For exchange and visiting students coming to the University of Eastern Finland, we have a variety of international study programmes.
Courses and study modules taught in English are offered in all scientific fields of the university, at both Bachelor’s and Master’s levels.
Furthermore, many of our Master’s level courses are also available to advanced-level Bachelor’s students, providing added flexibility.
How to apply as an exchange student
Exchange students are non-degree students who intend to study at the University of Eastern Finland (Joensuu or Kuopio campus) for one or two semesters. These students participate in bilateral or international student exchange programmes (e.g. Erasmus+, FIRST+, ISEP, Nordplus/Nordlys, North2North, bilateral agreements).
In most fields the students are recommended to have the minimum of 2 years of studies in their field before coming for exchange.
- 30 April for autumn semester (September - December) or full academic year (September - May) studies
- 30 September for spring semester (January - May) studies
Please note that it is not possible to apply after the deadlines!
If you are applying for a training in Clinical Medicine, you should follow these deadlines.
The application process starts with a nomination from the partner university to the University of Eastern Finland. Coordinators at partner universities are asked to nominate their candidates for student exchange at UEF in the SoleMOVE system. If your coordinator does not have a SoleMOVE account or have not received instructions on how to activate the account and nominate students, please ask her/him to contact international@uef.fi
Once the nomination is approved by the UEF International Mobility Services, the applicants receive usernames for the online application tool SoleMOVE by email. After that, the students can start applying.
The deadline for the nominations for the autumn semester and for the full academic year is 15 April and for the spring semester 15 September.
Nominations done after the deadline will not be considered.
Important! If you have not received an e-mail that contains information on activating your user account, please check your junk mail folder!
How to nominate your students:
Coordinators at partner universities are asked to nominate their candidates for student exchange at UEF in the SoleMOVE system. If you do not have a SoleMOVE account or have not received instructions on how to activate the account and nominate students, please contact international@uef.fi
Note that nomination done after the deadline will not be considered.
When you have received the e-mail containing your SoleMOVE username, click the activation link. You can choose your own password. Enter it twice and activate the account. Then you can log in. Do not delete the activation e-mail – it contains your username and the link to the application system. You will need them later. Please note that the system works best with Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. Safari is not recommended. You should use the login option 'Local', NOT 'Shibboleth'.
User instructions
You will have access to the complete user manual you have logged in. You will find it in the upper left corner by clicking the question mark.
1) Application form – Compulsory
- Complete the form in the online application tool. Check the information that is already there, and be careful to spell your name as it appears in your passport. Capitalise the first letter, leave the rest lower case.
2) Official Transcript of Academic Records – Compulsory
- A Transcript of Academic Records is your complete academic record with the information on completed courses, grades and credits.
- An English translation of the Transcript of Academic Records is required.
- Application cannot be processed without the transcript because the academic departments of the University of Eastern Finland need to check the applicant's academic background and suitability for the intended studies.
- Scan your transcript and upload it as an attachment to your application.
- If you have completed a Bachelor's degree earlier, please make sure you attach also the transcript of the Bachelor's studies with your application.
3) Learning agreement – Compulsory
Use the form your home university gives you. Complete the learning agreement clearly with BLOCK letters or type electronically.
- The learning agreement must be signed by the applicant and by the home coordinator.
- Please note that your learning agreement will be only provisionally accepted, and you may need to revise it once you arrive in Finland.
- Scan the signed learning agreement and upload it as an attachment to your application. If your home university does not have a form for the Learning Agreement, please use the UEF one at https://kamu.uef.fi/en/student-book/studies-for-exchange-students/ - > Learning Agreement (incoming non-Erasmus students). Also note that having your Learning Agreement approved does not mean that you have secured a place on those courses – you need to register for them when you have arrived.
- Information on the courses for exchange students in Peppi: https://opas.peppi.uef.fi/en/courses-for-exchange-students/124399?period=2024-2025
4) Copy of an ID - Compusory
Scan a copy of your ID (for example a passport or another ID with a photo).
5) Other information
- Language tests are NOT required from the students coming from our partner universities.
- Motivation Letter is optional.
- Letters of reference are optional.
- In order to avoid any delays in the application process, please make sure that you have carefully filled in all sections of the application form, enclosed required documents and collected all necessary signatures.
You do not have to complete the whole application at once – if you do not have all the information ready, you can save your progress and continue later. Be sure that you have filled in all the necessary information and attached all enclosures before you send your application. It is not possible for you to change anything in your application after you have submitted it.
Submitting the application in SoleMOVE is enough. You do not need to send us a printed copy.
The faculties of the University of Eastern Finland admit the students. After receiving your application, the International Mobility Services will forward it to appropriate academic department. The department then processes the application and the proposed learning agreement. Once the International Mobility Services receive an official confirmation of acceptance from the faculty/department, an official admission document is issued and sent to you by e-mail 1-2 months after the application period has ended. Please do not make any definite travel plans or reserve accommodation before you have received the official acceptance.
