covering the tuition fee. Students need to
Students who have social security coverage in another EU/EEA country or in Switzerland or the United Kingdom do not have to pay the student healthcare fee. In order to access the student healthcare services, you must send a photo or a scan of your European Health Insurance Card or Global Health Insurance Card (UK) to Kela. If you have not yet received your permanent EHIC/GHIC card, send a photo or a scan of your Provisional Replacement Certificate. When using the student healthcare services, present the same documents at a YTHS service point. You can also send the documents afterwards if you do not happen to have them on you at the time of your visit. In order to apply EHIC/GHIC card, please contact the responsible officials in the country where you are covered by the local social security.
Register for the academic year as early as possible, since information related to your new study right will only be recorded in the University of Helsinki Student Register after you have done so.
For example, you can only activate your user ID in the University’s information systems and receive a student card after your information has been recorded in the Student Register.
It typically takes from a few days to a week for your information to be recorded. If you were admitted to the University of Helsinki through the transfer application procedure, storing your information may take longer since we will contact your prior higher education institution.
If you register as an attending student for the autumn term or the full academic year, you will be notified by email when your information has been recorded. The email message will be sent to the email address you provided in your application form.
Please contact us at
You must pay the University of Helsinki Student Union membership fee (€85.00/academic year) in conjunction with the registration for the academic year. In addition to the membership fee, you may pay the following optional fees: student association (student nation) membership fee (€12.00) and the support payment for development cooperation projects (€5.80).
The University of Helsinki Student Union protects your interests in the academic and wider communities, supports the activities of various organisations, arranges events, and offers discounts and services. Read more about student benefits and discounts on the
You can read more about the student nations and development cooperation projects on the
We recommend that you register as an attending student using the
You can register as an attending student in the My Studyinfo service if you have a Finnish personal identity code and Finnish online banking credentials, a Finnish Mobile ID or a Finnish electronic identity card. Once you have logged in to the service, first click on “My applications” and then click “Register for attendance”.
If you cannot use the My Studyinfo service, follow these instructions:
Recipient: University of Helsinki Student Union
Account number, when paying through a Finnish bank:
Account number when paying through an international bank:
The compulsory Student Union membership fee for 2026–2027 is €85.00.
In addition to the membership fee, you can pay optional fees:
When paying, use the reference number 28 04990.
If you pay the optional student association (student nation) membership fee, indicate in the message field to which student nation you are making the payment.
Follow these instructions if
For your first academic year, you can register for the academic year after you have accepted the study place paid the tuition fee (and proven your eligibility in case you were conditionally accepted). After tuition fee payment (and fulfilling possible conditions related to your eligibility), register for the academic year following general instructions on this website.
If you are liable to pay a tuition fee and you do not pay it, you will lose the right to study due to the failure to register. To be readmitted, you must pay the tuition fee and the re-enrolment fee.
Information on the tuition fee, payment procedure and due date is included in the material which is sent to all admitted applicants.
How to pay the tuition fee:
You must register as an attending or non-attending student every academic year. The registration period is from the beginning of May to the end of August each year. For more information, please see the
You can register for non-attendance for the 2026–2027 academic year only if your non-attendance is based on a statutory reason. If the statutory reason for absence falls only on one of the terms (e.g., your military service or maternal leave starts in January), you may register as non-attending for the entire academic year, if you so wish.
You can change your status from non-attendance to attendance at any time during the academic year.
Pursuant to the Universities Act, a first-year student may register as a non-attending student for the academic year only for the reasons listed below and must present one of the documents described below to demonstrate that the non-attendance is based on a statutory reason:
Documents providing evidence on the reason for non-attendance must be submitted in Finnish, Swedish or English.
If you cannot or do not want to send the certificate entitling you to non-attendance electronically, you can send it by post to the below address (enclose the following completed
University of Helsinki Admissions Services, PO Box 24, 00014 University of Helsinki
Important: If you do not provide the requested documentation on the statutory grounds for non-attendance, you are considered to have neglected your annual registration. Learn more about the
Later, when you’re starting your studies after the period of non-attendance, please submit the documentation on the statutory grounds for non-attendance also to the University’s
If you wish to register as an attending student only for the 2026 autumn term or the 2027 spring term and to register as a non-attending student for the other term, please do as follows:
Important: If you do not provide the requested documentation on the statutory grounds for non-attendance, you are considered to have neglected your annual registration. Learn more about the
Later, when you’re starting your studies after the period of non-attendance, please submit the documentation on the statutory grounds for non-attendance also to the University’s
Recipient: University of Helsinki Student Union
Account number, when paying through a Finnish bank:
Account number when paying through an international bank:
Compulsory Student Union membership fee:
In addition to the membership fee, you can pay optional fees:
When paying, use the reference number 28 04990.
