BeforeThought Finland needed IELTS 7
International Business in Turku, on her IELTS 6.0
We read each university's admission page instead of a Facebook post: her programme asked for IELTS 6.0, not 7.
Anita Chaudhary from Nepalgunj
4.92,146 Google reviews
Study in Finland from Nepal
Study in Finland from Nepal, with a real scholarship and 2 years to find work.
Finland suits good students who want a scholarship and time to build a career. Universities charge non-EU students tuition but must run scholarship schemes, and 50% to 100% waivers are common. You show €800 a month. After graduating you get up to 2 years to look for work. 94.4% of our 142 Finland files were approved in FY 2025/26.
- January round planned weeks ahead
- A counsellor who studied in Finland
- Scholarship rules for year 2, in writing
Quick numbers
Study in Finland
KTMKathmandutoHELHelsinki
- First-year cost
- about Rs 31.2 to Rs 48.3 lakh
- Money to show
- €9,600 for a year
- Work in term
- 30 hours a week, average
- Stay after study
- Up to 2 years
- Next round
- 7 to 21 Jan 2027
Before scholarships. At Rs 171.38 per EUR, Nepal Rastra Bank, 18 Oct 2026.
- students we have placed in Finland since 2009
- 890
- of our Finland visa files approved in FY 2025/26
- 94.4%
- Finland files we lodged last year
- 142
- partner universities and colleges in Finland
- 22
Our own files for FY 2025/26 (Shrawan 2082 to Asar 2083). 8 were refused; the reasons are on our About page.
Our proof
Nepali students we sent to Finland.
Low GPAs, long gaps, tight budgets, one earlier refusal. Every file below began with a free call and a straight answer.
BeforeNo idea scholarships existed
Business IT in Helsinki, with a 50% tuition scholarship
Sarita applied to 4 programmes in the January round, each with its own scholarship rules, and wrote down which ones renew in year 2 and on what grades.
Nisha Shrestha from Bhaktapur
BeforeMissed the Finland deadline once
MSc in Oulu, applied in the right round
We set his deadline as two weeks before the real one, and had his transcripts and English test ready in December.
Santosh B.K. from Dang
The short version
Finland in numbers.
Finland rewards planning. Most programmes open in one joint application round in January, and the scholarship you win then sets most of your cost.
It's a strong choice for IT, engineering, business and education, with up to 2 years after graduating to find work. The winter is long and dark; that is worth hearing before you choose.
The table has the rules; the visa section and the process put them in order.
| Applying | The joint application on Studyinfo: 7 to 21 January 2027 for August 2027, up to 6 choices.Full guide |
|---|---|
| Tuition | €8,000 to €18,000 a year for English-taught degrees on our shortlists, before scholarships.Full guide |
| Scholarships | Every university runs a scheme; 50% to 100% waivers are common. Year 2 often depends on your credits. |
| Money to show | €800 a month, or €9,600 in your account for a programme of a year or more (Migri). |
| First-year cost | about Rs 31.2 to Rs 48.3 lakh before scholarships, including the €9,600 and the permit fee.Full guide |
| English | IELTS 6.0 to 6.5 for most programmes, or an accepted equivalent. |
| Entrance exams | Some programmes add an online exam or interview from February to April. |
| Work while studying | On average 30 hours a week during term, full-time in holidays. |
| After you graduate | A residence permit to look for work, for up to 2 years. |
Living in Finland
Rent, food, work and weather in Finland.
€800 a month, and long winters
Migri asks you to show €800 a month. Student housing and subsidised university lunches keep most students close to it.
| City | Rent (student housing) | Food | Transport and phone | Total a month | In rupees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helsinki | €450 to €650 | €220 to €280 | €40 to €60 | €710 to €990 | Rs 1.2 to 1.7 lakh |
| Tampere | €380 to €520 | €200 to €260 | €35 to €50 | €615 to €830 | Rs 1.1 to 1.4 lakh |
| Turku | €360 to €500 | €200 to €260 | €35 to €50 | €595 to €810 | Rs 1.0 to 1.4 lakh |
| Oulu | €330 to €460 | €190 to €250 | €30 to €45 | €550 to €755 | Rs 0.9 to 1.3 lakh |
Working while you study
On average 30 hours a week in term, and full-time in holidays.
- Cleaning, delivery, warehouses and restaurants are the usual first jobs.
- Finnish isn't needed for every job, but it opens far more of them. Start a free course in year 1.
