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Practical Information for New Students
Here you can find useful information to start your studies smoothly in SAMK.
Notification of admission
All admitted students will get a personal notification of admission. The results are published gradually depending on the selection method and degree programme. More detailed information is available in the Admissions Criteria.
You will receive a notice by email both from the Studyinfo.fi service and SAMK Admission Office, when you have been offered a study place at SAMK.

Before arriving in Finland
You can accept the study place and enrol electronically.
More information: SAMK enrolment
All non-EU/EEA students need to pay the tuition fee.
Your liability for paying the tuition fee has been checked in the application process. The tuition fee is to be paid according to instructions given in the notification of admission.
More information: SAMK tuition fees and scholarships
Instructions for degree students with tuition fees.
Instructions for degree students without tuition fees.
Non-EU/EEA students need a student residence permit. Remember that you must personally visit a Finnish embassy or consulate as part of this process. Start your residence permit process as soon as possible, carefully following the immigration authorities’ instructions and regulations, so that you can receive your permit in good time before your studies begin.
More information: Finnish Immigration Service (Migri)
Finnish student health service (FSHS) is responsible of student health services in Pori/Rauma. However, FSHS do not cover urgent medical care or secondary health care in hospitals.
Students coming from EU/EEA countries: You should take your EU-card (the European health insurance card) from your local social security office. The EU-card gives you access to medically necessary healthcare during your stay in Finland under the same conditions and at the same cost as people insured in Finland.
Students coming from non–EU/EEA countries: You should have a certain insurance required by Finnish Immigration Services when applying for their student visas.
More information: Finnish Immigration Service
SAMK does not have dormitories on its own, but we have been cooperating with various accommodation providers in the city of Pori and Rauma to help students find accommodation. Some of the options are listed below. The rent varies according to the size, location, condition, and facilities of the chosen apartment. However, the rent announced in a rental advertisement will not change with time. Similarly, the price remains unchanged no matter how far in advance you book a hotel or hostel room prior to your arrival in Finland. For prices and additional information we encourage you to contact the accommodation providers directly using the given contact information. If you have any further questions or concerns about accommodation in Pori or Rauma, feel free to contact international relations coordinator Szilvia Simon-Nagy by e-mail: szilvia.simon-nagy(at)samk.fi
Pori
Private market rental apartments, housing company Vuokralukaali
Vuokralukaali has a diverse selection of rental accommodation from Pori.
Please visit their website for more information or you can contact them through the contact form.
If you have any questions, contact directly Siiri Sillanpää, siiri.sillanpaa(at)vuokralukaali.com or Juha Virén, juha.viren(at)vuokralukaali.com
Municipality-owned rental apartments, Porin YH-asunnot
Porin YH-Asunnot Oy offers a wide range of alternatives for inexpensive, comfortable student housing. There are several options in Pori, including shared apartments, studio apartments and 1- and 2-bedroom apartments. Properties are available for families as well.
On their website you can search for available student apartments.
You can fill in the online application form (you can change the language to English in the bottom right corner).
Hostel and aparthotel housing, housing company Torget
Living in a hostel or hotel is a good option when you are not yet familiar with the city. It allows you time to explore Pori and its different areas and the long-term housing options available. Torget company offers accommodation solutions for different length of stay. Furnished hostel and aparthotel rooms are available in the city center for a reasonable price. The hostel as well as the aparthotel own a shared, well-equipped kitchen that is open to all the guests, making their stay more comfortable in both premises. Rooms are available for one or two persons, groups or families.
Pictures and more information on the hostel.
Pictures and more information on the aparthotel.
For general inquiries, please contact info(at)torgethotel.fi.
Starting packages of kitchenware and textiles by the Red Cross secondhand outlet Kontti
Kontti is a chain of second-hand outlets operated by the Finnish Red Cross, that sells a large variety of household and clothing items. Most of the items are from donations.
If you start your life in Pori in an unfurnished apartment, you can make good use of the starting packages offered by the Finnish Red Cross. The starting packages contain clean and undamaged, second-hand items. The pictures give an impression of the content of the packages. It means, that you will get the same type and amount of items but not exactly the same ones shown in the pictures.
Kitchenware set, 50 euros.
Content: 3x fork, 3x knife, 3x spoon, 3x teaspoon, 1x frying pan, 2x deep plate, 2x plate, 2x dessert plate, 1x pot, 2x mugs, 2x glass, 1x turner, 1x bread knife, 1x small knife, 1x ladle, salad cutlery, 1x bowl, 1x breadboard
Textile set, 35 euros.
Content: 1x pillow case, 1x duvet cover, 1x bottom sheet, 1x blanket, 1x pillow, 2x face towel, 2x bath towel, 2x kitchen towel, 4x potholder
For ordering the starting packages, contact: Szilvia Simon-Nagy, szilvia.simon-nagy(at)samk.fi
Deadline for ordering packages: 4th August 2023.
The packages will be delivered to SAMK campus before your arrival. You can pay for the packages upon arrival, in cash.
