Arrival and Departure
We want to welcome all the students to study in Oamk. To make it really easy, we organise arrival and departure services and have meetings with the exchange students regularly.
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Arrival Services
Last updated: 24 April 2023. Further updates are possible.
Arrival Days 2023-2024:
- Autumn 2023: 22-23 August between 10 am and 8 pm
- Spring 2024: 3 January (full term) between 10 am and 8 pm or 22 February (short term) between 10 am and 8 pm.
Please note that you have to cover your own travelling expenses in all cases.
If you are arriving for the regular autumn/spring term or mobility periods in spring, our peer tutors and staff members are welcoming you to Oamk during the arrival day hours at PSOAS’ Routa dormitory.
If you are coming at other times, e.g. for a Blended Intensive Programme or traineeship, or are staying at another place than the PSOAS’ Routa dormitory, please follow steps 1) – 3), and consult the section "Arriving at other times and/or places".
1) Plan your trip and check the websites below
As of 1 July 2022, Finland does not impose any restrictions on entry to the country due to Covid-19. All previous restrictions on entry have been lifted. Henceforth, travellers arriving in Finland are no longer required to present any Covid-19 certificates or to be tested for Covid-19. Travellers arriving from non-EU and non-Schengen countries must still have normal travel documents, i.e. a passport and a residence permit for studies. Travellers from mainland China should also consider the guidelines from 18 January 2023.
Kindly note that other countries than Finland may still restrict travel and entry due to Covid-19. Also, rapid changes in the pandemic situation are still possible. Thus, we recommend all exchange students to obtain full vaccination coverage against Covid-19 before your trip to Finland. For students pursuing practical training or a traineeship in health and social care, full vaccination coverage against Covid-19 is required.
The EU Digital Covid-19 Certificate is no longer used in Finland, it may still be needed for travel in some other countries. Health and social care students pursuing a practical training or traineeship can nevertheless use the EU or equivalent Covid-19 certificate to give proof of their Covid-19 vaccination coverage - the certificate must be in written from and signed by a health official, see our "Vaccination" website .
You can obtain further information and possible updates from official authorities:
- Finnish Government
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)
- Finnish Boarder Guard (+358 295 420 100, Mon-Fri 8-16)
- FINENTRY - discontinued as of 1 July 2022 -registration not anymore required!
- Re-open EU travel and health measures
- Oamk’s Covid-19 website and Covid-19 guidelines and information
2) Book your trip- Consult our website on travel connections to Oulu.
- Purchase only flexible and refundable tickets, if possible.
- Use the most suitable and environmentally-friendly means of transportation, if possible.
- Check your airline or transportation company’s guidelines for safe travel.
- Make sure that your health and travel insurance is adequate and also check its conditions and coverage amidst Covid-19.
3) Have a safe trip- Check and follow relevant official authorities' and your airline or transportation company’s guidelines for safe travel.
- Take along all required documents such as ID card/passport etc. and whatever personal belongings you see fit and fit in your suitcase
- Bring a few Covid-19 home tests (antigen rapid tests) to test yourself after arrival in Oulu, if wished so.
- Enjoy your trip and feel free to document it at #myoamk.
- If you are coming for a regular term in autumn/spring or mobility periods in spring, you have been assigned a peer tutor, for autumn in August, and for spring in December. Kindly inform your peer tutor about your trip – join whatsapp groups now at the very latest!
4) Arriving in Oulu and at the Routa dormitory
- Consult our website on travel connections within Oulu, "Public transportation in Oulu", including also bus connections, e.g. Oulu Airport > Linnanmaa campus > Routa dormitory (via Oulu city centre).
- Come to the Routa dormitory (Tutkijantie 2, 90570 Oulu) on the arrival days and enter it via the inner yard between 10 am and 8 pm, if you arrive for a full-term exchange and stay at the student hall of residence. If you are arriving at other times, exceptionally, see our information below.
- Meet our welcome committee at the E-building entrance and reception area. Our welcome committee consists of peer tutors and staff members on duty during certain time slots.
- Pick up your key for your room and get your info folder with important documents from Oamk (enrolment certificate, meal subsidy card and IT credentials)
- Our peer tutors will help you to find your room etc. The kitchen is also located in the entrance area of the E-building, and a stage in the yard to gather safely, if you have to wait for your turn to pick up the key and info folder.
- Access PSOAS' info sheet for all kinds of questions and solutions regarding the Routa dormitory.
- In case of further questions:
During work days: Contact PSOAS at their Lounge housing office
During other times: Call the janitors, see PSOAS' info sheet - Check and follow the latest Covid-19 guidelines and information at all times during your exchange. If wished so, test yourself with a self-acquired Covid-19 home test (antigen rapid test) after your arrival in Oulu.
