<p>Starting your journey as an exchange student is thrilling but can be a bit overwhelming. With newfound freedom comes responsibilities like studying, cooking, paying rent, managing time, and making friends. Don't worry! We've put together a list of essential tips to help you navigate and enjoy your student life to the fullest.</p>

<p>The weather in Tampere is generally quite mild with moderate temperatures both in winter and summer. The temperature is seldom lower than -20˚C in winter and seldom more than +25˚C in summer. For any outdoor activities or a trip to Lapland during winter, you should have at least: a fleece jacket, a wind and preferably waterproof trousers and jacket, woolen socks, preferably wind and waterproof gloves/mittens, woolen hat and scarf, waterproof hiking shoes/boots.</p><p>If you are not able, or you are not willing, to bring all warm clothes from your home country, it is important to have enough money to buy suitable clothing for different seasons. You can check the prices from the following stores in Tampere (use machine translation services to translate):</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.xxl.fi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">XXL Sports &amp; Outdoor</a></li><li><a href="https://www.intersport.fi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Intersport</a></li><li><a href="https://www.stadium.fi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stadium</a></li><li><a href="https://scandinavianoutdoor.fi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scandinavian Outdoor</a></li></ul><p>You can also buy clothes from different flea markets or even get some for free. Please see for more information: <a href="/en/node/31674?channel=study_guide&organisation=uni" target="_blank" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="ff919ad9-f121-4a58-abaf-67fcb2ea5a21" data-entity-substitution="canonical">Guide to a greener exchange at Tampere University</a>.</p>

Weather in Finland and clothing

<p>Finnish residents are using cash less than ever and at the <a href="https://www.ecb.europa.eu/stats/ecb_surveys/space/html/index.en.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leading pace in Europe</a>. According to the Bank of Finland only about 5 % of people in the country use cash when they shop and the use of cash continues to decline at an increasingly rapid pace. Contactless payments and mobile payments are becoming more and more popular. More and more public agencies no longer accept cash. For example recycling centres, TOAS and libraries only accept card or electronic payments. Additionally, there is no law which requires shops and services to accept cash payments, but credit institutions must ensure adequate cash services.</p><p>Most of Finnish invoices can be paid online only and banks in Finland do not accept cash payments or there are requirements for payments, which exchange students can hardly fulfill. It is highly recommended for European students to use their own banks for IBAN bank transfers within the SEPA area (<a href="https://www.ecb.europa.eu/paym/integration/retail/sepa/html/index.en.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Single Euro Payments Area</a>). For non-European exchange students it is recommended to use third-party services like <a href="https://www.transfermate.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TransferMate</a> or <a href="https://wise.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wise</a> or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.revolut.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Revolut</a> for payments and bank transfers.</p><p>If you need a debit card in Finland, you can take a look on <a href="https://www.revolut.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Revolut</a>, <strong>opening a Finnish bank account is not recommended and may take several months to complete.</strong></p><p>Opening a Finnish bank account or paying an invoice with cash at R-kioski requires a valid <a href="/en/node/5904?channel=study_guide&organisation=uni" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="ae1cbf73-c3e0-4e79-af0b-e50b59aa89b9" data-entity-substitution="canonical">Finnish personal idenity code</a>. After you have opened a Finnish bank account and you have received a bank card, you can deposit money by using TalletusOtto, an automated teller machine (ATM) that lets you deposit notes and coins to the debit account of your Finnish bank card.</p><ul><li><a href="https://otto.fi/en/talletus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deposit ATM - TalletusOtto</a></li></ul><p>In order to receive money from abroad you can use services like MoneyGram or Western Union.</p><p>In Finland, there are over 1 000 Otto-branded ATMs all over the country and banks do not have their own ATM's. Check locations of ATMs and more information at:</p><ul><li><a href="https://otto.fi/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Otto ATMs</a></li></ul><h4>If you need to open a Finnish bank account (for instance when you receive a Finnish grant)</h4><p>It is good to note that opening a Finnish bank account might take as long as <strong>2-4 months</strong> and requires a <a href="/en/node/5903?channel=study_guide&organisation=uni" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="ada8a7ad-e419-4602-9d53-7d848d9c7a4d" data-entity-substitution="canonical">completed DVV registration</a> and a <a href="/en/node/5904?channel=study_guide&organisation=uni" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="ae1cbf73-c3e0-4e79-af0b-e50b59aa89b9" data-entity-substitution="canonical">Finnish personal identity code</a>. The recommended options are OP Bank or Nordea, but the most recommended option is to use third-party services like <a href="https://www.transfermate.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TransferMate</a> or <a href="https://wise.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wise</a> or&nbsp;<a href="https://www.revolut.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Revolut</a> for payments and bank transfers.</p><ol><li>Complete you DVV registration and get the official document with your Finnish personal identity code</li><li>Book a time appointment in person at the bank to open a bank account</li><li>Get ready with all the documents (your passport, your residence permit card, a possible grant certificate, your Tampere University's Certificate of Student Status, your Tax Identification Number (TIN) from your home country etc.). The OP Bank in Tampere has a specific instruction on their website: <a href="https://www.op.fi/en/private-customers/become-op-customer/banking-services-for-people-who-have-moved-to-finland" target="_blank">Banking services for people who have moved to Finland</a>. Please note that OP Bank has refused sometimes to open bank accounts for exchange students staying in Tampere for one semester and less than six months</li></ol>