Rauma
Municipality-owned rental apartments
City of Rauma owns dormitories, intended for student housing. The dormitories are located close to SAMK campus. There are 1-person studios as well as 2- and 3-bedroom shared apartments available. The studios are rented unfurnished with a bathroom. The shared apartments’ bedrooms are rented furnished with a bed, a wardrobe, a desk and a chair. The apartment contains a shared kitchen and a bathroom. Water, electricity, heating and Internet are included in the rent.
Primary contacting happens through the online application form (you can change the language to English in the bottom right corner).
More detailed information about the dormitories.
For general inquiries, please contact office secretary Maria Silver, tel. 358 44 403 6095, maria.silver(at)rauma.fi.
Photos of the studios:
Photos of the shared apartments:
Private housing company, Old Station
Furnished rooms are available in the hostel-type of property. The price includes water, heating, waste handling costs, electricity, home insurance and internet in common areas. Old Station is located very close to SAMK campus as well as the city center.
For detailed information, prices and pictures, contact Kirsi Tarmo, kirsitarmo(at)gmail.com or +358 44 241 9582 WhatsApp.
Information about available housing options in Rauma will be provided too by the International Relations Secretary, please contact by e-mail saija.arslan(at)samk.fi
Second-hand store operated by the Finnish Red Cross
You can find house- and kitchenware, clothes, accessories, toys, sport equipment, books and all kinds of furniture in the store. The products are used but in good condition, clean and undamaged. They are sold at a reasonable price. The store is open Monday-Friday, 11 am-5 pm, Saturday 10 am-2 pm. Address is Karjalankatu 15.
Recycling in Finland
The culture of recycling and reuse has always been supported in Finland. The second-hand shopping is popular here nowadays. It is seen as an economical alternative for over-consumption of our modern time. Apart from the Red Cross secondhand stores, there are flee-markets and second-hand stores in Pori and Rauma as well, that sell a wide range of goods cheaply.
We recommend you to pack these documents with you to make your arrival in Finland as smooth as possible:
- Passport
- Birth certificate
- Marriage certificate (if you are going to bring your family with you)
- Rental agreement, if you have already agreed on renting an apartment in Finland
- Tax Identification Number (TIN) from your home country. It is needed when opening a Finnish bank account.
- Original certificates that you attached to the application form when applying to your degree programme at SAMK. The student admission is conditional until the original certificates have been verified in the beginning of the studies.
- Acceptance email from SAMK
- Certificate of Registration email from SAMK. With this you can show that you have paid the tuition fee.
- Proof of how you will finance your stay in Finland during the first year of studies. You must establish sufficient independent funding for living in Finland. More information on Migri’s website: Income requirements for students
- Proof of sufficient insurance coverage for your stay. You can read more on health insurance requirements on Migri’s website: Students must have an insurance
All of these documents are good to have with you on paper when you arrive to Finland. You have attached some of these to the residence permit application form, but it’s a good idea to take these with you just in case you need to show these at the border. The border authorities may ask you to prove that you still meet all the requirements for the residence permit.
COVID-19 information
Follow the instructions given by the Finnish institute of health and welfare about self-quarantine. Download the Finnish contact tracing app Koronavilkku. For more information, read carefully SAMK's instructions on coronavirus situation.
Time and place for beginning the studies
Each programme have their own information on time, place and other instructions for beginning the studies.
More information: Welcome to SAMK
How to get there?
By plane
Most international flights to Finland arrive at Helsinki-Vantaa airport. From Helsinki-Vantaa there are domestic train and bus connections to Pori and Rauma. From Helsinki there are also flight connections available to Pori. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
Timetables and prices: KarhuAero
Turku and Tampere 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.
By bus
There are several bus connections from Helsinki to Pori or Rauma every day. The trip lasts about 4 hours.
Timetable and prices: Matkahuolto
By train
There are several train connections between Helsinki and Pori every day. When traveling to Pori you should change trains in Tampere. The trip lasts about 3.5 hours.
Timetables and prices: VR
By ferry
It is also possible to travel to Finland by ferry from Sweden, Estonia, Germany, and Poland.
Residence permits
All matters relating to immigration in Finland are administered through Finnish Immigration Service (Maahanmuuttovirasto). Please visit their website and start your immigration process as soon as possible.
Welcome to Finland guide
Take a look at the Welcome to Finland guide that is available in several languages.
Contact us
International Relations Secretaries assist international degree students with visa and residence permit applications, health insurance questions as well as in information about vacant accommodation. You can contact them prior to the beginning of your studies, if necessary, in order to have a smooth start for your studies in Finland.
Pori
International Relations Secretary
Riitta Rissanen
00 358 44 710 3859
firstname.lastname@samk.fi
Rauma
International Relations Secretary
Saija Arslan
00 358 44 710 3563
firstname.lastname@samk.fi
Admissions Office
SAMK Admissions Office assist applicants with their application process, tuition fees, confirming the study place or registration.
admissions@samk.fi
00 358 2 623 4801
Bring your own device
BYOD means the same as Bring Your Own Device, it means that students make their assignments mainly with their own computers. SAMK requires the use of personal terminal equipment in studies.