- Many students build a buffer in the long summer break.
Plan your first year without part-time pay. Jobs take time to find, especially in your first winter.
Jobs after study
IT, engineering and health have the strongest demand. Finnish employers value a Finnish degree plus some Finnish; graduates who learned the language in years 1 and 2 find work fastest.
Daily life
Classes are small and informal, and you'll call teachers by their first names. Winter is dark from November to January; summer is almost all daylight. The Nepali community is small but close.
Free counselling
Planning Finland? Apply in the right round.
Your Studyinfo dates and scholarship options in writing. You get a written plan the same day. Not useful? Walk away, no pressure.
A counsellor calls within 15 minutes
- 01A ranked shortlist built on your marks and your family’s budget
- 022 to 3 courses, each with its total cost in rupees
- 03Our commission on each option, in writing
Rather talk now? Call +977 1-5360000 or WhatsApp us.
Your timeline
Kathmandu to Finland, every step dated.
Finland runs on one window. For an August start you apply 7 to 21 January, so your English test and documents must be ready by December.
Read each row as a split of the work: your part, our part, the papers involved, and who gets paid.
October to November
Free call and an honest read
- You
- Share your marks, English and budget.
- We
- Tell you which programmes your profile can compete in, and the scholarship odds.
- Documents
- Transcripts, passport.
- Money
- Free.
Same day, by 8 pm
Your written plan
- You
- Pick up to 6 programmes, ranked.
- We
- Send each with tuition, scholarship rules and the deadline. Our fee is told on day one.
- Money
- Nothing yet.
November to December
English test
- You
- Sit IELTS or an accepted test.
- We
- Book you into our classes if you want them.
- Money
- IELTS about Rs 36,000, to the test centre.
Early January
Documents ready
- You
- Certify transcripts and write your letters with us.
- We
- Complete the checklist two weeks before the round opens.
- Documents
- Certified transcripts, CV, motivation letters.
- Money
- Rs 25,000 flat to us where the university pays no commission; Rs 0 where it does.
7 to 21 January
Joint application
- You
- Rank your 6 choices with us.
- We
- Submit on Studyinfo and send documents by each deadline.
- Money
- €100 application fee for non-EU applicants, paid in Studyinfo.
February to April
Exams and interviews, if asked
- You
- Take any online entrance exam the programme sets.
- We
- Practise each programme's format with you.
- Money
- Nothing.
May to June
Admission and tuition
- You
- Accept your place and pay year-1 tuition after the waiver.
- We
- Check the scholarship terms for year 2, in writing.
- Money
- Tuition after the waiver, to the university.
June
Residence permit
- You
- Show the €9,600 and book identity verification.
- We
- Build the Migri application with you.
- Money
- €600 permit fee to Migri.
August
Fly, and we call
- You
- NOC, flights and student housing.
- We
- Briefing on registration and work rules; calls on day 1, week 1 and month 1.
- Money
- NOC Rs 2,000 online; flight about Rs 1 to 1.5 lakh.
The Finnish student residence permit from Nepal
The permit application goes online to Migri, the Finnish Immigration Service. You then visit the mission Migri names for Nepal to prove your identity. Apply the week you accept your place and pay tuition.
- The university's acceptance letter
- Proof of tuition paid, or of the scholarship that covers it
- €9,600 in an account in your name, for a programme of a year or more
- Health insurance that meets Migri's rules
- Passport and photos
The fee is €600 online. Decisions usually take 1 to 2 months in summer, so don't leave it until July.
What you'll pay, and to whom.
Our fee is a row in this table, next to the government and university fees. If it isn’t listed here, you don’t pay it.
| Fee | Amount | Paid to | When | Refundable? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First call and written planOur fee | Free | Landed | Day 1 | Not applicable |
| Our service: applications, letters, permit fileOur fee | Rs 25,000 flat where no commission is paid; Rs 0 where it is | Landed, by bank | At signing, before any work starts | Re-filing a refused permit we lodged is free |
| IELTS Academic | About Rs 36,000 | British Council or IDP | Before January | No |
| Application fee | €100 at some universities | University | In January | No |
| Year-1 tuition, after the waiver | €0 to €18,000 | University | After admission | Usually, if the permit is refused |
| Money in your account | €9,600 (about Rs 16.5 lakh) | Stays in your account | Before the permit | It's yours |
| Residence permit | €600 online | Migri | At application | No |
| No Objection Certificate (NOC) | Rs 2,000 | Ministry of Education | Before any tuition leaves Nepal | No |
The paper trail.