Good to know - a cashless society and paying invoices

<p>Finland’s tap water is among the highest quality in the world and is not only completely safe but a pleasure to drink. In Finland tap water has been found to be significantly cleaner than bottled water, as bottled water may have up to 100 times more microbes than tap water.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.tampereenvesi.fi/en/water-quality/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tampereen Vesi - Water quality</a></li><li><a href="https://thl.fi/en/web/environmental-health/water/drinking-water" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) - Drinking water</a></li></ul><div class="embedded-video-container"  data-youtube-id="sQ7ycu-ju44" style="background-image: url(https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/video_thumbnails/sQ7ycu-ju44.jpg)"><a class="link-to-video" target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ7ycu-ju44"><svg version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="32" height="32" viewBox="0 0 32 32"><path d="M16 0c-8.837 0-16 7.163-16 16s7.163 16 16 16 16-7.163 16-16-7.163-16-16-16zM16 29c-7.18 0-13-5.82-13-13s5.82-13 13-13 13 5.82 13 13-5.82 13-13 13zM12 9l12 7-12 7z"></path></svg><span><span class="visually-hidden">Water - a pure reason to visit Finland.</span>Play the video on YouTube (opens in a new tab).</span></a><iframe id="ytplayer" "6c1b66da-19c0-4b11-ae4d-ab7ceabd5783" type="text/html" title="Water - a pure reason to visit Finland" width="854" height="480" allowFullScreen="true" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sQ7ycu-ju44?autoplay=0&start=0&rel=0" frameBorder="0"></iframe></div>

Drinking water - Finland’s tap water is the highest quality

<p>While Finland’s high quality of life goes hand-in-hand with a higher cost of living, the cost of living in Tampere area not that high as in the Helsinki region and is compensated for by student card benefits such as affordable buffet lunches at the university (about 3,00 € or even less), quality health care close by, efficient public transport, affordable student housing and ready access to the natural environment. The library services and all course books are always free of charge and you may have a 24/7 access to many university and library premises.</p><p>It is your responsibility to ensure that you have sufficient financial resources for living in Finland as it is very difficult for exchange students to find jobs in Finland. All exchange students must fund their living expenses themselves. For basic living expenses, students will need around 560–800 € per month. There is also an <a href="https://migri.fi/en/income-requirement-for-students" target="_blank" rel="noopener">income requirement</a> for students that are citizens of non-EU/EEA/EFTA countries.</p><h3><strong>Cost of living per month</strong></h3><ul><li>Student housing 300–600 € (from shared rooms to family apartments)</li><li>Food 350–500 €</li><li>Local transportation 40 - 60 € (<a href="https://www.nysse.fi/en/tickets-and-fares/fares.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nysse</a>)</li><li>Leisure and personal 150–300 €</li></ul><p>There are also occasional expenses such as the <a href="/en/node/5900?channel=study_guide&organisation=uni" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="383a28dc-bae6-497d-8e6e-4e869edae32c" data-entity-substitution="canonical">Student Union membership fee</a>. It is good to know that Finland's alcohol prices are easily highest in the EU and for the most part&nbsp;tipping is not common in Finland. Prices in Finland are comparatively higher than in the rest of the EU in the categories of alcoholic beverages and tobacco, restaurant and accommodation services.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.infofinland.fi/en/living-in-finland/settling-in-finland/cost-of-living-in-finland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">InfoFinland - cost of living in Finland</a></li><li><a href="https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Comparative_price_levels_for_food,_beverages_and_tobacco#Overview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eurostat - Comparative price levels for food, beverages and tobacco</a></li><li><a href="https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/comparison.jsp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Numbeo - cost of living comparison between Tampere and your home city</a></li></ul>