- Make yourself comfortable and rest in your new home!
- Have a look at the orientation programme for the next day(s) :-)
Arriving at other times and/or places:
If you are coming for a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) at exceptional times during terms:- PSOAS’ Routa dormitory is not available for BIP students, unfortunately. Please make your own housing arrangements. There is furnished housing available in Oulu on the private market. Feel free to consult our accommodation website in the section “Other housing options”. Book your housing well in advance. Be prepared to obtain the keys etc. and proceed to the place of your accommodation on your own.
- If required by the BIP, you will receive Oamk’s IT credentials and other possible documents in an encrypted email shortly before your exchange. Meal subsidy cards will be distributed to you after your arrival by means of Oamk’s acadmic staff or our service staff.
If you are coming for a traineeship at exceptional times during terms:
- PSOAS’ Routa dormitory is normally not available for trainees, unfortunately. If wished so, you may nevertheless enquire about its availability with PSOAS and incoming.students#oamk.fi (korvaa # -> @). By default, however, please make your own housing arrangements. There is furnished housing available in Oulu on the private market. Feel free to consult our accommodation website in the section “Other housing options”. In any case, book your housing well in advance. Be prepared to obtain the keys etc. and proceed to the place of your accommodation on your own, also if you manage to obtain housing at PSOAS’ Routa dormitory. If you get housing at the dormitory, check also the section below for proceeding to the dormitory and getting the keys from PSOAS on your own.
- If required by the traineeship, you will receive Oamk’s IT credentials and other possible documents in an encrypted email shortly before your exchange. Meal subsidy cards will be distributed to you after your arrival by means of Oamk’s acadmic staff or our service staff.
If you are coming for a regular term or mobility period, you are staying at PSOAS’ Routa dormitory, but are exceptionally arriving at other times:
- Normally, you should plan your stay so that you can arrive during the arrival days and times, in autumn 22 - 23 August 2023 between 10 am and 8 pm, and in spring 3 January and 22 February 2024 between 10 am and 8 pm. It is possible to come at other times only for exceptional reasons. Tenancy periods are binding!
- You can move in to PSOAS’ Routa dormitory in autumn nevertheless already as of 1 August 2023, as the tenancy agreement starts then. In spring, you can move in at the earliest as of 3 January or 22 February 2024 depending on your stay. Please note that PSOAS cannot guarantee that your apartment is empty, cleaned and keys are available before the aforementioned dates.
- If you come at a time other than our arrival days and/or times for an exceptional reason, you must transfer and check in to the Routa dormitory on your own. Get your key from PSOAS' Lounge at the Linnanmaa campus during PSOAS' opening hours, Mon-Fri, 9 am - 4 pm. N.B.! There may be different opening hours during summer and by the turn of the year! If you are arriving in the night, you may need to stay at a hotel or hostel – the Oulu Airport is closed between 2 and 4 am so you cannot stay overnight at the airport.
- Your peer tutor or any other person (e.g. a fellow exchange student) you trust may help you in case of an early or late arrival, if possible and mutually agreed. If a peer tutor or someone else wishes to obtain your key to your apartment at PSOAS' Routa dormitory, you must email PSOAS' Housing Office and authorise the trusted person in charge beforehand! In addition, please inform incoming.students#oamk.fi (korvaa # -> @), as we have your apartment key and other relevant information at our disposal during our arrival days and times, in autumn 22 - 23 August 2023 between 10 am and 8 pm, and in spring on 3 January and 22 February 2024 between 10 am and 8 pm at the Routa dormitory.
- Remember to also obtain your info folder from Oamk. It includes important documents such as your enrolment certificate, meal subsidy card and IT credentials. The info folder is available during our arrival days and times, in autumn 22 - 23 August 2023 between 10 am and 8 pm, and in spring on 3 January and 22 February 2024 between 10 am and 8 pm at the Routa dormitory. If you wish that your peer tutor or any other trusted person (e.g. a fellow exchange student) gets your info folder from Oamk on your behalf, authorise the person to incoming.students#oamk.fi (korvaa # -> @).
If you are coming for a regular terms or mobility period but are exceptionally staying at another place than at PSOAS’ Routa dormitory:
- Normally, we recommend to obtain housing from PSOAS’ Routa dormitory based on Oamk’s apartment quota for exchange students. See our accommodation website in the section “Housing with PSOAS”
- If you want or have to stay elsewhere for some reason, please make your own accommodation arrangements. There is furnished housing available in Oulu on the private market. Feel free to consult our accommodation website in the section “Other housing options”. Be prepared to obtain the keys etc. and proceed to the place of your accommodation on your own.
