Nursing in Finland for International Students: 16 English-Taught Degrees

  • Last Updated on: September 17, 2026 by
  • Ananya Nallagalla
Nursing in Finland for International Students
Nursing in Finland for International Students

Sixteen Finnish universities of applied sciences teach a nursing bachelor’s in English, including Metropolia in Helsinki, TAMK in Tampere, Xamk in Savonlinna, JAMK in Jyväskylä and SeAMK in Seinäjoki. Non-EU students pay EUR 9,500 a year at Laurea up to EUR 12,000 at TAMK. Tuition is one line of the budget, and our guide to studying in Finland covers the permit steps. The catch with nursing in Finland for international students is language: most of the degree is taught in English, but you can’t register as a nurse without Finnish. Below are each programme’s fee and 2027 window, the Finnish you’ll need at each stage, and the shorter top-ups for Indian GNM and BSc nurses.

Written by
Ananya Nallagalla
Senior Counsellor
Ananya Nallagalla, Senior Counsellor for Nordic Countries at AOEC India (Hyderabad), has 7 years of experience in Nordic admissions and has counselled 113 students at AOEC India, specialising in Sweden and Finland.
95% visa success rate
Reviewed by
Sridhar Kongara
Managing Director
Mr. Kongara Sridhar, Director of AOEC India, has over 12 years of experience in overseas education consulting, admissions, and student visa guidance.
Over 12 years Experience

Key Takeaways

  • Non-EU tuition runs EUR 9,500 to 12,000 a year (approx. INR 10.5 to 13.2 lakh); Novia’s degree takes 3.5 years.
  • GNM or BSc nurse: apply to Metropolia’s top-up by 30 Sep 2026 (spring 2027) or 1 Dec 2026-31 Mar 2027 (autumn 2027); SeAMK by 23 Apr 2027.
  • After Class 12: the joint application needs IELTS 6.0 or PTE 55; rolling rounds differ (VAMK IELTS 5.5, KAMK interview).
  • Graduates: apply to the same bachelor’s; an English-taught Indian degree is English proof in the January 2027 joint application.
  • 3.5 years of tuition plus the EUR 800-a-month permit minimum: EUR 66,850 to 75,600 (approx. INR 73.6 to 83.3 lakh), before fee rises.
  • Placements and the licence need Finnish; start before you fly.
Table of Contents
English-taught nursing degrees in Finland for 2027 entry Scroll here ↓ Nursing in Finland fees and living costs for international students Scroll here ↓ Can you work as a nurse in Finland with only English? Scroll here ↓ Top-up nursing degrees in Finland for Indian GNM and BSc nurses Scroll here ↓ Frequently Asked Questions Scroll here ↓

English-taught nursing degrees in Finland for 2027 entry

Read the 2027 window column first: seven of the 16 programmes open before the January joint application, and four have no 2027 round yet.

What you can apply for depends on what you hold now:

  • Class 12 finishers: your Class 12 marks decide whether you’re eligible. SeAMK wants 60% overall and 60% in Mathematics and English; KAMK wants a 54% average.
  • English after Class 12: your certificate isn’t English proof, so a test or interview checks it. The International UAS Exam is the shared entrance exam for English-taught UAS bachelor’s degrees. It needs IELTS Academic 6.0, PTE Academic 55 or TOEFL iBT 3.5 (new TOEFL scale, tests from 21 January 2026; 60 before). VAMK accepts IELTS 5.5; KAMK interviews applicants without an English certificate.
  • Graduates: an English-taught Indian degree counts as English proof in the January 2027 joint application.
  • GNM or BSc nurses: see the top-up section below.
  • Application fee: EUR 100 for non-EU applicants, not refunded (Metropolia).
University of applied sciencesCityNon-EU fee a year2027 route and window
LaureaVantaa (Tikkurila)EUR 9,500 (approx. INR 10.5 lakh)Joint application 7-21 Jan 2027
SAMKPoriEUR 9,500 (approx. INR 10.5 lakh)Spring 2027 round closed 10 Sep 2026; autumn 2027 not yet published
SeAMKSeinäjokiEUR 9,500 (approx. INR 10.5 lakh)Direct: 23 Sep 2026 to 22 Apr 2027, group interview
CentriaKokkolaEUR 9,500 (approx. INR 10.5 lakh)Joint application 7-21 Jan 2027
Lapland UASKemiEUR 9,500 (approx. INR 10.5 lakh)2027 round not yet published
SavoniaKuopioEUR 9,700 (approx. INR 10.7 lakh)Direct: 1 Oct 2026 to 31 Jul 2027; or joint application 7-21 Jan 2027
HAMKHämeenlinnaEUR 9,700 (approx. INR 10.7 lakh)2027 round not yet published
NoviaVaasaEUR 10,000 (approx. INR 11.0 lakh)Joint application 7-21 Jan 2027
JAMKJyväskyläEUR 10,000 (approx. INR 11.0 lakh)Rolling: 14 Sep to 19 Nov 2026; or joint application 7-21 Jan 2027
OamkOuluEUR 10,000 (approx. INR 11.0 lakh)Joint application 7-21 Jan 2027; UAS Exam route only
KAMKKajaaniEUR 10,000 (approx. INR 11.0 lakh)Rolling: 27 Aug to 10 Dec 2026
VAMKVaasaEUR 10,500 (approx. INR 11.6 lakh)Rolling: 1 Oct 2026 to 30 Apr 2027, interview
DiakHelsinkiEUR 10,500 (approx. INR 11.6 lakh)2027 round not yet published
XamkSavonlinnaEUR 10,700 (approx. INR 11.8 lakh)Rolling: 15 Nov 2026 to 15 Feb 2027; or joint application 7-21 Jan 2027
MetropoliaHelsinkiEUR 11,500 (approx. INR 12.7 lakh)Separate application: 1 Dec 2026 to 31 Mar 2027
TAMKTampereEUR 12,000 (approx. INR 13.2 lakh)Joint application 7-21 Jan 2027; UAS Exam route only

