New Bachelor's and Master's degree students
Welcome to Tampere University of Applied Sciences! We are delighted that you have chosen to study with us. These pages offer you important information that you will need as you begin your studies and join our community. Please read the materials carefully and take the necessary steps to ensure a smooth transition into life at TAMK. We are looking forward to meeting you!
Congratulations on your study place!
This page provides new Bachelor's and Master's degree students with information about all the steps they need to take to prepare for their studies at TAMK.
Please follow the instructions on this page carefully to secure your place at TAMK. You are now on one of the pages of our online Student’s guide, which we advise you to explore further. The Student’s guide is a gateway to information that all our students need while studying at TAMK.
The programme-specific instructions offer you more detailed information about getting ready to start your studies. Links to the instructions will be available further down this page once the orientation dates and programmes are confirmed for Autumn 2024.
Good luck with your studies!
Remember to complete these steps!
- 1
Accept your study place
All students must accept or decline the offered study place. Confirmation should be done by using the unique link sent automatically from the Studyinfo service. You are free to accept your study place as soon as you have received the email notification. Please note that the confirmation is binding. After confirmation at TAMK you cannot accept another study place in higher education in Finland starting in the same term (autumn/ spring) that you may receive later. Confirmation cannot be altered or cancelled.
- 2
Register as a new student (+ pay your tuition fee if required)
All students must register for each academic year - either present or absent. Please note that first-year students can only register as absent on statutory grounds specified at the bottom of the page. For tuition fee-paying students registration requires paying the 1st installment of the first year tuition fee.
- 3
Apply for immigration (if necessary)
Please start your immigration clearance process immediately, as the study permit may take months to be issued. You can start the process online at EnterFinland and you should only fill in one application to avoid identification issues. You can always supplement your application with documents later on. Remember to keep your access codes and passwords safe. If you are unable to log into the service later on, you should rather email the Finnish Immigration Service than fill in a duplicate application.
- 4
Book housing (if necessary)
As soon as you have been accepted as a student, you should start arranging your accommodation, immigration and arrival. Apply for accommodation as early as possible, as first-come-first-serve principles apply and there are thousands of new students starting their studies at the same time. As student housing associations are independent from universities, you are contracting directly with them. Remember to read all documentation carefully and that a signed contract leads to liability to pay.
- 5
Apply for student financial aid and housing allowance
International students are usually not entitled to the financial benefits to The Social Insurance Institution of Finland (KELA). If you have worked in Finland prior to you studies or are married or in a long-term relationship, you might be entitled to some benefits. Check you eligibility from Kela. If you are entitled to Kela benefits, apply for student financial aid after you have received and accepted your offer of admission. If you are not eligible for student financial aid, you may be entitled to unemployment benefits while studying (www.te-palvelut.fi) or adult education allowance (www.tyollisyysrahasto.fi). If you receive adult education allowance, you can apply for a government guarantee for your student loan from Kela.
- 6
Pay the healthcare fee of the Finnish Student Health Service
All degree students registered present are allowed to use the healthcare services provided by the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS). As you are entitled to use the healthcare services by FSHS, you must pay a healthcare fee to Kela. Students pay the healthcare fee twice a year, once for autumn and once for spring semester. The amount of the healthcare fee is defined in a government decree and may vary on an annual basis. Please note! You must follow the instructions below to pay the fee as you will not receive a separate invoice. The due date for the healthcare fee in the autumn semester is 15 November.
- 7
Activate your TUNI account
When you have registered your attendance and your information has been transferred to TAMK’s student register, you will receive a link to the username registration and account activation by email. You can identify yourself by Finnish online banking ID's, Finnish mobile / citizen certificate card, European eIDAS identification or Finnish Authenticator Identification Service available for non-EU students.
- 8
Read more about the Finnish Authenticator Identification Service and app
If you do not have strong Finnish online banking codes, or you are coming from a country not providing the EU e-identification service, you will need to use the Finnish Authenticator Identification Service and app to activate your TUNI account. More information on the use of the app can be found in the link below.
- 9
Prepare for original documents check
At the start of your studies we will need to see your original high school diploma or equivalent and compare the original to the one you have uploaded into Studyinfo when applying. Student selection is always conditional until TAMK has checked the admitted students’ original certificates. TAMK may withdraw the admission if you do not deliver the certificates by the deadline or if you have given false information. If your original degree certificate is in a language other than Finnish, Swedish or English, you have to submit a copy of its certified translation. The translation has to be in Finnish, Swedish or English and it has to include the translator’s signature and stamp. Please do not mail the documents as they may get lost on their way - bring them with you when you arrive!
- 10
If you wish, join Students' Union Tamko
By joining Tamko, you will receive a student card that demonstrates that you are eligible for thousands of student discounts across Finland. Your access rights to TAMK will be automatically added to your plastic student card if you order one. Note that it takes estimated two weeks to you student card to arrive after you fill up the membership form on Tamko's website. If you order your student card beforehand, it’ll ease up your first weeks at TAMK.
- 11
Download Tuudo!
Tuudo is a free app, that has been made to make students’ life a bit easier. You can log in with your TUNI account info through HAKA login, so no Finnish online banking required! In addition to Tamko’s mobile student card giving you all the discounted student prices, you can find from Tuudo for example your class timetables, study credits, reservations for classrooms and other TAMK’s spaces, cafeteria’s menu and course enrolments, quite handy!
- 12
Check orientation information
Orientation week programme for each degree programme will be confirmed later than the results are published. As soon as the programme is available and set, the link below will be activated. The information may change or details may be added later on, so remember to check back before your studies start. You should also keep an eye on your email when starting your studies is near, as important information may also come through email.
Programme-specific instructions (Link will be added later)
- 13
Plan your arrival
Once you have made plans to arrive, let us know by filling in the Arrival Form (see link below). If you need assistance in arrival or apartment key pick-up, we can help you get settled here in Tampere!
- 14
Get to know our services
TAMK offers students a wide range of services and support for starting their studies. Get to know our services before you arrive, and see you on campus!