Cost of living in Tampere - compare to your city

<ul><li>Give the bus a stop signal by <strong>waving your hand</strong>. As a rule, boarding to buses is done from the front door, no cash payments are accepted in our public transport</li><li>The tram stops at every stop, so there is no need to give a signal. The ride is easily accessible from the wagon level through the central doors. The front and rear doors are primarily for exit</li><li>You can use Nysse's&nbsp;single ticket, season ticket and day&nbsp;ticket for bus and&nbsp;tram. Ticket pricing is based on the number of zones (usually two, A-B) and age groups: <strong>adults 25+ years</strong> or <strong>young people 17-24 years</strong></li><li>The are <strong>no student prices for exchange students</strong>, your age is the main criteria</li><li>At night, from 00:00 to 04:40, in addition to&nbsp;ticket, a <a href="https://www.nysse.fi/en/tickets-and-fares/night-fare.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">night fare</a> might be charged (depends on your ticket type)</li><li><a href="https://www.nysse.fi/en/tickets-and-fares/inspection-fee.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">An inspection fee</a> may be charged for passengers traveling without a ticket</li><li>There are four ways to pay: contactless card payment on board, Nysse Mobiili app, advance ticket or a travel card (from the Nysse's office)</li><li>Journey Planner aka <a href="https://reittiopas.tampere.fi/?locale=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reittiopas</a> is a great way to plan your route with public transport</li></ul><p>For full details and prices, go to <a href="https://www.nysse.fi/en/front-page.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nysse.fi</a>.</p><figure role="group"><img src="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/image-style/max_1300x1300/proxy/public/2024-09/tuni-ratikka_tamk_kaski_900x600.jpg?itok=TAKxzRCN" alt="Ratikka TAMKin pysäkillä." ></figure>

Public transport in Tampere (Nysse)

<h3>An official student card</h3><p>Order a <a href="/en/node/5900?channel=study_guide&organisation=uni" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="383a28dc-bae6-497d-8e6e-4e869edae32c" data-entity-substitution="canonical">student card</a> from the Student Union and unlock all student discounts and benefits in Finland!</p><ul><li><a href="https://trey.fi/en/for-members/member-services/student-benefits" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TREY - student benefits</a></li><li><a href="/en/node/3016?channel=study_guide&organisation=uni" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="922ab288-ae3f-4348-839b-369950ea629c" data-entity-substitution="canonical">Student's Guide - student benefits</a></li><li><a href="https://www.opiskelijantampere.fi/en/3/discounts/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Opiskelijan Tampere - various discounts</a></li><li><a href="https://www.vr.fi/en/discounts-on-train-tickets/student-discount" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VR - student (train) discount</a></li><li><a href="https://www.matkahuolto.fi/student-ticket-and-student-discount" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matkahuolto - student (long-distance bus) discount</a></li><li><a href="https://www.flysas.com/en/fly-with-us/youth-tickets/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SAS - youth (flight) tickets</a></li></ul><h3>ESNcard holders</h3><ul><li><a href="https://www.esnfint.org/join/become-a-member" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESN FINT - ESNcard</a></li></ul><h3>Tampere.Finland mobile application</h3><p>Tampere.Finland is a mobile application that provides great offers and discounts to the shops, restaurants and other services located in the city center. Application is available in App Store and Google Play. The application includes also a guided tour, local bus/tram routes and timetables, the free space in the parking garages, your <a href="https://www.tampere.fi/en/libraries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">city library card</a>, Tampere event calendar as well as the Tampere Pass discounts.</p><h3>ISIC card</h3><p>ISIC card is your access to a world of student benefits in Finland and in other European countries, both offline and online. Please also note that ISIC might not be accepted everywhere in Finland and the official Finnish student card might be required.</p>

