Extending Your Stay in Finland
If you are interested in extending your stay in Finland or renewing your Fulbright status, please find instructions on this page on what to take into account and how to proceed.
Renewing your Fulbright status for the second year of Master's degree studies in Finland
Renewing your Fulbright status can be possible for those completing a master's degree in Finland with a Finnish university-sponsored grant.
Extending Your Fulbright Status
Other than master's degree students on a Finnish university-sponsored grant are eligible to apply for an extension of their Fulbright status for a maximum of three months.
Do I Need to Apply for an Extension for My Residence Permit?
You might have an opportunity to stay in Finland as a tourist after your residence permit expires for up to 90 days. According to the Finnish Border Guard, this depends on how many days you have already spent in Finland or the Schengen area as a tourist (without a residence permit) within the last 180-day period. U.S. citizens are allowed to stay in Finland/the Schengen area for a maximum of 90 days as a tourist within a 180-day period. To count how many remaining days you have, please use the calculator of the European Commission.
If you wish to stay in Finland for some other purpose than as a tourist, you need to make sure whether you need to apply for an extension for your residence permit or not. The Foundation staff can be in contact with Migri to find this out for you.
Migri recommends that you apply for the extension early (well before the current permit expires), but no earlier than three months before your current permit expires.
You can use the EnterFinland online service to apply for the extension.
Residence permit to look for work in Finland
After you have graduated or completed your research in Finland, you can apply for a residence permit to look for work or to start a business, provided you currently have or previously have had a residence permit for studies or research. The permit is issued for up to two years.
- Further information on Migri’s page: Application for students and researchers: residence permit to look for work | Maahanmuuttovirasto (migri.fi)
Links
Residence permit extension
Staying as a tourist in Finland
Grants and Awards
- Funding sources listed on the Fulbright Finland website
- Lois Roth Foundation Awards
- Consult your host university staff members on information for funding, as well
Job seeking
- International Jobseeker's Guide by International House Helsinki
- Work in Finland website has useful information for job seekers and employees
- Business Finland
- Welcome to Finland guide (produced by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment)
- Jobs in Finland website by Business Finland
- Universities' job databases, Aarresaari
Housing
- Housing sources listed on the Fulbright Finland website
NB: Please note that the Fulbright Finland Foundation has written this according to its best knowledge, but cannot take responsibility for the matters determined by the Finnish authorities.
