Guide for going abroad

Before filling in the official application form for a term abroad, you should check and make sure you have the following details ready:

• Talk to your homeroom teacher about the term abroad and make sure you have their permission - for minors, parental permission is also required.
• Check your HOKS with your homeroom teacher and when a term abroad is relevant and suitable in your studies.
• Find out what work tasks or courses you should complete during your term abroad from HOKS and/or ePerusteet, and check which credits you will earn during your term.

A CV (Curriculum Vitae) is requested as an attachment as part of the application. This is a summary of your skills, training and any other skills you may have, such as language and IT skills. The CV will be sent to the host organisation, so please correct any typos and check that your details are correct in the file - remember to make sure that your CV is in English!

• If you don't have a CV ready, you can use the European standard Europass CV. On the Eurpoass website, you can also choose to fill in the English version, in which case you only need to provide your information in English.

You can use the checklist below to recap the necessary steps and paperwork.
 

After finishing the initial preparations, the student can fill in the application for term abroad 

• Please take plenty of time to fill in the application form, as it should also give details of the candidate's motivation.
• An English-language resume/CV (Curriculum Vitae) must also be attached to the application form. The attachment should be in PDF or document form - screenshots/grabs or pictures of CV are not accepted. 

The student should contact the International Affairs Coordinator and book an appointment either through the Booking link or by email. During the meeting, the student will go through the documents and agreements and fill in the necessary paperwork for the term abroad: 

• Funding agreement
• Europass mobility - mobility certificate
• Application for meal allowance

In addition to these forms, students can find out whether they are eligible for additional support during their term abroad. Such additional benefits may include:

• Kela financial aid for studies abroad - Study term abroad related to your studies
• Kela supplement when abroad - General housing allowance, or housing supplement to study grant
• Meal allowance (in 2025 the allowance is 6,45€/workday)

For more general information about studying abroad and Kela aid: https://www.kela.fi/financial-aid-for-students-if-you-study-abroad

You must also sign a training agreement for the term abroad. The training agreement is added and created in StudentaPlus by the homeroom teacher, similarly to the work placements in Finland.

The student should enrol for a coaching session before the start of the trip. There will be a few coaching sessions per application cycle. In addition to this, check the following:

• Make sure your passport is valid according to the destination rules and that you have the necessary insurances. Varia insures the student for work and for leisure.
• Get vaccinations and a visa if necessary.
• Order your KELA:n eurooppalaisen sairaanhoitokortti for free.
• Check the Crisis Guide for your time abroad well in advance of your trip.

The student books flights and accommodation for themself. The funding comes to the student and budgeting should be considered before paying for the bookings. The amount of funding depends on the duration of the term abroad, the destination and how you travel to the destination. Half of the journey can be done interrailing, for example, which gives you more travel days and an increased travel allowance. Also note:

• Check that your finances are secured for the term, for example, that your Visa Electron card has a high enough withdrawal limit and that the card works abroad and is not geoblocked.  

The International Affairs Office and the international services speacialists in different campuses are always there to help and support you if needed. So, all you have to do is pack and go! A keen sense of adventure goes a long way! 

While there is plenty to learn and see during the term abroad, students should still take care of the following during the experience:  

• The student must remember to get all the necessary and mandatory documents signed and returned in a timely manner, so that the student will have the signed documents with him/her when returning to Finland.  

• JTo ensure that others can enjoy the experience, the participant should document their learning and experiences during the trip. The student can choose how to report about the experience (e.g. text document, photo diary, blog, video).

  Varia KV - Travel report 2025 students.pptx(pptx, 266.21 KB)
• During the term, the student must also make one Instagram update @internationalvaria-account. To do this, the student sends a caption to the International Affairs office, as well as pictures that can be published on the account.

After the trip, it's time to look back and reflect on what you've gained from the experience. The best way to answer this is to gather your thoughts after a few days of reflection back at home. All documents and reports should be returned within two weeks of your return to Finland. 

• The student will arrange a return meeting with the International Affairs Coordinator. At the meeting, the signed documents and the insurance card will be returned.
• Students finalise their trip report and return it to the International Affairs Coordinator.
• Students must ensure that the credits earned during the term abroad are transferred to their qualification/HOKS.
• If the student was on an Erasmus+ mobility, the student will also receive an Erasmus participant report questionnaire by email (including a self-assessment of what was accomplished and what could perhaps have been improved during the experience).