Arrival and Living in Finland

Kajaani is located approximately 600 kilometres from the capital of Finland, Helsinki. It is possible to travel from Helsinki to Kajaani by plane or by train. The flight from Helsinki to Kajaani takes approximately 1 hour, and the train journey from Helsinki to Kajaani approximately 6 – 7 hours.

In Helsinki
Helsinki-Vantaa airport is located about half an hour from the Helsinki city centre. If you are taking train from Helsinki onwards, you can take the train directly from the airport. In Finland railway traffic is operated by state-owned company called VR. When buying a long-distance ticket, please choose ‘Helsinki Airport’ as your departure station if you plan to start your journey to Kajaani directly from the airport.

In Kajaani
The KAMK campus and most of the student accommodation is located approximately 2 kilometres from Kajaani city centre. The Kajaani Airport is located approximately 10 km from the city centre and the railway station is in the city center.  Public transportation in Kajaani is not very extensive, but all important services are within walking distance.

The Student Union, called KAMO, offers a welcoming service for all new students arriving to Kajaani from abroad. The Student Union KAMO can pre-order taxis to the airport but it is not possible to pre-order a taxi to the railway station. However taxis can be found at the railway station at the arrival times of trains. The students will have to pay for the taxi themselves, which will cost approximately 20 – 50 euros per person depending on the arrival place and the location of the accommodation.

The taxi can take you directly to your accommodation and a tutoring student will meet you at the apartment. Please note that degree students must pick up the apartment keys themselves.  After submitting the notification of arrival form, you will receive an email with more information about your arrival.

Please note that there is no welcoming service available unless you have informed us of you arrival date and time by filling our notification of arrival form at the latest two weeks (14 days) before your arrival. If you arrive in the middle of the night (between 22.00 and 09.00), there is no arrival service organized and you must spend the first night in a hotel. Student Union’s arrival service is available as follows:

• mid-August until the end of September (for autumn semester) and
• beginning of January until the end of February (for spring semester).

If your arrive outside of these times, you need to arrange the accommodation keys and taxi by yourself.

Please note that there is no grocery store at the Kajaani airport, on KAMK campus or near all student residences. Grocery stores are generally open every day between 9 am and 9 pm. Some stores are open from 7 am to 10 pm. Please also note that the student restaurant and cafes on campus are open during school hours only.

Furthermore, please note that the student accommodation does not provide sheets, towels, kitchen ware, toilet paper etc. Additionally, not all apartments have a mattress either, so check before arrival.

Remember to fill in the Notification of Arrival Form two weeks before your arrival to inform us of your arrival date and time. At the same time, inform us also if you are coming with family members. The link to the form will be sent to your KAMK email after you have received the login information. 

A company called Kajaanin Pietari provides student accommodation in Kajaani. They offer shared accommodation and family apartments. Some of the accommodation is located on campus and other housing is located 1 – 3 km from KAMK campus. Degree students are expected to apply for their own accommodation but KAMK International Office books accommodation automatically for all incoming exchange students after accepting their applications.

Most of the foreign students choose shared accommodation, where they share the apartment with 3–5 other students and have a room on their own. The student accommodation generally has the basic furniture available. However, there are no bed sheets, towels or kitchenware. The rent varies depending on the location from 280 euros / month onwards.

If you choose to rent an apartment without furniture, the apartment will be totally empty  and you need to arrange the furniture yourself.  There is always a fridge and an oven in the apartment though. Also, it may be that there will be no electricity unless separately agreed at the beginning of the stay.

You should not make any travelling arrangements before you have received confirmation of your accommodation. Please apply for accommodation early enough to ensure finding a room, but please note that you shouldn’t apply for accommodation before you have received your residence permit.

Find out more about the student accommodation in Kajaani from Kajaanin Pietari.

Kajaanin Pietari

KAMK offers excellent facilities for students to succeed in their studies. We offer all important services on campus:

• Study Services
• International Services
• Library
• Student Union KAMO
• Student restaurants and cafés
• Sport facilities
• Student Welfare Officers

Read more about KAMK

Kajaani University of Applied Sciences (KAMK) is located in Kajaani, in the region of Kainuu and in the providence of Oulu. There are approximately 37 000 inhabitants in Kajaani but over 80 000 inhabitants on the overall region of Kainuu. Kainuu region is almost the size of Belgium so there is plenty of space for everyone to live and breath!

Kajaani offers outstanding natural surroundings for a wide range of leisure and sports activities, with modern services – we truly hope that you enjoy your time here!

Settling-in Guide City of Kajaani, Settling-in Services

If you are planning to move to Finland and Kajaani with children, see the links below for more information and contacts.

Early Childhood Education (day care) City of Kajaani, Multicultural Education (Schools) Settling-in Guide Finnish School System

The cost of living in Finland is slightly higher than in the other EU countries. The cost of living also varies inside Finland. Take a look at InfoFinland  for more information about  cost of living.

Finding a part-time job in a smaller town such as Kajaani can be very difficult, especially without Finnish language skills. Therefore, it is important to arrange your budget so that you can afford to live in Finland even without a job. In addition to the tuition fee, you will need approximately 700 – 900 euros per month for your own expenses, such as rent, food and other living costs.

Opening a bank account in Finland may take several weeks.  Usually it is also good to be prepared for the costs to be higher at the beginning, when you may have to purchase  household items for your apartment (such as bed clothing, dishes, curtains, carpets, kitchen equipment, cleaning equipment etc) and you might also consider purchasing a bicycle or a car.