Your exchange checklist

This page contains important information about what needs to be taken care of before, during and after your exchange. This includes, e.g. paperwork for studies and grants as well as practical issues. More specific information for Erasmus exchange students can be found on the link on the right.

 

What to do before leaving for an exchange

1. Planning your studies

  • You should get to know your receiving university and its courses offered while still in Turku. The university International Office and the international affairs contact person at your department cooperate with one another in taking care of practical matters concerning those leaving for exchange, but remember that you are ultimately responsible for your exchange. You should be as active as possible: you should visit the homepages and get to know the services and courses available or ask for information though e-mail from your host university.
  • You can get information from students who have studied abroad in your home country/institution. Contact the International Office for details.
  • Get your Learning Agreement approved by the ECTS contact person at your department.
  • 1 credit at the University of Turku equals 1 ECTS credit (studies in a European country).
  • Generally, the minimum amount of credits to be completed is about 5 credits per month - check with your own department about these requirements.
  • Europass documents can help in certain matters.
  • If you have and changes in your study plan, you need to return a Changes to the Leaning Agreement form to the University of Turku within one month after your studies have begun.

2. Papers and documents

  • Fill in a grant application form (form E/A) and return it to the International Office.
  • Apply for State financial aid abroad (N.B. must have permanent status residency in Finland, which is based on a reason other than studying)
  • Register with the University of Turku; Student Union membership is voluntary.
  • Apply for a residency either in Finland or in your host country. Residency and visa issues change rather often, so you should find out about your receiving country's current regulations and requirements from its local consulate or embassy. European Union citizens do not need a visa in EU countries but residency is usually required in these countries if the period of stay is more than three months. If you do however need a visa, you should apply for one in plenty of time because the visa may be in force for only a few months.
  • Bring your European Health Insurance Card (or an equivalent E-111/E-128 form) if you have one. This card guarantees the same health care in European countries (EU and ETA countries as well as Switzerland) as its citizens. Contact Kela for more information.
  • Take extensive insurance.
  • If you need regular medication, you should make sure you have enough form your travel or find out about your medication's availability in your host country. Also check if you need to have any vaccinations to go to your host country.
  • You should talk to your bank and also with former students of your host county to ask about opening up a bank account while on exchange. Please note that if you are eligible for state financial assistance, funds are paid only to a Finnish bank account. Therefore getting Internet banking is highly recommended. Another good idea is to give power of attorney to a close friend or family member so that they could take care of your finances in Finland while you are abroad.
  • Formal exchange student usually can get a student card from the host university and usually get the same benefits as the local students. It's worth it to bring your Finnish student card along with you. Sometimes it's also worth it to get an internationally known student card (e.g. ISIC).
  • Notification of leaving the country for the population system and change of address for the Post Office is done by using the same form. You can make a change of address by phone (tel. 0203 456 456), directly on the Internet, or at your nearest Post Office branch. You don't necessarily have to make a change of address to Maistraatti if you are abroad for only a short period of time.

3. Housing

  • Remember to apply for housing for your exchange. Most universities will assist their exchange students with getting housing. Students usually must fill out a hosing application form and sent it by post to the receiving institution. Application should be sent out in good time so that there won't be any complication in your living arrangements. If there is no on-campus student housing, you should ask your host university's international unit or former exchange students for suggestions about private landlords.

4. Health and safety

 

What to think about when on exchange

1. Things to thing about when you are in your host country

  • There are no tuition fees for exchange programmes.
  • Prepare yourself for fees pertaining to e.g. study materials and Student Union membership.
  • Bring extra passport photos along with you.
  • If your exchange period changes from your study plan, you must contact the International Officer of your faculty as well as notifying the International Office at international@utu.fi. You should also contact a Financial Aid Officer (if you are eligible for State financial assistance). Changes in your study plan must be approved by the ECTS contact person at your department. Please note, that you may have to pay back some financial aid if your study abroad changes.

2. In case of an accident

  • Use your European Health Insurance Card as well as your own insurance, if you have. The receiving institution may have some sort of insurance for students, which you should find out about right at the beginning of your exchange.
  • Contact the University of Turku International Office when needed at: international@utu.fi.

3. Staying in touch

  • You can use your university webmail for reading your e-mail while abroad. You can log in to webmail at https://webmail.utu.fi. This requires a used ID and password issued by the University of Turku Computing Centre. If you register with the University of Turku as non-attending, but want to keep your university e-mail while abroad, remember to mark this information along with the study grand decision on form A or E. You can request that your user ID will still be valid when you fill out the form for going on exchange.

 

ADVERTISE TURKU!

  • If you want to advertise Turku as well as the University of Turku, you may take some City of Turku brochures as well as other university promotional materials with you to your host country/university which are available at the International Office.
  • Materials such as student statistics and a Powerpoint presentation are available through the University of Turku webpages.
  • There's also lots of useful information on the CIMO's Discover Finland webpages.

 

Returning to Turku

1. Paperwork to attend to

  • Bring a transcript of records for your host university! You should also save your individual course syllabi and e.g. course literature lists.
  • The transferring and accreditation of courses taken abroad are taken care of by each department in Turku.
  • In order to receive a study grant, the following must be submitted to the International Office:
    • a Letter of Confirmation (Erasmus students) or another form of certification showing your length of the exchange at your host university
    • an exchange report (to be filled in yourself)

2. Internationally active while studying

  • Although you yourself may be an international student in Finland, you can still be involved with new incoming exchange activities with the Erasmus Student Network in Turku!

08.03.2011 13:51 Jutta Ruusunen