For a starting student

If you have been selected in the continuous search: Confirm or cancel your study place according to the schedule and instructions you received in the selection letter in the Wilma service. For this, you will receive a temporary domain name for your email. You can find the confirmation form in Wilma under Forms. Remember to save!

After confirming your place of study, you will receive a new domain name in your email. The ID will be sent to you before the start of your studies. The new ID works in all systems of the educational institution.

If you have been selected in a joint application: Confirm or cancel your study place according to the instructions and schedule you received in the selection letter in Opintopolku service. After confirming the place of study, you will receive the Riveria domain name in your e-mail.

Read more about Wilma. (In Finnish, English version coming soon)

You can find the registration form at Wilma and more information at section Opintopolun suunnittelu. (Only in Finnish, English version coming soon)

Save Wilma’s photo of the primary school, vocational school and/or high school graduation certificate or other education you indicated in your application. Alternatively, you can grant the right to view previous performance electronically in the My study path service. Your place of study is conditional until your certificate and the correctness of the information you provided have been checked. Instructions: About sharing Oma Opintopulku results or adding a copy of the certificate to Wilma.

Certificates are needed when you have a HOKS discussion with your teacher and plan your studies. In the HOKS discussion, previously acquired skills are recognized. Competence can only be recognized from official certificates with grades, scope of studies and signatures.

We accept certificates in Finnish, Swedish and English. If your certificate is in another language, discuss with your personal coach whether there is a need to translate the certificate. Translation can be done by an official language translator, list of translators.

Riveria offers morning porridge and a free meal during school days for undergraduate or TUVA students.

For dining, you need an ID card with a bar-coded ID. For example, an identity card, passport, KELA card, driver’s license or moped card. You need the card right from the first day of study.

If you do not have a Finnish personal identification number, you will receive a temporary permit card in your email, which you can use until you receive an official card. The permit card also works as an image from the phone screen.

The catering service staff is happy to guide you in the use of the card reader and also supervises the observance of the lunch right when coming to lunch every day.

The meal benefit does not apply to those studying in apprenticeship and workforce training, nor to vocational and specialized vocational degree holders.

For more information on reporting special diets, for example, see the guide’s section on Restaurants and menus.

The condition of Kela’s school travel support is that the one-way trip to school must be at least 10 kilometers, or at least 7 kilometers for those with compulsory education. Apply for support in Omakela.

Kela’s study support for full-time studies. Fill out the application form online at www.kela.fi/students.

Self-directed study unemployment benefit for over 25-year-olds. Agree on this with your TE office before the start of your studies. After your HOKS discussion, the educational institution will, at your request, send the TEM form or the municipal examination form in some municipalities directly electronically to the authority, from which you will receive a decision.

More information elsewhere in the guide Subsidies and benefits. (Only in Finnish, English version coming soon)

For compulsory students, study equipment, work clothes and materials are free of charge. You can use a laptop for the duration of your studies. However, costs may arise for school trips of less than 7 kilometers, in which case you will not receive Kela’s school travel allowance.

Other students may incur costs for purchasing work clothes and equipment. You will receive instructions for purchases when you start your studies. In addition, costs arise from card and passport fees, book purchases, study trips or living during workplace learning in a different location or abroad. We recommend getting your own laptop. Some professional and specialized vocational degrees have a study fee.

Vaccination Certificates: Basic Degree in Social and Health Care

When starting your studies for a basic degree in social and health care, you must have information about the following vaccinations (the dates when the vaccinations were given):

• Tetanus-d (tetanus, diphtheria) vaccination
• MMR vaccination (measles, mumps, rubella) or having had measles, or two vaccinations with at least two years between them
• Having had chickenpox or two vaccinations with at least 3 months between them
• Hepatitis B vaccination (recommended)
• Polio vaccination (recommended)

Check your vaccination information from your vaccination card or your local health center. After starting your studies, you can book an appointment with student health care for a health meeting in your first year of studies. Bring your vaccination information to the meeting. During the visit, the matters required by the Communicable Diseases Act for social and health care training will be reviewed.

The educational institution and the workplace have the right, based on legislation, to obtain information about the student’s vaccination protection only with the student’s consent. The employer decides on the vaccination protection required at the workplace and on accepting the student for the internship.

