Healthcare and wellbeing services for foreign students
Read about the benefits and support available to foreign degree and exchange students including access to healthcare services.
Healthcare
Finnish Student Health Service
If you are a degree student at a university in Finland, you can access the services of The Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) that provides general, mental and oral health care services.
Degree students pay the FSHS healthcare fee according to instructions provided on the Kela website.
More information is available on the Finnish Student Health Service website.
Please note that FSHS does not have any emergency services, so please check the opening hours and turn to other healthcare services if needed. The general emergency number in Finland is 112.
Exchange or PhD students are not entitled to the FSHS services.
Insurances
All our degree and exchange students are covered by an accident insurance while they are taking part in teaching and studies.
If you have a European Health Insurance Card, you can get the same acute medical treatment in public healthcare services as local citizens. While living in Helsinki, you may seek urgent healthcare at one of the Helsinki Public Health Stations.
If you are not an EU/EEA citizen, you will need medical insurance to get a residence permit. However, we think it is a good idea for all students to have private medical insurance.
Read more about the insurances on the Finnish Immigration Service website.
See information about healthcare in Finland and in Helsinki on the following websites: Info Finland, EU-healthcare.fi and the City of Helsinki.
How we can support you throughout your studies
Find out who you can turn to in case you need help or support.
Study psychologist
You can contact our study psychologist if you have difficulties related to your studies or to your personal life. Big crises in life, problems related to substance abuse, relationships or sexuality, issues with fellow students or teachers, fatigue, depression, or distress can all hinder your studies. Together with the psychologist, you can discuss questions concerning motivation, creativity, coping, time management, ‘being stuck’, and much more.
You have the right to five appointments, depending on your needs. The service is free for all students. Contact information for study psychologists is available on Artsi.
You can also contact FSHS regarding all mental health issues, especially if you feel the need for longer-term support and treatment.
University chaplain
You can discuss a range of topics with the university chaplain in strict confidence: joy, longing, sadness, and regular everyday events. The university chaplain of Uniarts Helsinki is available to everyone in the university community, both students and staff. In the chaplain’s office, you can talk about anything happening in your personal life. If needed, the chaplain will also help you in theological and philosophical questions and themes as well as matters related to your livelihood, communality, and multiculturalism.
You can contact the chaplain even if you do not belong to a church; aside from questions of faith, the chaplain is also a professional in a multitude of other topics. More information and contacts for the university chaplain can be found on Artsi.
Student Union
The University of the Arts Helsinki’s Student Union, ArtSU, also arranges wellbeing activities.
Sports and wellbeing
UniSport
Both degree and exchange students who have registered as attending the academic term, will benefit from reduced fees to UniSport facilities.
UniSport provides sports and exercise services in six locations in Helsinki: Centre Campus, Kumpula, Meilahti, Otaniemi, Töölö and Viikki.
More details on the UniSport services and their prices on the UniSport website.
Study wellbeing
We organise courses on wellbeing that discuss things like mind, body, moving and performing.
The Sibelius Academy organises different wellbeing and exercise courses. Please ask for more information from your Personal Study Plan Advisor.
Theatre Academy’s gym is available for use for all our students and staff.