Spring School on Quantum Optics in Coherent Circuits - Travel
International travel
The spring school will take place in the Kilpisjärvi biological station inside the arctic circle of Northern Finland. The suggested travel route is to fly to Tromsø Norway, from where a bus will be organized to take participants to the venue. The precise timeline for the bus will be updated later.
Tromsø is home to an international airport, which is connected to many of the largest airports in Europe. This should give participants plenty of options for finding the proper connections.
Venue
The school venue is at the Kilpisjärvi biological station. Accommodation is included in the registration fee, and are located at the biological station. The living quarters include double and triple rooms in their own wing. All rooms are complete with a private lavatory and shower.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as coffee during breaks, will be provided for the duration of the spring school. Conference reception will be held around the half mark of the school.
General information
Currency is Euro. Only Euro is accepted all over the country. Money exchange is available in major hotels. Please check exchange rates in advance. Payment by credit card is common, even for relatively small amounts.
Electrical power supply is 240 V, AC, as usual in the EU.
Emergency phone number is 112.
Travel Insurance
If you do not reside in Finland, you need to have travel insurance. Be sure to purchase travel insurance from your permanent place of residence before you travel.
If you are an EU/EEA citizen or resident, you may take advantage of the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which you must get before travelling. Please be aware of its limitations, e.g. not covering private healthcare costs.
Visa application
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. 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
- On the application form, you have the option to request an invitation letter for your visa application.
- The spring school staff sends these to students once or twice a week, so it may take a few days after to receive yours.
- You are responsible for your own visa application and for following the guidelines.
- Apart from providing an invitation letter, Spring School staff cannot assist students in the visa process or contact the embassies. Such messages do not speed up the process.
This is a summary of the visa application process. Always check the country-specific guidelines for applying for a visa and follow them.
- Check the required documents for your visa application.
- Fill in the visa application form at finlandvisa.fi.
- 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.
- 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 Australia, Japan, South Korea, the USA, the UK, and EU countries do not.
- You can request an invitation letter from Spring School staff for your visa application.
Visa type
- A student residence permit is not available for short-term studies in Finland, so most 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.
- Note that as of 1 January 2024, Finland increased the financial requirement for Schengen visas to 50€ per day of stay.
Aalto University Spring 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.
- If you are not granted a visa, we recommend that you contact the spring school team (qoss2026.info@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.