If you pay the optional student association (student nation) membership fee, indicate in the message field to which student nation you are making the payment.
The University of Helsinki Student Union protects your interests in the academic and wider communities, supports the activities of various organisations, arranges events, and offers discounts and services. Read more about student benefits and discounts on the
You will be able to start using your student benefits once your study right comes into force on 1 August 2026.
You can read more about the student nations and development cooperation projects on the
All new degree students are expected to attend
New residence permit requirement
Starting from Autumn 2026, all tuition-fee liable students who require a study-based residence permit must have a positive residence permit decision before they can start their studies. If you are experiencing delays in obtaining your residence permit and cannot arrive on time, you must apply for a deferral by following the instructions below.
After 1 September 2026, the University will verify residence permit statuses with the Finnish Immigration Service. Any student without a valid permit decision who has not applied for a deferral and is registered as attending will be issued a mandatory deferral. If verification reveals discrepancies with the information provided by the student, the deferral or annual registration may be revised accordingly.
You may be eligible for a deferral if you meet all the below conditions:
Qualifying reasons include delays in obtaining a residence permit or other compelling circumstances outside your control. Financial difficulties or lack of funds do not qualify.
Please note: The deferral is only available to tuition-fee liable students who either hold a scholarship or have already paid their tuition fee. If you are tuition-fee liable and have not yet paid your tuition fee but can’t arrive on time, please see "What if I don't have a scholarship and haven't paid my tuition fee but can't start my studies on time?" in the FAQ.
A deferral is always granted for one year and is designed to protect you, ensuring your tuition fee and/or scholarship is not consumed while you are unable to study. Your student status will be marked as "missing/neglected" for 2026–27, and you will be able to begin your studies fresh in Autumn 2027 with everything intact.
Think of a deferral not as a setback, but as a way of ensuring that when you do arrive, you can make the most of your experience from day one.
Submit your deferral application via
Yes. Once your residence permit is granted and you are able to travel to Finland, you have the option to reverse your deferral and register as attending. To do so, contact
Please note that we strongly recommend that you do not begin your studies in the middle of an academic term or year and that you begin your studies only in the Autumn 2027 term (August 2027). You can read more about the reasons at “
The decision is ultimately yours. Students who choose to begin mid-term or mid-year will be asked to sign a document confirming that they understand the following implications:
Starting a year later may feel disappointing now, but arriving ready, with your funding protected and your place secured, means you can focus on what really matters: your studies and your new life in Helsinki.
There is no official deadline for arrival, but late arrivals are strongly discouraged. Based on experience, we recommend arriving no later than 6 September 2026. Students who arrive after this date often face significant academic and administrative difficulties (see details in question “Why should I not start my studies mid-term? What are the consequences of arriving late?"). Catching up will be your own responsibility. No reimbursements or other exceptions will be made for challenges resulting from a late arrival.
You can, and there is no formal penalty for doing so. However, the later you arrive, the harder it becomes to integrate academically, socially and administratively (see details in question “Why should I not start my studies mid-term? What are the consequences of arriving late?”). If you choose to arrive late and encounter difficulties as a result, we are unable to make exceptions on your behalf, since you will have been advised of the risks.
If you are a tuition fee-paying student and the tuition fee is the only condition of acceptance that you have not yet met, you may delay the start of your studies without applying for a formal deferral. To do so, you will need to:
No further steps are required on your part. Your student status for the 2026–27 academic year will be marked as missing/neglected. However, you will not lose your study place and can resume your studies at a later point.
If you wish to resume your studies during
If you plan to begin your studies at the start of the 2027–28 academic year (the recommended option), you will need to:
Arriving late and starting studies mid-term can create significant challenges in four areas:
To illustrate the potential consequences of a late start, consider the following example.
Cari holds a 50% scholarship and is set to begin her studies in Autumn 2026. When her residence permit is delayed, she is granted a deferral. Her permit arrives on September 19th, and she decides to reverse the deferral, paying the €50 re-enrolment fee.
Arriving in Helsinki mid-semester, she immediately faces a series of administrative obstacles. To register her address with DVV, she must book an appointment, the earliest available is late-October. Until then, she is unable to access the student discount on public transport and must pay full fare. Once her DVV registration is complete, she still needs to visit the HSL office in person and queue for another hour to activate the discount.
The academic consequences are equally significant. Due to her deferral status, she was unable to access the student register Sisu in advance. By the time she does, course registration deadlines have passed and mandatory courses are full. Several courses are only offered during the first teaching period, meaning she cannot take them until the following year, delaying her entire degree plan by a whole year. She enrolls in the remaining electives, but having missed three of seven teaching weeks, she struggles to keep up and her grades are affected.
With a low credit count for the autumn semester, she must carry a considerably heavier workload in Spring to meet the 55-credit scholarship renewal requirement.
