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• The biggest costs during your stay will most likely be accommodation and food.
• Flight or other travelling costs to Finland vary depending on the point of departure, so we recommend checking them on your own beforehand.
• We recommend making refundable bookings for flights and accommodation. This is to protect you from losing money in case your travel plans change due to visa issues, illness, family emergency, course cancellation or other reasons.
  • If you make bookings that cannot be refunded in the case of cancellation, you cannot be compensated by Aalto University.
• You can also reserve some money for shopping according to your preferences.
• Note that as of 1 January 2024, Finland increased the financial requirement for Schengen visas to 50€ per day of stay.
• Unfortunately, Aalto University Summer School does not offer scholarships for participants.
  • You can apply for grants from various other sources to cover course fees and travel expenses.

Unfortunately, Aalto University does not have university-owned dorms available for short-term accommodation. The student housing providers focus on degree students and exchange students, and many Finnish students keep their apartments over the summer.

The campus can be easily reached by metro, bus, and tram number 15. Students participating in summer or winter schools usually stay near campus or in the centre of Helsinki.

If you scroll down, you will see some example places that former summer or winter school students have liked.

Examples from walking distance from the university

Private room in apartment hostel for one

• ~400 EUR without modification and cancellation right before stay
• ~500 EUR with modification and cancellation right
• Please note that this example does not reflect the general accommodation prices in Helsinki Area very well. The other examples below give you a better idea of a price at a nice and comfy accommodation.

Hotel room for one (incl. breakfast)

• ~1100 EUR without modification and cancellation right
• ~1300 EUR with modification and cancellation right

Examples from Helsinki centre 

• Hostel bunk bed in a shared room ~600-700 EUR (6-8 people) with cancellation right
• One-person Airbnb ~800-1200 EUR with cancellation right
• Single room at Unihome °Õöö±ôö Towers (small room, own bathroom, shared kitchen) ~1000 EUR with cancellation right (with Aalto discount)
• Hotel room for one (incl. breakfast) ~1900 with cancellation right

The example costs have been updated in January 2026. The prices may vary depending on when you are making the booking. The example stay in the search was Sunday 19 July – Saturday 1 August 2026 (13 nights). Read the booking terms carefully before confirming your booking. The cancellation right may end e.g. 1-3 days before arrival or be valid until the check-in date.

The cost of the food depends on whether you choose to cook at your accommodation or eat at restaurants and cafeterias your whole stay. Check beforehand if your accommodation has kitchen facilities. The example costs do not cover beverages.

• Breakfast at a café 10-15 EUR
• Lunch at a campus restaurant 11-13 EUR
• Takeaway salads or sandwiches from grocery stores 4-8 EUR
• Dinner 15-30 EUR

If you cook at your accommodation, you can save some money. Helsinki Area student housing recommends reserving 150-200 euros monthly for grocery shopping. For two weeks, the sum is smaller.

These costs have been updated in October 2024.

HSL is the public transportation provider in the Helsinki area. Using public transportation is the most convenient way to move around.

A one-day ticket is valid for 24 hours from the first use, two-day ticket for 48 hours, three-day ticket for 72 hours, et cetera.

These costs have been updated in April 2025.

Good to know:

• Helsinki city centre is in zone A.
• The campus is in zone B. Multiple buses, metro and tram number 15 have stops on campus.
• Most of the sights are in A and B zones.
• Helsinki Airport and Nuuksio National Park are in zone C.
• HSL is currently trying to make people use the app for buying tickets. If you cannot use the app for buying your ticket, you should be able to buy a cardboard ticket for multiple days at R-kioski. There is a small extra fee for buying the cardboard ticket.
• If you buy the ticket on the HSL app, you can buy extra zones as single tickets for trips to and from zone C.
• Student discounts are only available for degree students in the Helsinki area higher education institutions.
• To purchase season tickets (valid for 14 to 360 days) or multi-journey tickets, a strong authentication via Finnish banks or mobile services is required. Hence, we recommend day tickets for up to 13 days or single tickets based on your needs.
• You can use contactless payment on board or at gates for adult single fares. The ticket is valid on all HSL transport services: trams, the Metro, commuter trains, buses, and the Suomenlinna ferry. 