If you have technical problems with the application tool, send an e-mail to: international@uef.fi.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the International Mobility Services: international@uef.fi.
How to apply as a visiting student
Visiting students are international non-degree students who intend to study at the University of Eastern Finland (Joensuu or Kuopio Campus) for one or two semesters. These students do not participate in bilateral or international student exchange programmes (e.g. Erasmus, FIRST, bilateral agreement).
Students are entitled to official student status (e.g. student cards) at the university. Since visiting students are non-degree students, official diplomas or certificates, other than transcripts, are not available after the study period. Please note that studies for visiting students cannot be guaranteed in all departments of the University of Eastern Finland.
Applicants must be registered at their home university and also be recommended for admission by the home university (see below: Nominations). Applicants must have studied for at least one academic year at a university in a related study field. Applicants must have good command of spoken and written English. Applicants can support the application by including a voluntary language test certificate.
The tuition fee for visiting students is 3500 euros for the full academic year or 1750 euros for one semester. Tuition fee is also required if exchange lasts less than one semester (e.g. if visiting student stays at the University of Eastern Finland for three months, his/her tuition fee is 1750 euros). Visiting students cannot register before the tuition fee is paid, and the proof of the payment is required to provide on arrival. Finnish authorities also require non-EU applicants to prove that they have adequate funds for living expenses (about 500 euros/ month, e.g. of 3000 euros if studying six months in Finland) when applying for a student visa. Please note that the University of Eastern Finland does not offer scholarships or other financial support for visiting students.
- 30 April for Autumn Semester (September – December) or Full Academic Year (September – May)
- 30 September for Spring Semester (January – May)
Please, note that it is not possible to apply after the deadlines.
The application process begins when the University of Eastern Finland receives nomination e-mails from universities abroad. In other words, study abroad coordinators send an e-mail to the International Mobility Services in which they announce their candidates for student exchange. After that, International Mobility Services sends applicants usernames for the online application tool SoleMOVE by e-mail to the student.
Nominations should include:
1. Student's complete name
2. Date of birth
3. Gender
4. E-mail address
5. Duration of exchange (autumn semester, spring semester or full academic year)
6. Studies/internship
7. Campus choice (Joensuu or Kuopio)
The deadline for autumn semester and full academic year nominations is 15 April and for the spring semester 15 September.
Important! If you have not received an e-mail that contains information on activating your user account, check your junk mail folder!
When you have received the e-mail containing your SoleMOVE username, click the activation link. You can choose your own password. Enter it twice and activate the account. Then you can log in. Do not delete the activation e-mail – it contains your username and the link to the application system. You will need them later.
User instructions
You will have access to the complete user manual when you have logged in. You will find it in the upper left corner by clicking the question mark.
A) Application form – Compulsory
- Complete the form in the online application tool. Check the information that is already there, and be careful to spell your name as it appears in your passport. Capitalise the first letter, leave the rest lower case.
B) Enclosures
1. Official Transcript of Academic Records – Compulsory
- A Transcript of Academic Records is your complete academic record with the information on completed courses, grades and credits.
- An English translation of the Transcript of Academic Records is required.
- Application cannot be processed without the transcript because the academic departments of the University of Eastern Finland need to check the applicant's academic background and suitability for the intended studies.
- Scan your transcript and upload it as an attachment to your application.
2. Learning Agreement – Compulsory
Use the form your home university gives you. Complete the Learning agreement clearly with BLOCK letters or type electronically.
- The Learning agreement must be signed by the applicant, the departmental coordinator and the institutional coordinator (if available).
- Scan the signed Learning agreement and upload it as an attachment to your application. If your home university does not have a form for the Learning Agreement, please use the UEF one at https://kamu.uef.fi/en/student-book/studies-for-exchange-students/ - > Learning Agreement (incoming non-Erasmus students). Also note that having your Learning Agreement approved does not mean that you have secured a place on those courses – you need to register for them when you have arrived.
- Information on the courses in Peppi: https://opas.peppi.uef.fi/en/courses-for-exchange-students/124399?period=2024-2025
3. A scanned copy of an official ID – Compulsory
- Scan the identification page of your passport or other official ID as an attachment to your application.
4. Two Letters of Reference
- One of the two needs to be from your Academic Advisor
- Scan the letters and upload them as an attachment to your application. Please scan them both as one file.
5. Motivation letter
- Describes your motivation to study at the University of Eastern Finland
- Includes study and financial plan
- Scan and upload as an attachment to your application.
Other information
In order to avoid any delays in the application process, please make sure that you have carefully filled in all sections of the application form, enclosed required documents and collected all necessary signatures.
Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.
You do not have to complete the whole application at once – if you do not have all the information ready, you can save your progress and continue later. Be sure that you have filled in all the necessary information and attached all enclosures before you send your application. It is not possible for you to change anything in your application after you have submitted it.
Submitting the application in SoleMOVE is enough. You do not need to send us a printed copy.
