• The biggest costs during your stay will most likely be accommodation and food. 
• Flight or other travelling costs to Finland vary depending on the point of departure, so we recommend checking them on your own beforehand. 
• You can also reserve some money for shopping according to your preferences.
• Note that as of 1 January 2024, Finland increased the financial requirement for Schengen visas to 50€ per day of stay. 

Unfortunately, Aalto University does not have university-owned dorms that are available for short-term accommodation. The student housing providers focus on degree students and exchange students, and many Finnish students keep their apartments over the summer.

The campus can be easily reached by metro, bus, and tram number 15. Students participating in summer or winter schools usually stay near campus or in the centre of Helsinki.

Examples from walking distance from the university

Private room in apartment hostel 55-60 EUR / night 
Hotel room for one (incl. breakfast) 90-120 EUR / night

Examples from Helsinki centre

Hostel 40-70 EUR / night 
One-person Airbnb 40-90 EUR / night
Hotel room for one (incl. breakfast) 120-230 EUR / night

These costs have been updated in October 2024.

The cost of the food depends on whether you choose to cook at your accommodation or eat at restaurants and cafeterias your whole stay. Check beforehand if your accommodation has kitchen facilities. The example costs do not cover beverages.

• Breakfast at a café 10-15 EUR
• Lunch at a campus restaurant 11-13 EUR
• Takeaway salads or sandwiches from grocery stores 4-8 EUR
• Dinner 15-30 EUR

If you cook at your accommodation, you can save some money. Helsinki Area student housing recommends reserving 150-200 euros monthly for grocery shopping. For two weeks, the sum is smaller.

These costs have been updated in October 2024.

HSL is the public transportation provider in the Helsinki area. Using public transportation is the most convenient way to move around.

AB season ticket (14 days) 50 EUR

AB-day tickets (up to 13 days)

These costs have been updated in October 2024.

Good to know:

• Helsinki city centre is in zone A.
• The campus is in zone B. Multiple buses, metro and tram number 15 have stops on campus.
• Most of the sights are in A and B zones. 
• Helsinki Airport and Nuuksio National Park are in zone C. 
• If you buy the ticket on the HSL app, you can easily buy extra zones as single tickets for trips to and from zone C.
• Student discounts are only available for degree students in Helsinki area higher education institutions.

Popular areas among the students

Other areas easily reached from the campus

• Lauttasaari & Ruoholahti (metro, east of campus)
• Urheilupuisto, Niittykumpu & Matinkylä (metro, west of campus)
• Munkkiniemi, Meilahti & Pasila (bus 510)

How long does it take to get to the campus?

• The teaching can take place in various buildings on campus. Most of them are within a 5-10-minute walk from the transportation stops. 
• To get an idea of the trip to campus, you can use Otaniementie 14 (Väre building) as the address.

You can seek flatmates or roommates on the Summer School accommodation forum to share the costs with someone.

• After completing the course payment, you will receive an email containing a link and a forum password.
• The forum is available on the same platform as our courses, eliminating the need for multiple accounts.
• You can also find accommodation on your own. Joining the forum is optional.

Listed in no particular order

Lower price range

• Forenom Hostel Otaniemi
• Forenom Hostel Leppävaara

Middle price range

• Heymo 1 by Sokos Hotels (popular among summer school students in 2024)
  • Attention Winter School students: Heymo will reopen after the Christmas break on January 13, 2025. If you wish to stay at Heymo during the course, you may spend your first night(s) in Finland elsewhere.
• Radisson Blu Hotel Espoo
• Sokos Hotel Tapiola Garden

Listed in no particular order

Lower price range

• Unihome Töölö Towers (read more about the Aalto visitor discount below)
• Omena Hotel Yrjönkatu 
• Omena Hotel Lönnrotinkatu

Middle and high price range

• Hotel Helka
• GLO Hotel Art

Information about the accommodation 

Töölö Towers are two high-rise buildings in Helsinki's urban Töölö district. They offer rooms and apartments for short and long stays. Unihome is owned by the University of Helsinki and Aalto University.

• You can easily reach the campus with tram number 8 and the metro. The trip takes about 25-30 minutes. 
• The property has all the necessary services for a longer stay: breakfast, weekly cleaning, gym, laundry, sauna and social area. 
• There is a shared kitchen on each floor. Also, most of the room types (studio, flat, penthouse) have ensuite kitchenettes.   
• The cheapest option for one person is a single room and for two people a Queen studio.
• Töölö Towers is located in public transport zone A.

Unihome Discount

• Aalto University visitors can get a discount to Unihome. 
• To make the booking process as convenient as possible, winter school students have a separate discount code from the regular visitor code. This means Unihome won't need to check your participation status from us before confirming your eligibility for the discount.
• The discount code works for bookings with a minimum of 7 nights.

You will receive the discount code in the course fee payment confirmation email. Submit it in the promotion code field when searching for a room.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland issues the visas

• Always follow the Ministry's and local embassies' instructions in visa-related matters. 
• Each visa application is handled individually by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland. 
  • In some countries, another European Union member country represents Finland and processes the visas on Finland's behalf. If this applies to your country, it is mentioned in finlandabroad.fi.
• Be aware that in many countries, an external service provider (e.g., VFS Global) takes care of the in-person appointments and receives the documents. 
• Aalto University does not have an impact on the final visa decision.

Invitation letter

• On the tuition fee payment form, you have the option to request an invitation letter for your visa application.
• The summer school staff sends these to students once or twice a week, so it may take a few days after your payment before you receive yours.

• You are responsible for your own visa application and for following the guidelines.
• Apart from providing an invitation letter, Aalto University Summer School cannot assist students in the visa process or contact the embassies to speed up the process. 

This is a summary of the visa application process. Always check the country-specific guidelines for applying for a visa and follow them.

1. Check the required documents for your visa application.
2. Fill in the visa application form at finlandvisa.fi.
3. Book an appointment to submit your application. Note that usually, you need to book the appointment at the VFS Global service point instead of the local Finnish Embassy.
4. Submit the application in person and pay the application fee.

• Among the most popular participant nationalities, China and India require a visa, while students from Australia, Japan, South Korea, the USA, the UK, and EU countries do not.
• Upon payment of the course fees, you can request an invitation letter from Aalto University Summer School for your visa application.

Visa type

• A student residence permit is not available for short-term studies in Finland, so most students apply for a regular tourist visa.
• The Schengen category C visa allows its holder to travel in the Schengen Area (incl. Finland) on a short-term and temporary basis for no more than 90 days over a period of 180 days.
• Note that as of 1 January 2024, Finland increased the financial requirement for Schengen visas to 50€ per day of stay. 

Aalto University Summer School recommends that you apply for a visa as soon as you have confirmed your participation by paying the course fee and received your invitation letter.

• Generally, it is advised to submit your visa application well in advance of your intended visit.
  • Note that finding a suitable appointment may take some time.
  • After submitting the visa application, the standard processing time is approximately 15 days, but it can be longer, especially during summer. 
• Please note that failure to adhere to the guidelines may result in a delayed visa approval, which could potentially impact your travel plans.

• If you are not granted a visa, we recommend that you contact the summer school team ([email protected]) as soon as possible. 
• If you cannot travel to Finland, you can cancel your participation and may be eligible for a partial refund according to our cancellation terms.