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Registration instructions for new bachelor's and master's degree students

Last modified: 27.02.2026

These registration instructions are for you if you are a new bachelor’s and master’s degree student starting your studies at UEF. If you are an exchange student, please see registration instructions for exchange students.

The academic year runs from 1 August to 31 July. The autumn semester courses begin on 1 September 2026 and the spring semester courses on 7 January 2027. More about the academic calendar of the University of Eastern Finland.

Read all of the instructions on this page carefully. On this page you can find information on the following subjects:

Registration period for new bachelor’s and master’s degree students

As a first-year bachelor’s or master’s degree student, you must register as being for the whole academic year, unless you havea statutory reason for registering as absent (see chapter below: How to register as absent as a new degree student).

If your acceptance at the University of Eastern Finland was conditional (e.g., tuition fee or degree certificate), you must meet the condition before your registration can be completed. If you have questions, contact your programme coordinator.

Registration deadlines

If your study right starts in the autumn semester, the registration period is 1 June – 15 September. If you register late i.e. after 15 September, you must apply for reinstating your study right.

If your study right starts in the spring semester, the registration period is 1 November – 15 January. If you register late i.e. after 15 January, you must apply for reinstating your study right.

How to register as present as a new degree student

If you are required to pay the tuition fee (citizens outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland studying in an international degree programme), you must pay the tuition fee before registering as being present (see further information on tuition fees.

Registration

You must register as present even if you cannot travel to Finland and start your studies on campus.

To register as present, you must:

pay the Student Union membership fee, and
fill out the registration form.

Both actions are mandatory for all bachelor’s and master’s degree students. You must register as present for the whole academic year unless you have a statutory reason for registering as absent.

You can register as present (option A, recommended) online in OILI registration service, or (option B) using the Webropol registration form or on person on campus.

Option A: Register online in OILI registration service (recommended):

Open 1 June – 21 August 2026 for students starting their studies in the autumn semester and 1 November – 15 January for students starting their studies in the spring semester.
Log in to My Studyinfo with the same confirmation link you used to confirm your study place, and proceed to the Oili registration service.
Register as present (i.e. attending).
Pay the Student Union membership fee online with a credit card through the Oili registration service.
Fill out the Webropol registration form (opens in a new tab). The form opens on 1 June 2026 and closes after 15 September.
- If you are unable to fill out the form, contact the Student and Learning Services’ customer service (see contact information below).

Option B: Register using the Webropol registration form or in person on campus

If, for a reason or another, you are unable to use the OILI registration service:

Fill out the Webropol registration form (the form opens on 1 June 2026 and closes after 15 September) or visit the Student and Learning Services’ customer service in person. Students starting their studies in the autumn semester must register by 15 September and students starting their studies in the spring semester must register by 15 January.
Pay the Student Union membership fee. You can find the payment instructions in the Webropol registration form or in the chapter ‘Student Union membership is mandatory for new bachelor’s and master’s degree students’ below. Attach the payment receipt to the Webropol registration form, or bring the receipt with you to the Student and Learning Services’ customer service (contact information below).
If you register in person, bring a valid ID to the Student and Learning Services’ customer service (contact information below).

With option A and B: After you have submitted your registration form, the Student and Learning Servives’ Customer Service will process it and you will receive an invitation from UEF Digital Services for strong identification. Follow the instructions to activate your UEF user account.

Please note! It may take several days or a even a few weeks before your registration is processed and the invitation is sent. There is no need to worry if you do not receive it immediately.

How to register as absent as a new degree student

As a first-year student you may only register as absent if you have a statutory reason for registering as absent and you must register as present and pay the student union membership fee for the whole academic year.

If you have a statutory reason for absence, you may register as absent for the semester or academic year.

When you register as absent:

You cannot take courses or sit exams during the period of absence.
You do not pay the Student Union membership fee and are not entitled to student benefits.
You must register within the registration period.

Steps to register as absent

Log in to My Studyinfo using the same confirmation link you used to confirm your study place.
Proceed to the OILI registration service and register as absent.
If you are unable to use OILI, contact Student and Learning Services by email (see contact information below).
Send your supporting documents to Student and Learning Services’ Customer Service (see contact information below) by email or post: registration concerning autumn semester or the whole academic year by 30 September and registration concerning spring semester: by 31 January.

Statutory reasons for registering as absent

According to the Universities Act, as a first-year degree student you may register as absent only if one of the following statutory reasons applies:

You are completing military or non-military service under the Conscription Act (1438/2007), Non-Military Service Act (1446/2007), or Act on Women’s Voluntary Military Service (194/1995);
You need parental leave to take care of your child following birth or adoption;
You are unable to begin your studies due to personal illness or injury (your supporting documents must clearly state this).

NOTE! If none of these reasons apply to you, you must register as present for your first year.

What happens if you do not register within the registration period or you register as absent without a statutory reason

Your study right will expire if:

you do not register as present or absent within the registration period,
you register as absent but do not submit documentation proving a statutory reason by the deadline, or
you register as absent but do not have a statutory reason.

How to reinstate your study right

If your study right expires and you wish to start your studies later, you can apply to have it reinstated. You will need to:

Pay a handling fee of 50€.
Fill out the reinstatement form.

See instructions for reinstating your study right.

Student Union membership is mandatory for bachelor’s and master’s degree students

Student Union (ISYY) membership is mandatory for all bachelor’s and master’s degree students who register as present. See information on ISYY membership benefits (opens in a new tab). You must register as present for the whole academic year unless you have a statutory reason to registering as absent.

The Student Union membership fee is:

73 € for the whole academic year
36 € for the autumn semester only
37 € for the spring semester only

How to pay

If you register online through the Oili registration service, you pay the Student Union membership fee with a credit card upon registration.
If you register in person or via Webropol, you can pay in advance by bank transfer using the details below, or pay with a credit card or cash at the Student Union offices (opens in a new tab). The largest banknote accepted is €50. You must pay the fee before your registration can be accepted.