The faculties of the University of Eastern Finland admit the students. After receiving your application, the International Mobility Services will forward it to appropriate academic department. The department then processes the application and the proposed study plan. Once the International Mobility Services receive an official confirmation of acceptance from the faculty/department, an official admission document is issued and sent to you 1-2 months after the application period has ended. Please do not make any definite travel plans or reserve accommodation before you have received the official acceptance.
If you have technical problems with the application tool, send an e-mail to: international@uef.fi.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the International Mobility Services: international@uef.fi.
Erasmus training and Freemover training
Erasmus training or Freemover training is suitable for non-degree exchange students who intend to do training (e.g. clinical placement, research work) in one of the departments of the University of Eastern Finland. The duration of Erasmus Training or Freemover Training is either one or two semesters (or in some cases a shorter period), but always a minimum of two months. Please note that there is a limited number of training options at the University of Eastern Finland, and departments are not obligated to organise training for the applicants.
Before applying as a trainee, the students have to negotiate the training directly with the department they are interested in. However, the students in Clinical Medicine should not contact the Medical Clinics/Departments at the University Hospital directly but the teaching coordinator in Clinical Medicine.
Please also note that Erasmus trainees are not allowed to do regular courses at the University of Eastern Finland.
- 30 April for Autumn Semester (September - December) or full academic year (September - May)
- 30 September for Spring Semester (January - May)
Please note that these deadlines are followed with the training in Clinical Medicine.
The application process starts with a nomination from the partner university to the University of Eastern Finland. Coordinators at partner universities are asked to nominate their candidates for student exchange at UEF in SoleMOVE system. If your coordinator does not have a SoleMOVE account or have not received instructions on how to activate the account and nominate students, please ask her/him to contact international@uef.fi
Once the nomination is approved by the UEF International Mobility Services, the applicants receive usernames for the online application tool SoleMOVE by email. After that the students can start applying.
Important! If you have not received an e-mail that contains information on activating your user account, check your junk mail folder!
The recommended deadline for the nominations for the autumn semester and for the full academic year is 15 April and for the spring semester 15 September.
How to nominate your students:
Coordinators at partner universities are asked to nominate their candidates for student exchange at UEF in SoleMOVE system. If you do not have a SoleMOVE account or have not received instructions on how to activate the account and nominate students, please contact international@uef.fi
When you have received the e-mail containing your SoleMOVE username, click the activation link. You can choose your own password. Enter it twice and activate the account. Then you can log in. Do not delete the activation e-mail – it contains your username and the link to the application system. You will need them later.
User instructions
You will have access to the complete user manual when you have logged in. You will find it in the upper left corner by clicking the question mark.
1) Application form – Compulsory
- Be sure to choose ‘P – Traineeship' as the type of exchange. Check the information that is already there, and be careful to spell your name as it appears in your passport. Capitalise the first letter, leave the rest lower case.
2) Official Transcript of Academic Records – Compulsory
- A Transcript of Academic Records is your complete academic record with the information on completed courses, grades and credits.
- An English translation of the Transcript of Academic Records is required.
- Application cannot be processed without the transcript because the academic departments of the University of Eastern Finland need to check the applicant's academic background and suitability for the intended training.
- Scan your transcript and upload it as an attachment to your application.
3) Placement agreement/Learning agreement for traineeships – Compulsory
- Use the form your university gives you. Complete the form clearly with BLOCK letters or type electronically.
- If you intend to work in a research project, please indicate the name of your supervisor and type of the project.
- The agreement must be signed by the applicant and by the sending institution. When the student is accepted, the agreement will be signed by UEF department.
- Scan the signed agreement (signatures from the applicant and from the sending institution) and upload it as an attachment to your application.
4) Curriculum Vitae (CV) – Compulsory
- Upload your CV as an attachment to your application.
5) Copy of an ID - Compulsory
- Scan a copy of your ID (for example a passport or another ID with a photo).
6) Other
- Letters of reference are optional.
- In order to avoid any delays in the application process, please make sure that you have carefully filled in all sections of the application form, enclosed required documents and collected all necessary signatures.
- Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.
You do not have to complete the whole application at once – if you do not have all the information ready, you can save your progress and continue later. Be sure that you have filled in all the necessary information and attached all enclosures before you send your application. It is not possible for you to change anything in your application after you have submitted it.
Submitting the application in SoleMOVE is enough. You do not need to send us a printed copy.
The faculties of the University of Eastern Finland admit the students. After receiving your application, the International Mobility Services will forward it to appropriate academic department. The department then processes the application. Once the International Mobility Services receive an official confirmation of acceptance from the faculty/department, an official admission document is issued and sent to you by e-mail 1-2 months after the application period has ended. Please do not make any definite travel plans or reserve accommodation before you have received the official acceptance.
If you have technical problems with the application tool, send an e-mail to: international@uef.fi.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the International Mobility Services: international@uef.fi.
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