Student discounts with a Finnish student card

<p>Subject associations (aka guilds on Hervanta campus) function as a link between their members and participate in the planning and developing of the education and studies of their members. Subject associations supervise the interests of the students of their own field. In addition, subject associations organise <a href="/en/node/5899?channel=study_guide&organisation=uni" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="3d14fa86-3cdf-4adf-b3ac-4860c35fde53" data-entity-substitution="canonical">international student tutoring</a> together with the Student Union (TREY) and the International Mobility Services and INTO Tampere on Hervanta campus. In most cases, your personal international student tutor is your link to your own subject association and its activities.</p><ul><li><a href="https://trey.fi/en/associations/associations-operating-within-trey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Subject associations operating within TREY - names and websites</a></li></ul><div class="embedded-video-container"  data-youtube-id="SMt_9cgWBhM" style="background-image: url(https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/video_thumbnails/SMt_9cgWBhM.jpg)"><a class="link-to-video" target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMt_9cgWBhM"><svg version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="32" height="32" viewBox="0 0 32 32"><path d="M16 0c-8.837 0-16 7.163-16 16s7.163 16 16 16 16-7.163 16-16-7.163-16-16-16zM16 29c-7.18 0-13-5.82-13-13s5.82-13 13-13 13 5.82 13 13-5.82 13-13 13zM12 9l12 7-12 7z"></path></svg><span><span class="visually-hidden">Welcome to the Student Union of Tampere University!.</span>Play the video on YouTube (opens in a new tab).</span></a><iframe id="ytplayer" "df104b1e-2252-422a-9cca-8f17f01ff3dd" type="text/html" title="Welcome to the Student Union of Tampere University!" width="854" height="480" allowFullScreen="true" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SMt_9cgWBhM?autoplay=0&start=0&rel=0" frameBorder="0"></iframe></div>

Subject and student associations operating within TREY

<p>Hobby associations aka clubs include associations with activities that are centered around a hobby or a conviction. Hobby clubs bring together like-minded people to play games, taste drinks or otherwise just spend time with others interested in the same things.</p><p>Just to name a few, Tampere University has a few ice hockey teams, a sports club for students, a mixed student choir, a wine club, a dancing club etc.</p><ul><li><a href="https://trey.fi/en/associations/associations-operating-within-trey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hobby associations aka clubs operating within TREY - names and websites</a></li><li><a href="https://sites.tuni.fi/sportuni-en/sport-clubs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SportUni - sport clubs</a></li><li><a href="https://www.opiskelijantampere.fi/en/24/sport-clubs-of-students/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Opiskelijan Tampere - sport clubs of students</a></li><li><a href="https://www.infofinland.fi/en/tampere/leisure-in-tampere" target="_blank" rel="noopener">InfoFinland - Leisure in Tampere</a></li></ul>

Hobby associations aka clubs operating within TREY

<p>The student overalls are one of the most visible symbols of Finnish higher education students. Almost every subject association has their own overalls, and you can recognise the association they belong to by the colour of the overalls. You should note, though, that different associations can have the same colour overalls. Some hobby associations also have their own overalls and even ESN FINT and INTO Tampere have their own.</p><p>Every exchange student belongs to some subject association (study field) at the university. You can get patches to your overall during parties, challenges, trips, events or simply by buying them. Ask your tutor or subject association for more information!</p><p>The overalls are used in various student events, and they are decorated with overall patches and various memorabilia. The biggest student events in Tampere are <a href="https://trey.fi/en/community/wappu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wappu</a> (or Vappu, or May Day) in the spring semester and <a href="https://appro.fi/en/front-page/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hämeenkadun Appro</a> in the autumn semester, a biggest student event in Finland organised annually in Tampere.</p><ul><li><a href="https://trey.fi/en/community/symbols" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TREY - Symbols of Finnish students</a></li><li><a href="https://www.esnfint.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESN FINT</a></li><li><a href="https://into-tampere.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INTO Tampere</a></li><li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student_boilersuit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wikipedia - Student boilersuit</a></li></ul><div class="embedded-video-container"  data-youtube-id="pl4TzpTTxMM" style="background-image: url(https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/video_thumbnails/pl4TzpTTxMM.jpg)"><a class="link-to-video" target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl4TzpTTxMM"><svg version="1.1" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="32" height="32" viewBox="0 0 32 32"><path d="M16 0c-8.837 0-16 7.163-16 16s7.163 16 16 16 16-7.163 16-16-7.163-16-16-16zM16 29c-7.18 0-13-5.82-13-13s5.82-13 13-13 13 5.82 13 13-5.82 13-13 13zM12 9l12 7-12 7z"></path></svg><span><span class="visually-hidden">Hämeenkadun Appro 2022 Official Aftermovie.</span>Play the video on YouTube (opens in a new tab).</span></a><iframe id="ytplayer" "8f91502b-a100-4a4d-9275-c79bd242a252" type="text/html" title="Hämeenkadun Appro 2022 Official Aftermovie" width="854" height="480" allowFullScreen="true" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pl4TzpTTxMM?autoplay=0&start=0&rel=0" frameBorder="0"></iframe></div>