Popular areas among the students

Other areas easily reached from the campus

• Lauttasaari & Ruoholahti (metro, east of campus)
• Urheilupuisto, Niittykumpu & Matinkylä (metro, west of campus)
• Munkkiniemi, Meilahti & Pasila (bus 510)

How long does it take to get to the campus?

• The teaching can take place in various buildings on campus. Most of them are within a 5-10-minute walk from the transportation stops.
• To get an idea of the trip to campus, you can use Otaniementie 14 (Väre building) as the address.

You can seek flatmates or roommates on the Summer School accommodation forum to share the costs with someone.

• After completing the course payment, you will receive an email containing a link and a forum password.
• The forum is available on the same platform as our courses, eliminating the need for multiple accounts.
• You can also find accommodation on your own. Joining the forum is optional.

Listed in alphabetical order

Lower price range

Middle price range

• (popular among summer school students in 2024)
  • You will receive a discount code to Heymo after making the tuition fee payment. The discount code is available on the official Sokos Hotels website.
• • You will receive a discount code to Noli after making the tuition fee payment. The discount code is available on the official Noli Studios website.

Listed in alphabetical order.

Lower price range

• (popular among groups visiting Aalto)
  • Read more about the Aalto visitor discount below
  • You will receive a discount code to Unihomes after making the tuition fee payment.

Information about the accommodation 

°Õöö±ôö Towers are two high-rise buildings in Helsinki's urban °Õöö±ôö district. They offer rooms and apartments for short and long stays. Unihomes is owned by the University of Helsinki and Aalto University.

• You can easily reach the campus with tram number 8 and the metro. The trip takes about 25-30 minutes.
• The property has all the necessary services for a longer stay: breakfast, weekly cleaning, gym, laundry, sauna and social area.
• There is a shared kitchen on each floor. Also, most of the room types (studio, flat, penthouse) have ensuite kitchenettes.   
• The cheapest option for one person is a single room, and for two people a Queen studio.
• There are two small grocery stores (Alepa and K-market) and a supermarket (K-supermarket Kasarmi) nearby.
• °Õöö±ôö Towers is located in public transport zone A.

Unihome Discount 

• Aalto University visitors can get a discount called "University rate" to Unihome.
• To make the booking process as convenient as possible, Summer and Winter School students have a separate discount code from the regular visitor code. This means Unihome won't need to check your participation status from us before confirming your eligibility for the discount.
• The discount code works for bookings with a minimum of 7 nights.

You will receive the discount code after making the tuition fee payment. Submit it in the promotion code field when searching for a room.

Example prices

• Single room incl. breakfast (small room, own bathroom, shared kitchen)
  • Without Aalto discount ~1250 EUR with cancellation right
  • With Aalto discount ~1000 EUR with cancellation right
• Standard studio incl. breakfast (small room, own bathroom and kitchenette)
  • Without Aalto discount ~1300 EUR with cancellation right
  • With Aalto discount ~1200 EUR with cancellation right

The example costs have been updated in January 2026. The prices may vary depending on when you are making the booking. The example stay in the search was Sunday 19 July – Saturday 1 August 2026 (13 nights). Read the booking terms carefully before confirming your booking. The cancellation right may end e.g. 1-3 days before arrival or be valid until the check-in date.

Information about the accommodation 

Noli Studios has seven locations in Helsinki area, including Otaniemi campus and Helsinki city centre (Katajanokka). In addition to the apartments suitable for short and long-term stays, they offer social areas for your use. The services and the virtual tour of each Noli location are described in its own page on their website. 

• is located 10-15 minute walk from the central campus. You can easily enjoy the Laajalahti nature preserve next to it as well as the green neighbourhood of Tapiola on the other side of the big road.
  • There is a café on the ground floor for getting breakfast, a small grocery store (K-market) right next door and a supermarket (S-market) on the other side of the big road.
  • Sauna and laundry rooms are available for guests.
  • Noli Otaniemi is located in public transport zone B.
• is located on the Katajanokka island right next to Helsinki City Centre and some of the most famous sightseeing spots like the Helsinki Cathedral, Market Square and Esplanadi park.
  • There are two small grocery stores nearby (Alepa and K-market).
  • Sauna, gym and laundry rooms are available for guests
  • Noli Katajanokka is located in public transport zone A. The trip ÄûÃʵ¼º½ campus takes approximately 30 minutes by walking and metro.