All INR conversions use the live Google-published rate captured on 2026-09-17: EUR 1 = INR 110.124. SAMK, HAMK and Diak fees are 2026-27 figures.

All three routes run through Studyinfo (Opintopolku, Finland’s national application portal), listing most degrees as a Bachelor of Health Care, Nursing:

  • Joint application, 7-21 January 2027: TAMK, Oamk and others select through the International UAS Exam on 23 March 2027.
  • Rolling or direct admission: your school certificate plus an interview, as at JAMK, KAMK, SeAMK and VAMK.
  • Metropolia’s separate application, 1 Dec 2026 to 31 Mar 2027: you need SAT or ACT scores, a pathway diploma it accepts, or transferred credits. Its May to October 2026 rounds are only for students with Finnish study credits.

Every accepted English proof is listed under the requirements to study in Finland.

Laurea wants B1 Finnish from every nursing applicant (B1 is the step above A2, which the CEFR language scale calls basic user). Karelia and Turku UAS teach nursing in Finnish only. LAB in Lappeenranta runs a 240-credit Public Health Nurse degree in English, outside the 16, at EUR 11,000 a year; its round for a January 2027 start closes on 30 September 2026.

If you have no Finnish yet, rule out Laurea and start with the rolling rounds that close first, JAMK and KAMK. The rest of that route is in studying in Finland after 12th.

Nursing in Finland fees and living costs for international students

For 2027 entry, non-EU tuition for an English-taught nursing bachelor’s in Finland is EUR 9,500 to 12,000 a year (approx. INR 10.5 to 13.2 lakh), from Laurea’s nursing programme to TAMK’s Bilingual Degree Programme in Nursing. Over a 3.5-year degree, tuition alone comes to EUR 33,250 to 42,000 (approx. INR 36.6 to 46.3 lakh).

Parents: check the start year on any fee you’re quoted. At Metropolia, students whose study right begins after 31 July 2027 pay EUR 11,500 a year, while those who started after July 2024 pay EUR 11,000.

The residence permit for studies needs EUR 800 a month, or EUR 9,600 a year, in living funds, though a realistic month runs EUR 900 to 1,200 (Study in Finland). The student residence permit itself costs EUR 600 online, paid through VFS Global in India. Rent by city is in our cost of studying in Finland breakdown.

Several nursing scholarships reward Finnish test results, and you need Finnish for the licence anyway:

  • JAMK: EUR 4,000 for A2 Finnish after year one, then EUR 6,000 for B1 after year two, proven only by a YKI Finnish test.
  • Centria: EUR 2,000 for B1.1 Finnish, on top of a 10% early-bird discount.
  • TAMK: a 50% Early Bird scholarship, then 25-50% off the next year based on credits and a YKI test.
  • Laurea: grants capped at 15% of the yearly fee.

For every other waiver, see scholarships in Finland.

Can you work as a nurse in Finland with only English?

No. An English-taught nursing degree in Finland does not by itself allow work as a registered nurse. In 2026, graduates apply to the Finnish Supervisory Agency (formerly Valvira) for the right to practise under the Act on Health Care Professionals (559/1994), which requires oral and written Finnish or Swedish (Metropolia). Finnish study has to start in year one.

