Study Abroad program as a dual citizen

[mrshourula]

My daughter, who is a dual US/Finnish citizen, attends a U.S. college which has a study abroad program with University of Tampere. If all goes well with her appliction, she plans to study at UTA for the 2008-09 academic year -- and so will live in Finland for up to nine months as a "US student."

My question is about being her being a dual US and Finnish citizen in this situation. Will the Finnish government consider her a Finnish citizen (she is registered with Maistraatti and has the social security no. and an EU Passport). I asked because I know that some countries (Poland, for example) will view a dual citizen as soley a citizen of the country of residence.

I've already noted that may need to think about taxes because she will be there over six months. What other issues should we be think about?

Ultimately we probably need talk to someone at the Finnish Consulate but I'm here first to ask you all to help me frame the questions.

[Hank W.]

Ah, Rouva Looneybin, please rest assured shes as much a Finn as it gets. Now the thing is she just needs to register her residence (form at the post office) as "moved in from foreign places" and shes kosher. If wanting a job, get a tax card etc... now as she is over 6 months shes liable for taxes and such, but as she needs to get a bank account anyways... so when she moves out; then not close the account; another form to tell the magistrate that shes moved to "foreign places" and pay the year transfer to the post office.

As far as her education is concerned, she is "foreign student" as she's not got a Finnish Matriculation. So the international office at the uni will send her allö the unnecessary "how to get residence permit" information. Dualists are such a rare thing the system gets confused.

Then that she has made a "mark" in Tampere, she'll be regarded as a Tampere expat when she moves out

[mrshourula]

Thank you, Hank. My little chick was worrying that the Finnish Gov might not let her be an "exchange" student because of her dual status. But it seems she will have the best of both worlds.

And all she will have to fret over is the joking about her last name!
(Here she only has to fret that no can spell or pronounce it correctly)

[sammy]

Thank you, Hank. My little chick was worrying that the Finnish Gov might not let her be an "exchange" student because of her dual status. But it seems she will have the best of both worlds.

And all she will have to fret over is the joking about her last name!
(Here she only has to fret that no can spell or pronounce it correctly)

If I'm not mistaken, citizenship as such is not so much of an issue in these exchange questions. Say that we have a Finnish citizen who has lived all his life in Finland but is now studying in Germany as a degree student. If his (German) home university has a student exchange agreement with some Finnish institution, he could in principle come to Finland as an exchange student.

The question might be only whether the home institution in Germany would let him do that, they might give priority to German students in cases like this.

(not to mention that being an exchange student in one's home country might be a daft idea as such )

Funnily enough, in the Nordplus exchange programme (exchange between the Nordic countries) the self-governing regions can partake in student exchange as 'independent' entities - so in principle it is possible for a Finn to go for an exchange period in Åland, and vice versa.

[mrshourula]

Well, yes, when we think about it, it does seem a little daft. And Hank's explanation added to that. She will be "Finnish" in all aspects of her life except where she is a student -- and then she will be a 'foreign" student not because of nationality but because she graduated from an American school system and enrolls at UTA through an exchange program.

But is it a wonderful way for her to spend a year in Finland (something she has talked about since she was a young girl) and, because she pays tuition to her home university for this program, she gets residence and academic credit and doesn't lose a year of work towards her degree.

[sammy]

Well, yes, when we think about it, it does seem a little daft. And Hank's explanation added to that.

Sorry, I didn't mean that it's daft in all cases - obviously, if your daughter hasn't spent very much time in Finland it's a perfectly good idea!

(I was rather referring to those students who e.g. have lived in Finland until the matriculation exam, then have gone abroad for degree studies. As said in principle they could come to Finland, but that might be added to the "silly files" so to speak.)

[Hank W.]

Then again my Finnish niece who had a French baccalaureat had to apply into Helsinki Uni in the "foreigner quota" even the tests and everything were in Finnish... and they sent her all the residence application forms etc.

[mrshourula]

Well, yes, when we think about it, it does seem a little daft. And Hank's explanation added to that.

Sorry, I didn't mean that it's daft in all cases - obviously, if your daughter hasn't spent very much time in Finland it's a perfectly good idea!

(I was rather referring to those students who e.g. have lived in Finland until the matriculation exam, then have gone abroad for degree studies. As said in principle they could come to Finland, but that might be added to the "silly files" so to speak.)

Opps, I left off my emoticon because we really do find it ironic that the best way for her to spend a year "becoming Finnish" is to go to school in Finland as an "foreigner!"

[Meri-Tuuli]

Hello

Well I'm sort of in the same boat, but maybe not. I'm a dual - British/Finnish citizen, and I'm clearly 'Finnish' to the authorities here. Exactly the same as Ville Nowheremäki. So. But then, I'm permantly registered as living here, and taking a normal masters at the local uni. So there is no 'temporary' about my situation if you see what I mean - as an exchange student, they will automatically assume you're temporary I think.

But I can't imagine that there would be any problems. I know students here from Nepal and Mongolia, plus oodles of exchange students, and they haven't had any problems with the authorities here, so its doubtful your daughter will get any -- apart from the fact that as a dualist, offices etc might get confused. I've lost count of the number of times I've had to correct my nationality - it seems databases etc only have enough room for one nationality in that data field