Student Travel Card

Linza · Post by **Linza** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 9:55 pm

Hei;

I am an international student at Metropolia. I have a letter proving my registration for studies, a student ID number, a student residence permit with all required numbers on that, and a USA passport. I tried to apply for a student travel card, and they say I need to go to the Helsinki police and get an identification card (60 euro plus whatever it costs to have my photo taken and printed), which will take something like a month to actually receive. Then, they say, I can apply for a student travel card, which will take another few weeks.

But the ytv.fi website says all I need is a photo ID, and that a passport will suffice.

I sent YTV an email asking about it, but do not have a response yet. What are all of your thoughts on the matter? Has anyone else run into this problem?

- L

**Sponsor:**

interleukin · Post by **interleukin** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 12:50 am

The Maistratti (Albertinkatu 25, Helsinki) can give you a paper (if you show your passport and residence permit etc) that you can bring to the YTV office (eg in the main railway station tunnel) and they will then let you get the card for resident prices.

forest_girl · Post by **forest_girl** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 11:14 am

interleukin wrote:The Maistratti (Albertinkatu 25, Helsinki) can give you a paper (if you show your passport and residence permit etc) that you can bring to the YTV office (eg in the main railway station tunnel) and they will then let you get the card for resident prices.

And don't forget your school papers so that you get 50% off

Linza · Post by **Linza** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 5:51 pm

Ok, I went to get registered and they told me that because my residence permit is not for a full year, they cannot register me. This is something the consulate at New York, through which I applied for a residence permit, totally failed to inform me about. WHAT THE EFF.

Estesark · Post by **Estesark** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 6:11 pm

Maybe you should just avoid paying the fares altogether.

I've used the trains in Finland hundreds of times, and the buses/trams in Helsinki dozens of times, and I've only once had my ticket checked (except on long-distance trains, but on those you can buy tickets from the inspectors anyway). I think the inspectors are so rare, that you would actually profit from never buying tickets and just paying the €80 every once in a while should you get caught. I'm not sure if they prosecute repeat offenders though.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 6:29 pm

Linza wrote:Ok, I went to get registered and they told me that because my residence permit is not for a full year, they cannot register me. This is something the consulate at New York, through which I applied for a residence permit, totally failed to inform me about. WHAT THE EFF.

Well did you that specifically? In Finland there are "things everybody knows" and nobody will come out of their way to explain you these things - because everybody knows them. If you do not know them... poor you. Yes I know thats nasty, but everybody knows that

And did they not give you an ID number or just not register you as a permanent resident - students can get a travelcard they have slightly different rules about it all.

And for Estesark, if you get "smurfed" it goes to the bailiff for collection and I think they keep accruing interest for ten years or so...

interleukin · Post by **interleukin** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 9:03 pm

I went last week with a colleague of mine who is in Finland for working, only for three months and she got that paper from Maistratti to get the cheap travel card. So I think you should go and ask again.

pseudo · Post by **pseudo** » Wed Sep 09, 2009 9:34 pm

As far as I know, part-time students cannot get student discount while buying ytv card.

Linza · Post by **Linza** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 4:50 pm

I am a full-time student. I have joined the student union. HOAS found me an apartment. I have done EVERYTHING RIGHT. I have followed the written rules TO THE LETTER. Now apparently someone is making !"#¤% up. Thanks Finland. Thanks a lot.

interleukin · Post by **interleukin** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 5:39 pm

Now apparently someone is making !"#¤% up. Thanks Finland. Thanks a lot.

Get used to it, it just gets better.

sammy · Post by **sammy** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 7:56 pm

Linza wrote:I am a full-time student. I have joined the student union. HOAS found me an apartment. I have done EVERYTHING RIGHT. I have followed the written rules TO THE LETTER. Now apparently someone is making !"#¤% up. Thanks Finland. Thanks a lot.

Hi

You say you're a full-time student. Would you by any chance, however, be an exchange student? If you are not an exchange student, but a degree student... then... was just wondering why exactly your residence permit is not for a full year - snip from the http://www.migri.fi site - "If the studies last for more than a year, the residence permit is usually granted for one year at a time." So did you not apply for a residence permit for a whole year, even if you knew you'd be staying here for the length of your degree studies?

(if that is so, it would appear you did NOT do everything right I'm afraid - please let us know why your permit ended up being <1 year, this is an issue that probably concerns many others as well and we could make a "sticky" out of it.)

On the YTV instructions, which you no doubt have read -
http://www.ytv.fi/ENG/transport/tickets ... udents.htm
- the keyword probably is "permenent residence". The pages are fairly clear on the issue of foreign exchange students, but IMO they should be more specific about foreign degree students and the maistraatti registration issue.

Be as it may... in your case, however, I'd wager the crux of the problem is the less-than-one year residence permit (if indeed you are a degree student). I'm sorry to hear if you haven't been informed of this issue when you applied for the permit, or by the UAS, or by the relevant web pages.

onkko · Post by **onkko** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:09 pm

Linza wrote:I am a full-time student. I have joined the student union. HOAS found me an apartment. I have done EVERYTHING RIGHT. I have followed the written rules TO THE LETTER. Now apparently someone is making !"#¤% up. Thanks Finland. Thanks a lot.

You have NO RIGHT! You can be happy that you have FREE education. @#$% you!
Your education is paid from finnish money, do you have a right?

sammy · Post by **sammy** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 8:35 pm

interleukin wrote:I went last week with a colleague of mine who is in Finland for working, only for three months and she got that paper from Maistratti to get the cheap travel card. So I think you should go and ask again.

Then again, "working" = not the same as "studying". What sort of a cheap travel card did she get eventually? Not a student discount card, surely?

You know... actually, no offence but this sort of advice is not very useful, since the worst scenario is that the OP goes back and says "oh yeah but I've heard that somebody (whom I don't know) got the paper for reasons I don't know either but someone told me she is working here and got the paper - I'm actually studying here... erm... but... I mean... so can I have the same please please please?"

And you must know what happens then

Estesark · Post by **Estesark** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 10:57 pm

onkko wrote:You have NO RIGHT! You can be happy that you have FREE education. @#$% you!
Your education is paid from finnish money, do you have a right?

You're an idiot.

interleukin · Post by **interleukin** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 12:49 am

Then again, "working" = not the same as "studying". What sort of a cheap travel card did she get eventually? Not a student discount card, surely?

I know that working is not the same as studying, I merely contributed to the discussion with an example of someone who is definitely not a permanent resident but still got a travel card. The card she got was the normal matkakorti, not with student discount but with Helsinki resident discount.

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