Noli Discount 

• Summer School visitors can get a 15% discount from all Noli locations in Finland for short stays (less than one month).
• The discount code is valid on the official Noli site: .

You will receive the discount code after making the tuition fee payment.

Example prices

• Standard fully furnished studio at Noli Otaniemi (room with own bathroom and kitchen)
  • Without Aalto discount ~1600 EUR with cancellation right
  • With Aalto discount ~1200 EUR with cancellation right

The example costs have been updated in January 2026. The prices may vary depending on when you are making the booking. The example stay in the search was Sunday 19 July – Saturday 1 August 2026 (13 nights). Read the booking terms carefully before confirming your booking. The cancellation right may end e.g. 1-3 days before arrival or be valid until the check-in date.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland issues the visas

• Always follow the Ministry's and local embassies' instructions in visa-related matters.
• Each visa application is handled individually by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.
  • In some countries, another European Union member country represents Finland and processes the visas on Finland's behalf. The decisions are valid even if they have been made by another country. If this applies to your country, it is mentioned in finlandabroad.fi.
• Be aware that in many countries, an external service provider (e.g., VFS Global) takes care of the in-person appointments and receives the documents.
• Your financial situation plays a significant role in the visa application process. If it appears that you or your sponsor does not have a steady enough income to support your stay in Finland, your visa application is likely to be rejected.
• Aalto University does not have an impact on the final visa decision.

Invitation letter

• After completing the tuition fee payment, you can request an invitation letter for your visa application. You will find the instructions in the digital welcome package.
• The summer school staff sends these to students once or twice a week, so it may take a few days after your payment before you receive yours.

• You are responsible for your own visa application and for following the guidelines.
• Apart from providing an invitation letter, Aalto University Summer School cannot assist students in the visa process or contact the embassies. Such messages do not speed up the process.
• Especially in the case that you need a visa to enter Finland, we recommend that you choose an accommodation booking and flights with cancellation right.

This is a summary of the visa application process. Always check the country-specific guidelines for applying for a visa and follow them.

1. Check the required documents for your visa application.
2. Fill in the visa application form at finlandvisa.fi.
3. Book an appointment to submit your application. Note that usually, you need to book the appointment at the VFS Global service point instead of the local Finnish Embassy.
4. Submit the application in person and pay the application fee.

• Among the most popular participant nationalities, China and India require a visa, while students from Japan, South Korea, the USA, the UK, and the EU countries do not.
• Upon payment of the course fees, you can request an invitation letter from Aalto University Summer School for your visa application.

Visa type

• A student residence permit is not available for short-term studies in Finland. Most Summer School students apply for a regular tourist visa.
• The Schengen category C visa allows its holder to travel in the Schengen Area (incl. Finland) on a short-term and temporary basis for no more than 90 days over a period of 180 days.
  • Schengen member states are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
• Note that as of 1 January 2024, Finland increased the financial requirement for Schengen visas to 50€ per day of stay. 

Aalto University Summer School recommends that you apply for a visa as soon as you have confirmed your participation by paying the course fee and received your invitation letter.

• Generally, it is advised to submit your visa application well in advance of your intended visit.
  • Note that finding a suitable appointment may take some time.
  • After submitting the visa application, the standard processing time is approximately 15 days, but it can be longer, especially during summer.
• Please note that failure to adhere to the guidelines may result in a delayed visa approval, which could potentially impact your travel plans.

Visas for Winter School

• Please note that visa processing might be delayed between 24 December and 6 January due to the Finnish Christmas holidays. 

• If you are not granted a visa, we recommend that you contact the summer school team (summer@aalto.fi) as soon as possible.
• If you cannot travel to Finland, you can cancel your participation and may be eligible for a partial refund according to our cancellation terms.