Finnish for clinical placements and the nurse licence

That language rule is the real limit on nursing in Finland for international students, and it bites well before graduation:

  • On clinical placements: supervision in Novia’s hospital placements runs in Finnish or Swedish, and SeAMK’s practical training is in Finnish.
  • In the final year: at Savonia, weak Finnish can narrow your fourth-year study choices, and Lapland UAS teaches the last semester in Finnish.
  • For the licence: at least B1 Finnish, and Novia requires B1 Finnish or Swedish before you graduate.

Nurse pay and staying on after graduation

From 1 August 2026, base pay for the nurse pay group in the SOTE agreement (the public health and social care pay deal) is EUR 2,894.57 a month (KT Local Government Employers). That is base pay, before any extra pay for shifts or experience. A 2-year permit to look for work gives you time after graduation to get licensed and hired, and you can see how to apply in our post-study work visa guide.

From our counselling desk: Plan your Finnish classes before you look at rent. Start in semester one, aim for B1 before your final placements, and favour JAMK or Centria, which pay you for reaching it.

Top-up nursing degrees in Finland for Indian GNM and BSc nurses

Say you hold a GNM diploma. You needn’t restart a full bachelor’s: Finland has six nursing top-ups, four with a 2027 window, and Metropolia’s takes about 1.5 to 2 years.

Top-up routeFee2027 windowCondition
Metropolia, Helsinki (spring 2027 start)EUR 11,500 a year (approx. INR 12.7 lakh)Until 30 Sep 2026, 15:00 Finnish time; all eligible applicants acceptedGNM, Diploma or BSc of 3+ years
Metropolia, Helsinki (autumn 2027 start)EUR 11,500 a year (approx. INR 12.7 lakh)1 Dec 2026 to 31 Mar 2027GNM, Diploma or BSc of 3+ years
SeAMK, SeinäjokiEUR 12,500 for the whole 1.5 years, about EUR 8,300 a year (approx. INR 13.8 lakh in total)Rolling: 5 Nov 2026 to 23 Apr 2027; starts 11 Jan 2028GNM, 3-year Diploma or Bachelor of Nursing
Arcada, HelsinkiEUR 13,000 a year (approx. INR 14.3 lakh)Joint application 7-21 Jan 2027; exam 18-19 MarB1 Finnish or Swedish plus work experience
Oamk, OuluNot publishedRolling: 30 Oct 2026 to 16 Apr 2027, 5 placesB1.1 Finnish and B1.1 English, tested at interview
TAMK, TampereEUR 12,000 a year (approx. INR 13.2 lakh)2027 round not yet publishedNursing bachelor’s completed within 5 years of the start
Xamk, MikkeliEUR 10,700 a year (approx. INR 11.8 lakh)2027 round not yet publishedNot published

Only Metropolia and SeAMK name the GNM diploma, so ask Oamk, Arcada and Xamk whether it counts before you apply.

A top-up makes you eligible to apply for the licence; it isn’t a licence.

For most GNM nurses, apply to Metropolia first: it names the Indian GNM diploma and takes every applicant who meets its criteria. A spring 2027 start may be billed EUR 11,000 a year under Metropolia’s fee rule, so confirm the fee before you pay. Keep SeAMK as the backup, since it closes last and charges EUR 12,500 for the whole course. Campus detail is in our Metropolia University of Applied Sciences profile.

You can also apply for a Finnish licence directly with your Indian diploma. You then pay for the authority’s decision and any extra training it orders (HUS). The process is costly and time consuming (Finnish Nurses Association), so ask the fee before choosing it over a top-up.

Get in Touch

Frequently Asked Questions

No, not for Indian students. Tuition is free only for EU and EEA students, so you pay the full non-EU fee. Discounts vary: at Xamk, the Early Bird scholarship takes 10% off the first year, and good study progress earns 20% off the next year’s fee.

Not always. KAMK’s rolling round checks your English at interview if you have no English certificate. If you sit a test for the January joint application, attach the result by 28 January 2027 at 15:00 Finnish time (UASinfo). TAMK and Metropolia both expect at least B2 English.

Novia’s nursing degree is 210 ECTS credits over 3.5 years, and SAMK lists 3 years 6 months. LAB’s Public Health Nurse degree is longer at 240 ECTS credits and 4 years, and it qualifies you as both a registered nurse and a public health nurse.

Yes. International students can work up to 30 hours a week on average during term and full-time in holidays (Study in Finland). Later in the degree you can work in your own field: at Laurea, once you’ve earned 140 credits, you can work as a substitute registered nurse.

Yes, but the fee is small. The FSHS student healthcare fee is currently around EUR 35 a term (approx. INR 3,900), according to Study in Finland. Budget it separately from the student residence permit, which costs EUR 600 online and which VFS Global charges in India as INR 66,500.

Sources

Official sources first, then reputable third-party.

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