You need a health status report for the food industry to be able to work in customer service roles in restaurants or cafes, where unpackaged, perishable food is handled or where meal service tasks, such as distributing food to patients, are involved.

You can obtain the certificate from your local health center before starting your studies or from the student health nurse at the beginning of your studies.

These training programs also have occupational safety regulations that affect, for example, the use of jewelry in customer service at the educational institution and during workplace learning. Visible piercings on the face and the use of dangling, large earrings, necklaces, or other jewelry are prohibited in customer service work.

Residence permit

You need a residence permit if you plan to stay in Finland for more than 90 days and you are not a Finnish citizen. A residence permit is not required if you are a citizen of an EU state, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland. The permit is issued by the Finnish Immigration Service. Instructions for applying for a permit are available on the Finnish Immigration Service’s website.

• You can apply for a residence permit once you have been accepted as a student. The permit processing time is 2–3 months.
• You can start your studies once you have received your residence permit. Your personal coach will check the permit when the studies start.
• You must have a valid residence permit throughout your studies.

You do not need a residence permit if you are an asylum seeker or reside in Finland based on temporary protection.

Registration in the Finnish Population Information System

When you arrive at your place of study and start your studies, register in the Finnish Population Information System. Registration is free and will make your life easier. You will receive a Finnish personal identity code and an official address in Finland. When you have a municipality of residence, you usually have the right to use the services of the wellbeing area, city, or municipality.

1. Fill out the online form of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency at Registration of a foreign student | Digital and population data services agency (dvv.fi). Attach your official identity and study certificates to the form according to the instructions.
2. Visit a service point: The nearest service point of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency is in Joensuu. Registrations are done on pop-up days without an appointment; otherwise, you can book an appointment on the DVV website. You can find the pop-up registration days on the Joensuu service point page: Digital and Population Data Services Agency, Joensuu.

Health Information

If you move to Finland to start your studies at Riveria, familiarize yourself in advance with the health examinations and vaccinations required in Finland. You can find information on the following page: International students.

Before starting your studies, you must provide information about your health status to Siun sote, which is responsible for health and social services in the North Karelia region. The health information you provide is needed for the health examination conducted at the beginning of your studies. Obtain the necessary vaccinations before starting your studies. The instructions are available on Siun sote’s website: 

Also, ensure that you have adequate valid insurance.

The infoFinland website provides important and necessary information about Finnish society and everyday life in Finland. You can find the materials here. The website also has a list of the most important matters related to practical everyday life.

In addition to these, you should familiarise yourself with the websites of the following authorities:

• KELA – support for different life situations
• TE services – on Job Market Finland, you can find, for example, open positions and the consulting services of the TE Office
• fi – You can order, for example, a tax card from the Tax Administration’s website. You need a tax card when you receive a salary or other income.

Also familiarise yourself with the services offered by your municipality of residence. Municipalities take care of day care services and schools, for example.  Municipalities are also responsible for housing and leisure services. Most municipalities also have people who provide guidance on topics related to immigration.

• Lieksa
• Joensuu International House Joensuu
• Outokumpu
• Nurmes
• Kitee Immigration Coordinator Irma Alekseeva, tel. +358 (0)40 129 2441

In the Wilma online service, you keep in touch with teachers and other staff. In Wilma, you can plan the progress of your studies, you can see your schedule and performance. The student’s wilma ID is the same as Riveria’s network IDs.

Logging into Wilma works via the page https://riveria.inschool.fi/. Wilma can also be used on mobile devices, either with a mobile device browser or with an application found in the app store. The mobile application is available for iOS and Android devices. The mobile application can be accessed with the QR code found on Wilma’s homepage and the username password. However, not all of Wilma’s functions can be found in the mobile application, for example filling in forms and printing printouts is best done using a computer browser.

Wilma as support for studying (riverialainen.fi) (Only In Finnish, English version coming soon)

The operational year consists of autumn, spring and summer seasons. Riveria offers study opportunities all year round. During the weeks of winter holiday there are no short-term studies. You can find more information about studying in the summer season from your personal coach. Each student’s study and vacation times are agreed upon in the HOKS discussion.

Important dates and schedules