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Cost of a year

What will a year really cost?

From the country guide: tuition, living costs and the visa fee, plus the money you must show. The part you lose if the visa is refused is marked.

In short: a first year in Finland costs about EUR 19,400 to 35,000: tuition, twelve months of living costs and the visa fee. The visa also asks you to show EUR 9,600 before it is decided.

Last checked: 24 September 2026, against the official sources linked below.

A year in Finland

In EUR as publishedIn EUR
Tuition, one year EUR 8,000 to 20,000 EUR 8,000 to 20,000
Public university, international student
Living costs, twelve months EUR 10,800 to 14,400 EUR 10,800 to 14,400
Visa or permit feeNot refunded if the visa is refused EUR 600 EUR 600
First year, all inEUR 19,400 to 35,000
Money you must show for the visa EUR 9,600 EUR 9,600
Held in your account before you apply; most of it then pays your living costs
Work while you study
30 hours a week in term
Stay after you graduate
24 months, Residence permit to look for work
Worth knowing. Tuition must be shown on top of the EUR 9,600, in your own account, and a 2026 proposal would cancel permits for claiming social assistance.

The full Finland guide, with every source →

Partners

Things you will need anyway

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Airalo

Phone and data

A data plan that works the moment you land, without hunting for a SIM.

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Booking.com

Your first nights

A hotel or short let for your first nights, while you look for a room or wait for your hall.

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Welcome Pickups

Your first nights

A driver who meets you at the airport with your name on a sign, booked before you fly, so your first trip to your new address is sorted.

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Finland: what a year costs next to

Tuition, living costs and the visa fee side by side, in your currency.

Leaves out flights, deposits and insurance unless the guide includes them. Currency: Rates by Exchange Rate API, 13 November 2026.

Questions

How much does it cost to study in Finland for a year?

a first year in Finland costs about EUR 19,400 to 35,000: tuition, twelve months of living costs and the visa fee. The visa also asks you to show EUR 9,600 before it is decided.

How much money do I need to show for a student visa in Finland?

EUR 9,600 a year (about EUR 9,600), from the official source in the Finland guide.