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Living & accommodation

Kuopio has an extensive apartment production from blocks of flats to detached houses. The latest district in Kuopio is called Saaristokaupunki – the town of islands. The 4,5km long main street “Saaristokatu” connects Saaristokaupunki with the city centre.


Student apartments are available for renting from Kuopas Oy and Opiskelijoiden vuokranvälitys (OVV, Students’ rental apartment agency). Tekman Tuki Ry also offers rental apartments primarily for students of technology. Kuopas Oy is the most commonly used rental agency among students. Contracts for example about electricity are included when dealing with such agencies. Such contracts need to be done separately only on free markets.


Living costs vary depending on where you live and in what kind of apartment you live in. Living in a city centre is more expensive than living in suburb areas.  One-room flats cost more than shared apartments. Rent in private housing agencies is usually higher than for example Kuopas. In Kuopas rent is approximately from 300-400 €/month in the city centre. Rent in other areas is approximately 200-300€.


From Koti Kuopiossa –web page one can find the majority of the apartment supply in Kuopio (in Finnish). One can find from the page house building shops, constructors, real estate agencies as well as private rental apartments. Kuopio City –webpage has also information about home security issues like conservation of belongings and fire safety of home appliance.


The biggest most general department stores in the city center are Anttila and Sokos. A list of all the department stores and shopping centers can be found from the link below.
department stores in the city center


Wellbeing & culture

In Kuopio traditions are valued and new art is created in an open interaction. The city’s culture offering is broad, including theater, music centre, several museums and numerous events.


Kuopio Dance Festival ”Kuopio Tanssii ja Soi” is the most significant dancing event of the Nordic countries. The Anti Contemporary Art Festival brings the talents of experimental modern art to Kuopio. The biggest winter events are Finland Ice Marathon and the World Cup of ski jumping. During summertime for example the International Wine Festival and Rockcock –music festival attract music lovers to Kuopio. The Kuopio Museum and the Museum of Cultural History offer information about the history of Kuopio and lifestyle of Finns.


The multicultural center Kompassi in the city center aims at supporting the multicultural development of the city. This is done by promoting the interaction of people from different countries, and by providing information about various cultures and about Finnish society.


In addition, the Refugee Unit provides people with immigrant services. The aim of the unit is to promote further understanding of Finnish society, different cultures and diversity. People can receive guidance and advice in all problematic situations in their new society, for example basic social work, financial support and health services.


Kuopio is known of its beautiful nature and good exercise possibilities. In the middle of the city is the Puijo area where one can go jogging, gather mushrooms, play golf and do downhill skiing.


Kuopio offers quality free time also in the city’s sports halls. Kuopio has two public swimming pools, two in-door ice rinks and Kuopio-hall for various kinds of sports. In addition there are also several private sport facilities and near region spas.


Kuopio regions’ hobby search gives information about hobby possibilities in Kuopio and in the near regions of Karttula, Maaninka and Siilinjärvi. For now the search page is only in Finnish.


The campuses have decent sport facilities for several sport activities. Students can reserve their own turn to use the sport hall or use the gym equipment.  Some guided courses have small fees but otherwise students can use facilities for free.


For information about student events, parties and happenings, join the mailing list of KISA (Kuopio International Students Association). All KISA e-mails are sent in English. How to join the KISA mailing list:

1) Go to: https://lists.uef.fi/mailman/listinfo/kisa-list
3) Scroll down the page and fill in your e-mail address and your name in the “Subscribing to kisa-list” –field.
4) Click “Subscribe”.
5) You will receive a confimation by e-mail once you have been added to the list (usually in a day or two).

Only e-mail addresses given by local educational institutes can be added to the KISA mailing list.

Alternatively, you can join the Facebook –community of KISA. For more information about KISA, visit their webpage.

Some of the most popular nightlife places for students:

  • Onnela. A dancing place popular among students. Special offers during week. Age limit 18, Saturdays 20.

  • Passion. A dancing place popular among students. Special offers during week. Age limit 18.

  • Henrys Pub. Good rock music and concerts. Age limit 20, during weekdays and concerts 18.

