After three consecutive years of double-digit growth, Finland’s universities recorded a 4 % slide in first-time study-permit applications in 2025, according to fresh Migri figures. International students filed 13,565 applications, down from 14,100 a year earlier. The decline is modest but symbolically important: it suggests that tuition-fee hikes, high living costs and more attractive scholarship offers elsewhere in Europe are starting to bite.
The biggest drops came from Bangladesh (-9 %), Nepal (-7 %) and Sri Lanka (-6 %), markets that had fuelled Finland’s post-COVID rebound. Applications from India—still the largest source country—were flat, while China inched up 2 % following the resumption of in-person visa services in Beijing. Admissions officers also report that visa-processing times lengthened to a median 60 days in late 2025 as Migri reallocated staff to implement new language-test and background-check procedures.
If navigating these shifting requirements feels daunting, services like VisaHQ can simplify the process. Via its Finland-specific page (https://www.visahq.com/finland/), the platform guides applicants through each document step, offers real-time status tracking and connects students with multilingual consultants who can help avoid common errors—saving both time and money.
![Student-visa growth stalls as Finnish universities face first post-pandemic dip]()
For higher-education institutions, the numbers have direct budget implications. Foreign students pay €6,000–18,000 a year in fees and generate an estimated €500 million in local spending. A 4 % drop could translate into €20 million in lost revenue, not counting the knock-on effect on regional economies in Jyväskylä, Tampere and Joensuu, where international enrollment underpins rental markets and service jobs.
Universities are lobbying the Ministry of Education for a multi-year ‘talent pathway’ that would guarantee graduates a one-year job-search visa—a right that currently exists but is seen as too bureaucratic. They also want clearer messaging about the new six-year route to permanent residence so that prospective students are not spooked by headline-grabbing policy changes.
Mobility managers at multinational R&D centres echo the call. Finnish firms in micro-electronics and bio-materials often hire master’s graduates directly, and a shrinking pipeline could force them to relocate research projects to Sweden or Estonia, where graduate inflows remain robust. In the meantime, employers are urged to offer conditional letters of employment early in a student’s programme; a firm job offer can cut Migri’s post-graduation ‘job-seeker to employee’ permit processing to 15 days under the fast-track scheme.
The biggest drops came from Bangladesh (-9 %), Nepal (-7 %) and Sri Lanka (-6 %), markets that had fuelled Finland’s post-COVID rebound. Applications from India—still the largest source country—were flat, while China inched up 2 % following the resumption of in-person visa services in Beijing. Admissions officers also report that visa-processing times lengthened to a median 60 days in late 2025 as Migri reallocated staff to implement new language-test and background-check procedures.
If navigating these shifting requirements feels daunting, services like VisaHQ can simplify the process. Via its Finland-specific page (https://www.visahq.com/finland/), the platform guides applicants through each document step, offers real-time status tracking and connects students with multilingual consultants who can help avoid common errors—saving both time and money.
For higher-education institutions, the numbers have direct budget implications. Foreign students pay €6,000–18,000 a year in fees and generate an estimated €500 million in local spending. A 4 % drop could translate into €20 million in lost revenue, not counting the knock-on effect on regional economies in Jyväskylä, Tampere and Joensuu, where international enrollment underpins rental markets and service jobs.
Universities are lobbying the Ministry of Education for a multi-year ‘talent pathway’ that would guarantee graduates a one-year job-search visa—a right that currently exists but is seen as too bureaucratic. They also want clearer messaging about the new six-year route to permanent residence so that prospective students are not spooked by headline-grabbing policy changes.
Mobility managers at multinational R&D centres echo the call. Finnish firms in micro-electronics and bio-materials often hire master’s graduates directly, and a shrinking pipeline could force them to relocate research projects to Sweden or Estonia, where graduate inflows remain robust. In the meantime, employers are urged to offer conditional letters of employment early in a student’s programme; a firm job offer can cut Migri’s post-graduation ‘job-seeker to employee’ permit processing to 15 days under the fast-track scheme.