NOTE! You are responsible for any possible transfer fees or service fees your bank may charge!

Bank transfer details:

Recipient: Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland
Recipient’s address: Yliopistonranta 15, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland
Bank name: Osuuspankki/OP Bank/Pohjola Bank Pl
Bank address: Koskikatu 9, FI-80100 Joensuu, Finland
IBAN: FI37 5770 0520 2461 63
BIC/SWIFT: OKOYFIHH
Message: Your name and date of birth (dd/mm/yyyy)
Fee: 73 € (whole academic year) / 36 € (autumn semester only) / 37 € (spring semester only)

Activating your UEF user account

You need a UEF user account to log in to the university’s electronic information systems, to use your UEF email account and to sign up for courses and exams.

See how to get a UEF user account and further information on activating your UEF user account (opens in a new tab).

NOTE! Your UEF user account will only start working once all of the following are complete:

you have registered as present
your study right has started
you have activated your account
you have been strongly identified
you have registered as an MFA user.

If you have any questions regarding activating your UEF user account, please contact the Digital Services (opens in a new tab).

Healthcare fee for higher education students

If you are registered as present at a Finnish higher education institurion, you are entitled to use the services of the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) (opens in a new tab) and must pay the healthcare fee for students in higher education (opens in a new tab) to Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland) by the due date.

You must pay the fee even if you:

are studying remotely or abroad
do not use FSHS services
do not receive Finnish student financial aid

Who does not have to pay the fee

You do not have to pay the healthcare fee if you have social security coverage from another EU/EEA country, Switzerland, or Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In this case, you must still contact Kela, and you can still use the FSHS services.

How to pay

Kela will not send you a bill. You must pay the fee on your own initiative though the Kela e-service for each academic term. The due date for is determined by the date you register as present.

See information on the healthcare fee and the due dates as well as the payment instructions (opens in a new tab).

Apply for a Finnish personal identity code

If you are an international student staying in Finland for longer than three months, you should obtain a Finnish personal identity code (henkilötunnus). The code is essential for transferring data between the university and various services. You will need it to:

interact with Finnish authorities
use the online services of FSHS, HSL and Studyinfo.fi
open a bank account

Get your identity code as early as possible.

Students from non-EU/ETA countries

When you receive your residence permit or residence card, or your right of residence is registered by the Finnish Immigration Service, your information is usually registered automatically in the Finnish Population Information System and you will be issued a personal identity code. See more on Finnish personal identity code (opens in a new tab).

If you did not receive a personal identity code with your residence permit, visit the local Digital and Population Data Services Agency offices DVV (opens in a new tab) within the first three months of your stay. Ask to be registered in the Finnish Population Information System – you are issued a personal identity code and your postal address in Joensuu/Kuopio is will be saved in the system.

Inform your Finnish personal identity code to the Student and Learning Services’ Customer Service

Once you receive your identity code, inform Student and Learning Services as soon as possible so that it can be added to the student register Peppi. After the code is added, it takes several days before the online services of for example the Finnish Student Health Service, HSL and Studyinfo.fi start working. Do not wait until you need to book an appointment or access a service – let us know right away.

How to inform the the Student and Learning Services’ Customer Service about your code:

In person: Visit the Student and Learning Services customer service desk and present an identity card or official document displaying your identity code.

By email: Contact Student and Learning Services and request instructions for sending a picture of your identity card via encrypted email. Never send your identity code in an unencrypted email. Wait for instructions before sending any documents.

How to get a student card

Once you have registered as present and paid the Student Union (ISYY) membership fee, you can order a student card. You can choose between:

a plastic student card
a digital student card on your phone (most common)

Order your student card from Tuudo, Frank or Slice (opens in a new tab)

Before you receive your student card, you can get a meal discount at the campus restaurants with the study certificate you receive in the confirmation email following your registration.

Student and Learning Services’ customer service contact information

If you have any questions aboutregistration, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Student and Learning Services’ Customer Service

The Student and Learning Services’ customer service desk offers general study counselling, information on term registration and study rights and maintains the student register. Changes to personal information are done at the Student and Learning Services’ customer service. The customer services desk also provides study certificates and transcripts of records.

Phone number: +358 29 445 8900

phone service: Mon–Thu from 12 to 2 pm (12–14)

Opening/office hours:

on Wednesdays the customer service desk is open from 10 am to 2 pm (10–14).
At other times the customer service desk is open by appointment only. You can book an appointment in an hour, at the earliest, and a week in advance, at most. You can book a Teams meeting or an in-person appointment at the Joensuu or Kuopio customer service point through our booking site (opens in a new tab). The available times are shown in the booking calendar.

Up-coming exceptions to opening hours of Student and Learning Services’ customer service are:

Service point at Kuopio campus is closed week 10 (2 to 6 March)

Before contacting us, please check if you can find the answer to your question in Kamu or in KamuBot!

Email address: [email protected]

If your message contains confidential attachments, for example a document providing grounds for statutory absence, send it from your UEF email. All email exchange between UEF email addresses are encrypted. If your UEF account does not work and you want to send us encrypted email, please contact us and we will give you instructions on how to send your message encrypted.

Visiting address:

Joensuu Campus, Aurora building, entrance A, ground floor (Yliopistokatu 2)
Kuopio Campus, Canthia building, 2. floor, Oppari (Yliopistonrinne 3)

Postal address:

Joensuu: University of Eastern Finland, Student and Learning Services, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu
Kuopio: University of Eastern Finland, Student and Learning Services, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio

Registration at the university comes under the provisions of the Universities Act (558/2009).