  • Grand Virtanen. A dancing place with a separate side with rock music. Age limit 18.

  • Ale Pupi. A good and fairly cheap place for chilling and talking. For the early evening before 1am. Age limit 20.

Other links

Education & studying

For youth Kuopio offers a lively city life and good education and studying opportunities. In Kuopio there are five high schools and one adult high school. You can study in vocational school and accomplish two degrees by studying in both high school and vocational school.


For 3rd degree education there is Savonia University of Applied Sciences (UAS) and the University of Eastern Finland (UEF), previously known as University of Kuopio. University of Eastern Finland is a merge of Kuopio and Joensuu University and one of the biggest universities in Finland.


There are several other options for educating and studying in Kuopio besides universities. One can take courses in Community College of Kuopio (Kansalaisopisto), Open University (Avoin yliopisto), Summer University (Kesäyliopisto), or Open UAS (Avoin AMK). One can also take courses in Savonia UAS during summer time. There are usually fees for courses in these places. The telephone of the Community College office is +35817 184 722 and for registering into courses +35817 265 7381.


Savonia UAS and the UEF offer good healthy food for all students. Savonia UAS has a “Sodexo” –canteen that offers good basic food with a decent student price with a student card! For more information see the section “student card”. There are also cafeterias in the campuses, where one can get student discounts.


Sodexo works both at the Sairaalakatu-campus and at the Opistotie-campus, which have a different menu and may have different opening hours. For the menu and opening hours, click the links below!
http://www.sodexo.fi/fi-FI/opistotie/
http://www.sodexo.fi/fi-FI/sairaalakatu/


In UEF you can buy lunch, coffee and snacks from Fazer Amica restaurants. See menu, prices and opening hours from the following link. The University has several different canteens which you can search from the link. Cafeterias offer drinks and snacks with student prices.
Fazer Amica restaurants/university of Eastern Finland

Transportation

Kuopio is a city of over 90 000 inhabitants and the 8th largest city in Finland. The city is located approximately 400 km from Helsinki and 300 km from Tampere. The major road to and from Kuopio is highway 5, which goes all the way from Helsinki to Lapland.


Railway connections are good to Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Oulu and all parts of Finland. Kuopio is easily reached by train. All trains are operated by VR, the state-owned railway company. Kuopio train station is near the city center (400 meters) and the address is Asemakatu 1, 70100 Kuopio. The nearest airport, Rissala Airport, is located 14 kilometers from the city. It takes only 45 minutes to fly from Helsinki to Kuopio.


From Helsinki Airport one can take an airport bus, which will go to the Helsinki railway station. There are many railway connections going from Helsinki to Kuopio daily. If you fly to Tampere, take a bus or taxi to railway station and then continue your journey by train.


In Kuopio there is a wide and functional public transportation network. All parts of Kuopio are easily accessible by bus. Busses cost on weekdays 3.00€ and on Sundays and at night (from 11pm to 04am) 4.00€. This is the price on summer 2010 but prices may change however. If one use buses a lot, it is cheaper to buy a bus card. One can buy bus cards on the 2nd floor of Sokos department store, Haapaniemenkatu 24-26. It is also convenient to move around by foot, bike or car almost around the year. There are many car rental companies in Kuopio. For example Hertz International Reservation Centre who offer service in English in the number +44 8705 99 6699.


Taxi rides are fairly expensive in Finland. If you need one, it is a good idea to share it with your friends whenever possible. Kuopio taxi number is +358 17 106 400 or +358 200 30 300. You can also take a taxi to and from airport. The taxi should be ordered to the airport two hours before the requested leaving time. The price from the town centre is approximately 18 €. The Airport taxi does not operate between Saturday 03:00-Monday 04:00. It is also easy to get to the city by airport bus. See schedules and routes from the link “Bus to and from airport in Kuopio”.


INFORMATION ON TRANSPORTATION

 

BUSES

TRAINS

CAR RENTALS

Nature & environment

In Kuopio the nature and the city environment go side by side. There are many parks in the city and forests are near everywhere. Kuopio is located in the middle of Europe’s largest lake district.


