Once in Finland
How to get started in Finland
On this page we will help you to navigate through the first important and in many cases obligatory steps that you must take as soon as you arrive in the country.
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Most international flights to Finland arrive at Helsinki Airport. From Helsinki Airport there are domestic train and bus connections to Pori. From Pori you can continue to Rauma by bus.
From Helsinki there are also flight connections available to Pori. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
Flight timetables and prices between Helsinki and Pori
Turku and Tampere airports are also possible destinations and are located near Pori and Rauma. The trip from Turku to Pori lasts about 2,5 hours and to Rauma about 1,5 hours by bus. The trip from Tampere to Pori lasts about 2 hours and to Rauma about 2,5 hours by bus.
Please note that the security check entering Finland might take time and you should be prepared to show all the important documents on paper.
By train
There are several train connections between Helsinki Airport and Pori every day. When traveling to Pori you should change trains in Tampere. The trip lasts about 3.5 hours.
If your destination is Rauma, you can continue from Pori to Rauma by bus.
Bus timetables between Pori and Rauma: Matkahuolto and Matka.fi
By bus
There are several bus connections from Helsinki Airport to Pori every day. The trip lasts about 4 hours. If you are travelling to Rauma, you can first take a regional bus from Helsinki Airport to Kamppi bus station in Helsinki centre. From there you can travel with a long distance bus to Rauma. The trip from Helsinki centre to Rauma takes about 4 hours.
Timetables and prices for long distance buses
Timetables and prices for local transportation in Helsinki region
By ferry
It is also possible to travel to by ferry from Sweden, Estonia, Germany, and Poland.
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Below is a breakdown of the essential actions to take after arriving in Finland to settle in smoothly. Remember, some steps are mandatory and should be completed as soon as possible. Other steps are optional but highly recommended. The table below explains how to register with DVV, apply for a Finnish identity card, open a Finnish bank account and get a student card.
See table Administrative issues, spring 2025 (pdf).
Please note! We will arrange DVV pop-up registration day during the Welcome Days. We will assist you with filling in the online application before you meet the DVV representatives. For registration during Welcome Days you do not need to book any appointments with DVV.
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You can take out a contract telephone subscription to get a Finnish phone number or buy a pre-paid subscription.
To take out a contract telephone subscription, you must have a Finnish personal identity code and an address in Finland.
Pre-paid subscriptions is an alternative for a contract subscription. Pre-paid subscriptions are sold, for example, at R-kiosks, certain supermarkets or online by telephone operators. You don’t need a Finnish personal identity code or a Finnish address to buy a pre-paid subscription.
Elisa, one of Finland’s telephone operators, provides a free prepaid starter package to every new SAMK international student. The starter package is an easy and affordable way to stay in touch with family, friends and new acquaintances in Finland. The packages will be distributed at SAMK campuses during Welcome Week (18-22 August).
The Elisa prepaid starter package provides you with a Finnish phone number and a working internet connection. The package includes €6 credit, which is enough for about 6 days of data usage. The account can be easily recharged in local stores or online.
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Student healthcare services and the KELA fee
If you are completing higher education studies and are registered as an attending student, you have the right to use the services of the Finnish Student Health Services (FSHS/YTHS). Finnish Student Health Services
Some important things to note:
- Healthcare fee must be paid every term for the Social Insurance Institution (KELA)
- There is no bill coming about the fee, students pay on their own initiative
- In 2025, the student healthcare fee in higher education is EUR 36.80 per term
Who must pay?
You must pay the health care fee if:
- you are an attending student in a Finnish higher education institution as a degree student
- you do not have social security coverage in another EU/EEA country, Switzerland, Great Britain or Northern Ireland
The student healthcare fee must be paid even if:
- you are studying remotely and not based in Finland
- you have taken out private health insurance to meet the requirements for obtaining a residence permit in Finland
Healthcare fee for students in higher education
How to pay the student healthcare fee
Public healthcare services
If you have registered your municipality of residence in Finland with Digital and Data Population Services (DVV), you usually have the right to use public healthcare services provided by your municipality of residence. Municipality of residence
Public healthcare services in Satakunta region
Wellbeing Services County of Satakunta
Private healthcare services
There are also numerous private healthcare centers and clinics in Pori and Rauma. Make sure from your private health insurance company the possibility of using private healthcare services in Finland. It is important to keep the health insurance required for your residence permit valid for the entire duration of your stay in Finland.
In case of emergency
In the event of an emergency, it is important to know where the nearest emergency clinic and public healthcare center are located. The emergency number in Finland is 112. Download the 112 app in your phone for emergenci
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The acronym KELA comes from the Finnish name of the Finnish Social Insurance Institution (Kansaneläkelaitos). This is the institution that among the others, grant social benefits on various grounds for Finnish citizens and other nationals living in the country. International students might and might not be eligible for social benefits. As a basic rule, non-EU nationals, who are staying in the country with study-based residence permit, are not eligible for any social benefits, granted by KELA.
KELA card can be applied for, even if the applicant is not eligible for any KELA benefits. In these cases, the KELA card is used only for identification purposes and is not mandatory to have. Although you will often be asked by public health care providers to prove your identity with a KELA card, you can also access public health care services without a KELA card. KELA card is available free of charge.
KELA card can be applied for if the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) has granted you a municipality of residence. As for international degree students, EU-nationals and non-EU nationals with A residence permit do usually have registered municipality of residence in Finland.
For more information concerning the KELA card, please visit KELA website: KELA-card
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Tuudo is a personal assistant for every student for their everyday studies: a single application to browse your schedule, register for courses, navigate the campus, use the library and check the restaurant menus. Using your SAMK ID, you will have access to your personal study information.
For more information, visit TUUDO website: TUUDO application
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Your studies at Satakunta University of Applied Sciences start with Welcome Days. The Welcome Days will provide you a lot of necessary and useful information on settling down and for example, on services offered by the university or the city. You will also be assisted in dealing with non-study related administrative issues. You will also meet your new classmates, peer mentors and some key members of staff.