- Remember to nevertheless obtain your info folder from Oamk. It includes important documents such as your enrolment certificate, meal subsidy card and IT credentials. The info folder is available during our arrival days and times, in autumn 22 - 23 August 2023 between 10 am and 8 pm, and in spring on 3 January and 22 February 2024 between 10 am and 8 pm at the Routa dormitory. Please pick it up by yourself then. If need be and possible, you can also ask a trusted person to pick it up on your behalf, preferably during the official arrival days and times – please notify incoming.students#oamk.fi (korvaa # -> @) well in advance.
Archive
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Orientation Days & Study Info Sessions
Last updated: 24 April 2023. Further updates are possible. Information will be updated also later.
Welcome Webinars
2023-24:
- Autumn 2023:
Monday, 22 May 2023 at 15.00 local Finnish time via Zoom. Link will be shared in the admission message in mid-May. See the slides for your information. - Spring 2024:
Thursday, 16 November 2023 at 15.00 local Finnish time via Zoom. Link will be shared in the admission message in early November.
Orientation Days
Participation in orientation days is mandatory, and you have to be physically present in Oulu. Orientation days are an excellent way to start your exchange and get to know each other. You will take part both in a joint orientation day of Oamk, and in a field-specific orientation day.
Autumn 2023:
To be updated later in more detail:
- 24 & 25 August 2023 (on-site only!)
Spring 2024:
- 4 & 5 January 2024 (on-site only!)
- Programme
- Material (to be shared after the orientation):
- 23 February 2024 (on-site only!)
- Programme
- Material (to be shared after the orientation)
Our joint orientation day offers you plenty of practical information on living in Oulu and making your way at Oamk. It consists of presentations in the morning, and our peer tutors will offer student-led activities in the afternoon.
Our field-specific orientation day provides you with detailed information on your studies. Our field-specific international academic coordinators will have a study information session in order to share information on studies, schedules and ethical guidelines. If possible, you may take part in campus tours led by peer tutors.
Archive
- Autumn 2023:
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Check In Meeting
The online check in meeting is mandatory for all exchange students starting the exchange at the beginning of the regular term. We will schedule the online meeting normally in the first week after the orientation days or your arrival. Please follow the steps below and attend the online meeting:
1) Attend the online check in meeting
You will have the opportunity to address questions at the beginning of your exchange, whatever may be circling in your mind. If you need to have any documents signed for your home university, please email these to us at incoming.students#oamk.fi (korvaa # -> @).
- Tuesday, 10 January at 16.00 Finnish local time, via Zoom. See the slides for a summary of the session.
If you have questions or ideas, feel free to contact your administrative and academic coordinators. The meeting is mandatory, but if you have timetable conflicts, prioritise your studies. Slides from the meeting will be shared afterwards.
2) Start filling in your arrival form (see below) and get your Finnish personal identity code (PIC) if you are staying at least or longer than 3 months, and take care of registration matters
For detailed instructions, please consult: "Registration and personal identity code".
3) Once you have obtained your PIC, submit your arrival form via MoveON. If you do stay less than 3 months and thus do not need a PIC, submit your arrival form right away:
Log in to the arrival form with your MoveON credentials (username = email and password) from your MoveON application. Do *not* use your Oamk email. Include your Finnish personal identity code (PIC) and update your emergency contact information and your insurance documentation. If it takes longer to obtain the PIC, please start filling in your arrival form and provide required information, but submit it only later with your PIC!
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Check Up Meeting
You are welcome to join our online check up meeting, if you have questions about your exchange at Oamk. We will normally invite you for an online meeting mid-term, usually in the week before the autumn/winter vacation. Feel free to meet us also in person during service hours during the term, of course.
- Spring 2023: Wednesday, 1 March at 16.00 Finnish local time, via Zoom. Feel free to check the slides afterwards. Participation in the check up meeting is mandatory. It should be able to make it according to the schedules but exceptions may apply.
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Check Out Meeting
The check out meeting is mandatory for all exchange students approximately two weeks before the end of the term or your stay. It may be arranged either online or on-site, see below. Please follow the steps hereafter and attend the meeting:
1) Check from your mobility documentation what kind of documents you need for your home university at the end or after your exchange
Email possibly required documents from your home university to incoming.students#oamk.fi (korvaa # -> @). before the meeting.
You will get the following digital documents from our university on Oamk's templates:
- Letter of confirmation (by email after your exchange)
- Transcript of records (you should obtain it by yourself after the assessment of all of your courses has been completed)
N.B.! See more in "Studying at Oamk" > "Transcripts and Certificates".
2) Attend the check out meeting