Kuopio and Lake Kallavesi cannot be mentioned apart. Kallavesi covers a third of the city’s surface area. The multitude of islands and sinuous shorelines of the lake have been held symbolic of the Savo region’s natural beauty for centuries. You can enjoy beautiful lake scenery by going to a cruise. Kuopio offers a widest choice of inland boat cruises in Finland during the summer time.


Nature conservation has a long tradition in Kuopio. The oldest and most well known protected area is Puijo’s forest; it has been protected since 1928.


Finland has four seasons and temperatures vary a lot depending on the season. During a warm summer it can be +25C and during a very cold winter -25C. Summertime lasts usually from the end of May to the middle of September.  Winter lasts several months and snow is a relevant part of Finnish winter. Since Finland is located in the north and in the zone where southern and polar air masses meet, weather types can change quite quickly.


Warm winter clothing is necessary in Finland: you will need at least a warm coat and good winter boots. Warm gloves, a warm hat that covers the ears and long underwear are items you will appreciate. Although it can be cold outside, buildings are well heated inside. People wear light clothing inside and a heavier layer for going out. In the autumn it can also be very cold and chilly outside so a windproof coat is mandatory. You can buy good winter clothes in Finland. Remember to prepare yourself for different weathers and seasons.


There are many outdoor activities that you can do in Kuopio. Parks, forests and lakes offer a diverse setting for many summer and winter hobbies and free time actions.


Social benefits

The Social Insurance Institution of Finland (KELA) provides social security benefits for all the residents of Finland. If you are not a Finnish citizen, you may be entitled to financial aid with education in Finland only. This applies if you are registered as a permanent resident of Finland in the population register system and if your purpose for residence in Finland is something other than education (for example work, family ties or return migration).


If you are in Finland for the purpose of only attending school, you are not eligible for financial aid from Finland. Usually international students are not eligible for the Finnish social security system, as their residency in Finland is not considered permanent. Permanent residence in Finland is determined by reference to the Municipality of Residence Act. The purpose of residence in Finland is determined in different ways depending on one’s nationality and whether the move is of a temporary or permanent nature.


You may be covered by social security, if there are other reasons for your residence in Finland or if your circumstances change while you are in Finland with the result that you meet the requirements for a permanent residence in Finland. A KELA card, entitling the owner the coverage under the Finnish residence-based social security scheme, must be applied for from KELA.

Health care services and insurances

Finland has a public health care system. All permanent residents may be issued a KELA card, which will give a person a possibility to use the public health care. Public health care is available to all permanent residents of Finland.


For foreign students it is a good to have a health insurance. Students should get insurances from their home countries before coming to Finland. Make sure that the insurance covers all the necessary costs! In emergencies, foreign students will get the needed treatment, but the costs must be paid by the student. If you don’t have insurance, you may need to pay hundreds of Euros for a simple procedure. For example an ambulance ride and plastering a broken leg may cost 600-1000€. General principle is that a person, who does not live permanently in Finland, must cover all the costs. Non-EU/EEA citizens are usually not covered by the National Health Insurance, unless there is a health care agreement between their home country and Finland. Therefore, a valid insurance to cover any medical treatment is essential.

All EU students are advised to have European Health Insurance Card from their home country and always carry it with them. Students carrying the card are entitled to treatment at the same price as Finns, in case of sudden illness or accident. Students from the Nordic countries do not need European Health Insurance Card.


Finnish Student Health Service FSHS (Ylioppilaiden terveydenhuoltosäätiö, YTHS) provides all Bachelor's and Master's degree students of the UEF, including exchange students, with health care, medical care, mental health care, and dental care. FSHS does not provide hospital treatments or maternity clinics. Please note that FSHS provides health services only for University students. Also note that you can use the FSHS health services only if you have a student card, which means you need to have paid the Student Union membership fee.


Savonia UAS has a health care for full-time students. A full-time student is a person that studies over four months. Health care includes dental care and nursing. It is also possible to make an appointment to a doctor.