Gather these in this order. A second counsellor reads every page before anything is lodged.
For your applications4
- Passport
- Certified +2 and bachelor's transcripts and certificates
- IELTS or other accepted English score
- CV and motivation letters
For your money3
- Bank statement showing €9,600 in your name
- Proof of tuition paid or the scholarship decision
- Sponsor's income proof, if family is funding you
For the permit and departure4
- Letter of acceptance
- Health insurance meeting Migri's rules
- No Objection Certificate (NOC)
- Student housing contract
Go deeper on each step.
Longer guides on the steps families ask about most, each checked against the official source on the date shown.
Cost to study in Finland from Nepal, before and after a scholarship, in rupees
Tuition before and after a waiver, Migri's €9,600 rule, the permit, rent by city, all in rupees.
3 min read · Updated
Finland's student residence permit from Nepal: the funds, the fee and the timeline
Migri's online application, €600 fee, €9,600 in funds, insurance, the identity visit and the wait.
3 min read · Updated
How to apply to universities in Finland from Nepal: the joint application, step by step
The January joint application, the €100 fee, up to 6 choices, documents, entrance exams and results.
3 min read · Updated
Scholarships in Finland for Nepali students: the waivers, the grades, and the renewal rules
Tuition waivers of 50% to 100%, how they're decided, the year 2 rules, and what they save in rupees.
3 min read · Updated
After the visa
Your first weeks in Finland.
Your first week
Register your address, get your Finnish personal identity code, open a bank account and join your student union for cheaper meals and transport.
Your counsellor calls on day 1 and after week 1, with your parents on the same updates.
Study and work, honestly
Year-2 scholarships often depend on your year-1 credits. Keep the credit target in writing and plan your hours around it.
After graduation
You can apply for a residence permit to look for work or start a business for up to 2 years. With a job, you move to a work-based permit; permanent residence can follow after years of continuous residence.
We stay with you
The same counsellor stays with you through year 1: permit extensions, scholarship credits, a change of programme.
Honest fit
Should you choose Finland?
Good fit
Choose Finland if
- Your grades are good enough to compete for a tuition waiver.
- You want time after graduating to find a job.
- You can plan months ahead for one application window.
An honest note
Look elsewhere if
- You want to start in less than 6 months.
- You're expecting free tuition: non-EU students pay unless they win a waiver.
- You'd struggle with long, dark winters far from family.
A scholarship decides Finland, not the brochure. The same programme can cost €18,000 or nothing. We plan the January round around the waivers you can realistically win.
FAQ
What families ask us about Finland.
Is education free in Finland for Nepali students?
Not for English-taught degrees: non-EU students have paid tuition since 2017. But every university must run a scholarship scheme, and waivers of 50% to 100% are common for good applicants.
How much bank balance is needed for Finland?
€800 a month, or €9,600 in your account at application for a programme of a year or more, according to Migri.
When can I apply to Finland?
Most programmes use the joint application on Studyinfo. The next main round is 7 to 21 January 2027 for studies starting in August or September 2027.
Can I work in Finland while studying?
Yes, on average 30 hours a week during term and full-time in holidays.
Can I stay in Finland after studying?
Yes. You can apply for a residence permit to look for work for up to 2 years after graduating.
What is your Finland visa success rate?
134 of the 142 Finland files we lodged in FY 2025/26 were approved: 94.4%.
Still unsure?
Start here
Your Finland plan, with your January dates, by 8 pm.
Your Studyinfo dates and scholarship options in writing. You get a written plan the same day. Not useful? Walk away, no pressure.
A counsellor calls within 15 minutes
- 01A ranked shortlist built on your marks and your family’s budget
- 022 to 3 courses, each with its total cost in rupees
- 03Our commission on each option, in writing
Rather talk now? Call +977 1-5360000 or WhatsApp us.
Sources, and how we wrote this
- Migri: income requirement for students, read 19 Oct 2026
- Study in Finland: joint application, read 19 Oct 2026
- Study in Finland: tuition and scholarships, read 20 Oct 2026
Our own figures (files lodged, approvals, refusals, costs on our shortlists) are from our records for FY 2025/26. Rupee amounts use the Nepal Rastra Bank sell rate on the date shown. Official rules change: we recheck these sources every month and date every change. How we count our own numbers is on our About page.