Patches and overalls - an essential part of Finnish student culture

<p>Tampere has a lot of events to offer for exchange students and to stay in the loop you need to follow our mobile app for exchange students and other social media channels. Below are some additional tips from us.</p><h3><strong>More events and tips</strong></h3><ul><li>Check the <a href="https://trey.fi/en/associations/associations-operating-within-trey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> or an Instagram page of your subject association</li><li><a href="https://esnfint.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESN FINT - events and trips</a></li><li><a href="https://into-tampere.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">INTO Tampere - events and trips</a></li><li><a href="https://www.tuni.fi/en/search?view_mode=list&amp;search_type=events&amp;show_all=&amp;organisation=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tampere University - upcoming events (calendar)</a></li><li><a href="/en/node/29033?channel=study_guide&organisation=uni" target="_blank" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="b2e6c562-8e84-4c26-88c8-83f73598eb87" data-entity-substitution="canonical">Tampere University - Well-being calendar</a></li><li><a href="https://www.tuni.fi/oasis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tampere University - Oasis (city centre campus</a>)</li><li><a href="https://intra.tuni.fi/en/studying/internship-and-work-life/career-planning/career-events-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tampere University - Career events</a></li><li><a href="https://trey.fi/en/community/community-event-calendar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Student Union TREY - community’s event calendar</a></li><li><a href="https://www.opiskelijantampere.fi/en/5/events/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Opiskelijan Tampere - Events</a></li><li><a href="https://blogs.tuni.fi/studentambassadors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tampere Student Ambassadors Blog</a></li><li><a href="https://visittampere.fi/en/events/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Visit Tampere - Event calendar</a></li><li><a href="https://outdoorexpress.fi/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">City of Tampere - Outdoor Express</a></li></ul>

Upcoming events for exchange students

<p>Looking for a Tampere University hoodie or a t-shirt? Show your University pride with the official branded university clothing and merchandise. Please check the TUNI Shop.</p><ul><li><a href="https://tunishop.mastermark.fi/p/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TUNI Shop</a></li></ul><p>Unfortunately shipping might be available to Finland only.</p><p>You can also buy some merchandise from subject associations, ESN FINT or INTO Tampere and from the university's sports club <a href="https://www.akateeminenmahti.fi/tuote-osasto/tuotteet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tampereen Akateeminen Mahti</a>. Check also <a href="https://kauppa.ilves.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ilves-kauppa</a>, <a href="https://shop.tappara.fi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tappara Shop</a>, <a href="https://store.leijonat.fi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leijonat Store</a> (Finnish national team in ice hockey) and <a href="https://kauppa.palloliitto.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maajoukkueen verkkokauppa</a> (Finnish national team in football).</p><ul><li><a href="https://visittampere.fi/en/articles/souvenir-shops/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Souvenir shops in Tampere</a></li><li><a href="https://visittampere.fi/en/articles/tampere-for-design-lovers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tampere for design lovers</a></li></ul><figure role="group"><img src="https://content-webapi.tuni.fi/image-style/max_1300x1300/proxy/public/2022-05/opiskelijat.jpg?itok=1WrFmlHe" alt="A photo of Tampere University students in our gear and overalls" ></figure>

Living in Tampere as an exchange student

Give feedback on our website!

Living in Tampere as an exchange student

OpenWeather in Finland and clothing

OpenGood to know - a cashless society and paying invoices

OpenDrinking water - Finland’s tap water is the highest quality

OpenCost of living in Tampere - compare to your city

OpenPublic transport in Tampere (Nysse)

OpenStudent discounts with a Finnish student card

OpenSubject and student associations operating within TREY

OpenHobby associations aka clubs operating within TREY

OpenPatches and overalls - an essential part of Finnish student culture

OpenUpcoming events for exchange students

OpenGet your Tampere University merch from an online shop