The general emergency number is 112. Call this number if you need help in case of fire, sudden illness, traffic accident or other accident. Calls to this number are free of charge. When dialing the emergency number 112, you do not need an area code, not even when calling from a mobile phone. The same number is also for the police. Main police station’s address is Suokatu 44 B, 70101 KUOPIO. In case of poisoning call the Poison Information Centre +358 9 471 977 or +358 9 4711.


Kuopio Crisis Centre will help if you suddenly need safety or other help. You can go to a crisis centre to discuss your problems. You may also make an anonymous telephone call. You can also live temporarily in a crisis centre.


In Finland supermarkets and grocery stores are not allowed to sell any kinds of medicines. Medicines are sold only at pharmacies (apteekki). For most of the medicines you need a prescription from the doctor.


Job-hunting

The city of Kuopio is the biggest employer of the city. There are almost 6000 personnel in the service of the city.


Open work positions of the city of Kuopio are announced in the city’s recruitment page (www.kuopiorekry.fi, only in Finnish). One can also leave on the page an open application for instance to the social and health center, list of substitute teachers or work positions of daycare.


The city offers on-the-job learning placements mostly for students studying in the schools of Kuopio region. One can apply for internship places also independently without being a student at any school. Internship places can be enquired from different offices and facilities.


The city employs people in need of work with different means. The support season of employed is usually six months. Placements are applied from the Employment and Economic Development Office.


The city recruits tens of pupils and students for several summer jobs between May and September. Summer worker must be 15 years old before the employment starts. Summer jobs are applied for by sending an electronic application.


It must be stated at this point that for a foreign non-Finnish speaking student getting a job in Kuopio can be very difficult. There are always more people in search for a job than there are open places, so getting a summer job can be very challenging even for Finnish people. Moreover, our experience has been that even for simple work like cleaning, employers require for some reason Finnish language skills.


Every person working in Finland needs a tax card which one can get from the Tax Office. When one gets the card it should be given to the employer. North Savonian Tax Office (verotoimisto), address: Tulliportinkatu 35, 70110 Kuopio, Tel. (017) 153 7411.


NOTE! Tax office’s address until 1.1.2011: Microkatu 1, department S, 70211 Kuopio


Useful to know

For foreign people it is good to know that Finns can sometimes be very silent and reserved people. Casual small-talk is not a big part of Finnish culture so when Finns respond to questions very briefly they do not mean to be impolite. Instead, the fact is merely that Finns are not very good at small-talk so being silent is considered acceptable and comfortable. Finns do not usually start easily talk to strangers, so if one wants to make a contact with Finns, one must take the first step. Most of the Finns speak English well, even though they can be shy to use it in the beginning. When talking to Finns, listen to the speaker and wait for them to finish and then reply. Interrupting is normally considered rude.


In Finland people are usually very punctual and coming in time. Coming late is usually considered impolite. Trains, busses and other public transport are also usually in time. When you go to a Finnish home, it is a custom to take your shoes off inside. Finns can be very modest about themselves. In official occasions, greetings are formal, with a firm handshake, direct eye contact, and a smile. When you greet friends simply say hi or hello. Even superiors (professors, managers, etc) are usually greeted casually with their first name. Sauna is a huge part of Finnish lifestyle. To learn more about Finns and Finnish lifestyle, go for example to the Visit Finland web page.


Unlike the common belief is there are no polar bears or penguins in Finland. On the other hand, the original Santa Claus is truly from Finland and lives on the Korvatunturi –mountain!


The two official languages of Finland are Finnish and Swedish. The Finnish language is spoken by 90.7% of the Finns whereas about 5.4% of the people have Swedish as their mother tongue. Another indigenous language spoken in Finland is Sami (0.03%). Sami is spoken by the Sami people in parts of northern Finland, Norway, Sweden and north-western Russia.


Most of the Finns belong to The Evangelical Lutheran Church. 80% of the people are baptized Lutherans while 1% belongs to the Finnish Orthodox Church. There has been a complete freedom of religion in Finland since 1923. This means that everyone is free to practice any religion they wish as long as they don't violate the fundamental human rights or break the law. Finns are not particularly active church-goers even though most of them belong to the church. A number of small religious denominations are also represented in Finland.