Beyond the administrative and academic challenges, she has also missed the social foundation of her programme. The connections formed during orientation and the first weeks of class are difficult to replicate later in the year. Navigating an unfamiliar city, an extensive administrative backlog, and a challenging job market in relative isolation takes a serious toll on her wellbeing, and she begins to consider whether continuing her studies is viable.
Yes. Even if there is still a chance you may arrive on time, we strongly recommend applying for a deferral. It is the only way to protect your paid tuition fee and/or scholarship in case the residence permit keeps delaying. If your permit comes through and you are able to arrive, reversing a deferral is straightforward, and free of charge before 1 September 2026.
There are different registration terms that are applied to students in the student register Sisu, and some may be slightly different than the reality of the situation. Because you are not studying, and thus not consuming your tuition fee/scholarship, you will not be marked as “attending”. Your deferral grants you the exception to be rather marked as “missing”. After the registration period ends (31 August), this is automatically changed to “neglected”. This is standard practice for a deferral and is nothing to worry about.
No.
With a deferral, your attendance status will say “missing/neglected”. With a “missing/neglected” status, you are unable to register for courses. In order to register, a student must be “attending”. For this, their scholarship and/or tuition will be consumed.
If you would like to have your attendance changed and register for courses, you must reverse your deferral.
There is no deadline for reversing a deferral, you can do so at any point during the academic year 2026–2027. However, reversing mid-term is strongly discouraged (see " Why should I not start my studies mid-term? " above for the reasons why). Note that if you reverse your deferral after 1 September 2026, a €50
You will not receive another admissions letter next year, as you would not have applied for admission again. The official deferral email from us is standardly used to show that you will begin studies the year after your admission was initially offered.
We recommend not accepting a housing offer until your residence permit has been approved. If you are offered a place through HOAS, you can decline the offer and remain in the queue for a future apartment.
Be aware that a deferral is not considered a
In short, do not sign a housing contract until you know when you are arriving.
Scholarships and tuition fee payments are moved to the following academic year. Having a deferral protects them!
If you do wish to request reimbursement of your paid tuition fee, you can do so by contacting us. See more information about reimbursement in the question “Can I claim a tuition reimbursement?”
If you have paid tuition, have been granted a deferral and wish to request a reimbursement, you can do so via email. The deadline for this is 2 academic years from when your study date began (i.e. if your study right begins 1.8.2026 you can request a reimbursement up until 1.8.2028). Please note the €300 administrative costs does not apply when you hold a deferral, meaning you can get reimbursed in full. If your tuition fee is reimbursed to you, you will need to make a new tuition payment via Flywire in order to resume your studies.
To request a reimbursement, email us at
If you have reversed your deferral and are registered as an attending student, you are not able to claim a tuition reimbursement for that year. This is because your tuition fee is considered as ‘used’.
If you have paid tuition and do not wish to request a reimbursement, your tuition will not be lost. If you are granted a deferral and begin your studies in January 2027, your payment will cover the Spring 2027 term and the following term. If you begin in August 2027, your payment will carry over and be applied to that academic year in full.
Read more about tuition reimbursement here:
If you reverse your deferral mid-term, your tuition fee or scholarship will not be reimbursed for the period you were not studying. The full amount will be used for the term in which you are registered as attending, even if you only study for a single day of that term.
Scholarship holders must still meet the full credit requirements to renew their scholarship: 55 credits if you begin in the autumn term, and 27 credits if you begin in the spring term, regardless of how much of the term you missed.
The only way to reverse your deferral is to email us and request to reverse your deferral and be registered as attending. A tuition fee reimbursement does not cancel your deferral, nor does it remove your study right.
There is no need to reapply for admission due to your deferral, regardless of what you chose for your tuition fee.
Yes. You are able to reverse your deferral at any time. If your tuition fee payment was reimbursed to you, you will need to make a tuition fee payment again before beginning your studies.
Unfortunately, as Migri is a governmental institution separate from the University, we do not have any sway over their processes. As such, we are unable to contact them on behalf of students.
It is the student’s responsibility to inform Migri of their deferral as soon as possible. You can use the deferral confirmation email you have received from us as official proof for this.
Unfortunately, a deferral might affect the processing of the residence permit, potentially to a cancellation. Please note that while we do not inform Migri about who has deferred, they can still find this information through the student register themselves.
If you have further questions about this matter, you can contact Migri directly at
Should this be answered separately to the question of "Will my deferral effect my residence permit application?"
You will still be able to enter Finland and start your studies under this same permit, even if it is in the academic year after your initial application.
Your residence permit will most likely still be valid when you begin your studies in the following autumn, even if the permit is issued to you well before you plan to arrive in Helsinki.
You will possibly need to apply for an