Answers to what applicants usually ask.

Yes. Tuition, teaching, learning materials and the coordinator team are always free for accepted students. Personal expenses (your flight to Finland, initial housing deposit, personal spending) are your own responsibility.

Typically 12 – 24 months from admission to graduation, depending on your starting Finnish level and which pathway you take. Care Assistant is shorter (~10 months); Practical Nurse takes longer.

You are not admitted to that intake. You can reapply in a future intake if you wish. We do not offer refunds or reservations, since applying is free of charge.

Yes. Practical Nurse is the full qualification and takes longer. Care Assistant is a shorter route into paid care work. You can discuss which pathway suits you during the admission process.

English is used during admission and in the early phases of the programme. You need enough English to understand instructions and communicate with coordinators — roughly upper-intermediate (B2). Once you move to Finland, Finnish becomes the working language.

Zero. The programme starts from A0 — the alphabet and basic greetings. If you have already studied Finnish, that is a bonus but not required.

You cannot progress to the next phase until the required Finnish level is reached. Your coordinator will work with you to identify what is missing and give you extra time. If it becomes clear the programme is not a fit, we discuss options honestly.

You will be studying on our online platform in your home country during the first phase, so yes — you can continue your current work. The load is intensive, though: expect 3 – 5 hours of study every day plus weekly exams.

Yes, all study material is on our own e-learning platform. You need a laptop or tablet, a reliable internet connection, and a quiet place to study and take exams.

We support you in preparing the application, but the residence permit application is filed in your own name at Migri (the Finnish Immigration Service). We cannot guarantee a permit — that decision is made by Migri — but the study path and documents from our programme support the application.

Yes, the flight to Finland is your own expense. We help you time it correctly with your studies and permit.

We help arrange initial housing when you arrive. After the first months you find your own housing, usually a shared apartment with colleagues. See Life in Finland for typical rent ranges.

Yes, family members can visit you in Finland on a tourist visa. Length depends on their citizenship and visa type. Migri handles all visa questions.

Not at the beginning of the programme. Family reunification becomes possible once you have a work-based residence permit and stable employment in Finland. Rules are set by Migri, not by HSS. Many former students have brought family after 1 – 2 years of work.

No. Completion of the programme does not guarantee employment. Employment is the outcome of a successful clinical placement and a hiring decision by a Finnish employer. That said, retention in the first workplace has historically been very high — close to 100 percent in past cohorts.

Salaries follow the Finnish care collective agreement (TES). A starting practical nurse salary is typically enough to cover rent, food, transport and modest savings outside the Helsinki area. Overtime and evening/weekend shifts add to base pay.

The clinical placement is at a partner care facility. If you are hired after the placement, you become an employee of that facility (or another Finnish employer if you find a role elsewhere).

Placement locations depend on where we have partner facilities and where capacity exists during your placement window. We take preferences into account but cannot guarantee a specific city.

Yes. The Practical Nurse qualification is a solid foundation. Continuing to Registered Nurse (sairaanhoitaja) requires further studies at a Finnish university of applied sciences. Some former students are on this path.

HSS is part of the Mehiläinen group, a large Finnish healthcare provider. See About HSS.

We do not place workers into shifts. We train them — a complete pathway from first Finnish lesson to qualification. Employment is the eventual outcome of the pathway, not the starting point.

Legitimate signals: HSS is a registered Finnish company (business ID 2831041-3), part of the Mehiläinen group, operating since 2020 with more than 1000 students trained. There is no upfront fee at any point in the process — if anyone asks you for money to apply or to be admitted, it is not us.

Our team includes teachers, coordinators, admissions staff and a housing team. Each student has a named coordinator who watches their progress and is the personal point of contact throughout the programme.

When applications open: CV, a short motivation letter, and basic personal information. We tell you exactly what to submit when the next intake is announced.

Not required, but it helps. Many past students had worked as domestic helpers or in family care before applying. What matters most is motivation and language learning aptitude.

Your coordinator can adjust your schedule for a limited time. Serious emergencies are handled case by case. We prefer honest communication over silent absence.

Yes. The coordinator relationship continues through the clinical placement. Beyond that, HSS alumni communities are active in most Finnish cities where students have settled.