USEFUL WEB SITES

Arrival and first days in Kuopio

Here are some first-hand instructions about how to arrive and survive the first few days in Kuopio.


Tutors of Savonia UAS and UEF will help in-coming students by picking them up from airport and train station and by taking them to their accommodation places. In order to have the tutors pick you up, you need to fill forms that will be given for you, when you get post from the school. Tutors will help students with getting familiar with the city, finding places, solving problems and any other kind of situations.


In Finland buying food from the supermarkets is cheaper than buying food from the smaller shops. In the city center there are two department stores where one can buy food, Anttila and Sokos. Other larger department stores are Prisma, Citymarket Kolmisoppi, Citymarket Päiväranta and Euromarket. Lidl is a cheap place to buy food. There are smaller grocery stores in every area. Even in the smaller shops you can buy some food and daily consumer goods. Cigarettes are sold in grocery stores and small kiosks. In Finland strong alcohol is sold only at Alko stores. Only milder drinks, like beer and cider, are sold in the grocery stores and supermarkets. Alcohol can be bought from stores only from 9am to 9pm. To buy strong alcohol the age limit is 20 and for milder alcohol 18. In Finland you can drink tap water everywhere, because Finnish water is very pure.


 A prepaid telephone subscription is a good alternative, if you want to have a Finnish phone number. Prepaids can be bought for example from R-Kioski. You can also buy prepaids from every phone operator shop. Operators in Finland are for example: Saunalahti, Sonera, DNA and Elisa.


Currency of Finland is Euro (€). Banks are open from Monday to Friday usually from 9.00 to 16.00. Office hours may vary regionally. Banks are closed on Saturdays and Sundays. Banks in Kuopio are for example Nordea, Osuuspankki, Handelsbanken, Sampo and Optia. Automatic teller machines (cash points) ”OTTO” are open around the clock every day. There are no restrictions on foreign students or trainees opening a bank account in Finland. You will receive a bank card which will give you access to every cash point in the country. Apart from withdrawing cash, you can also check your balance and pay bills. If you prefer to pay bills by bank transfer, there is a charge of few Euros. Money can be changed almost at any bank in Finland. The major credit cards are also accepted throughout the country.


Moving around the Kuopio is easy by bus. If you live far from the city, you may need buses daily. To buy a bus card, go to the Sokos department store (Haapaniemenkatu 24-26, second floor). More information on transportation, buses, fares and timetables is on the transportation section.


The main post office is located in the city centre. There are post offices also for example in Neulamäki, Petonen and Särkiniemi. All mailboxes are orange and there are many of them around the Kuopio.


There are many places in Kuopio were wireless Internet connections is available, if you have your own computer. In Savonia and University of Eastern Finland computers and Internet are available for use for free. City library and some other places offer computers for use as well. Further information about the places can be found in the link “Wireless Internet connections in Kuopio”. In Kuopas apartments there is a permanent and always open dna broadband cable modem connection (1M/512 Kb).


Student card and student unions

In Savonia University of Applied Sciencies (UAS) every full-time student will get a blue student card for free. Student card works inside Savonia as a library and meal card. With the card you can borrow books from the school library and eat in Savonia’s cafeterias. You also get discounts from cafeterias with the student card.


To get more student benefits and discounts, you need to be a member of SAVOTTA Student Union. By paying the Students Unions fee, you will get a sticker of academic year in to your card that will provide you discounts and benefits. Without the sticker, students do not get discounts from stores, companies etc.


For a new student in Savonia, fee for joining the Student Union is for half a year 20 €, whole year 25 € and single payment for whole study time is 55 €. Sticker of the academic year is a proof of membership and a justification for student discounts.


In University of Eastern Finland, all degree students are required to join the local Student Union (ISYY). Exchange students can join the Student Union, if their exchange lasts longer than three months. By joining the Student Union you will get meal and health care services, as well as discounts and benefits for the students. UEF Student Union office is located in the Studentia building.


Only by being a member of Student Union, you can obtain a Finnish student card and use the discounts and benefits it brings. For more information on student cards, fees and Student Union visit the web page of Student Union of University of Eastern Finland and University student card.