Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its effects in the administrative branch of the Ministry of Education and Culture 

Obligations imposed by the Act include matters related to customer identification, such as determining the origin of funds and refusing suspicious transactions. The provisions on money laundering fall within the remit of the administrative branch of the Ministry of the Interior.

The competent supervisory authority for the Act on Preventing Money Laundering is the Regional State Administrative Agency for Southern Finland, which can be contacted for further information. 

The Finnish Immigration Service processes involving entry into the country operate normally. Special regulations related to Russians and Ukrainians may change at short notice.

• Finnish Immigration Service: Frequently asked questions

Financial resources must not be made available to those subject to sanctions.

• Frequently asked questions on export-related restrictions pursuant to Articles 2, 2a and 2b of Council Regulation No 833/2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia's actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine
• Council Regulation 2022/328 amending Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia's actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine

The Ministry of Education and Culture recommends refraining from all research cooperation with Russian partner organisations. According to the policies, new projects must not be initiated and existing cooperation between organisations should be suspended for the time being. The processing of new initiatives related to cooperation between the authorities of Finland and Russia or Belarus will also be frozen.

It is still possible to apply for entry to Finland as a student or researcher regardless of your citizenship. No member of staff or student of any organisation operating under the remit of the Ministry of Education and Culture residing in the country need leave Finland due to the war in Ukraine.

Higher education institutions and government agencies and public bodies within the administrative branch of the Ministry of Education and Culture are responsible for ensuring that research cooperation subject to sanctions is not carried out with Russian parties. Economic sanctions include a ban on exports of oil refining technology and aviation and space technologies, among other things. In addition, export restrictions have been imposed on dual-use goods and technologies and exports restrictions on certain goods and technology that might contribute to Russia’s technological enhancement of its defence and security sector. Such products include semiconductors and cutting-edge technologies.

The European Commission has suspended negotiations on new projects with Russian and Belarusian organisations related to first applications under Horizon Europe as well as payments to Russia and Belarus in ongoing Horizon 2020 projects. 

The decision to freeze cooperation also applies to international research organisations and infrastructures that make decisions based on their own procedures. Finnish parties are involved in such decision-making in accordance with their role. Several international research organisations and infrastructures have decided to suspend cooperation with Russian and Belarusian organisations. 

• More information about sanctions related to technologies: Consilium (europa.eu)
• More information about the Commission’s policy
• Russia: sanctions | Ministry for Foreign Affairs

Foreign students are welcome in Finnish higher education institutions regardless of their nationality. It is not possible in the admissions procedure to decide against or prohibit admission of students based on citizenship. Ukrainian and Russian students studying in Finland may continue their studies normally, taking into account any personal sanctions and export controls that may affect the situation of students. Distance teaching is comparable to other teaching. 

Based on the double degree agreements made with Russian and Belarusian higher education institutions, the study rights granted to Finnish higher education institutions remain in force and students may continue their studies normally.  No new agreements will be concluded. 

International students are entitled to last-resort social assistance if they are unable to manage their daily expenses. Those who are staying in Finland temporarily are entitled to essential social assistance at the very least, i.e. food and necessary prescription medicines, both of which are granted under financial commitments. Finland’s social security system cannot offset the effects of the sanctions on a long-term basis, but no one must be left in distress.

Persons residing in Finland on the basis of an overall assessment of the nature of their situation are entitled to basic social assistance in accordance with the general conditions, similarly to those who are residing permanently in Finland.

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland has decided to freeze higher education and science policy cooperation with Russia and Belarus. 

The Ministry of Education and Culture recommends that Finnish universities, universities of applied sciences, the Academy of Finland, the National Archives of Finland, the National Repository Library, the Institute for the Languages of Finland, and CSC – Finnish IT Centre for Science Ltd  freeze both ongoing cooperation between the organisations and Russian-Belarusian partner organisations and the planning of new projects while at the same time also freezing the processing of new initiatives for cooperation between public officials of Finland and Russia or Belarus.

Finland supports the decision of the European Commission to freeze cooperation within the framework of EU training and research programmes with Russian and Belarusian partners.

All sanctions and restrictions have been imposed on Russia and Belarus as states. The policies focus on supporting Ukraine; they are not directed at Russian students and researchers. 

Universities of applied sciences and universities charge tuition fees to non-EU and non-EEA students studying in a degree programme that is not provided in Finnish or Swedish. Failure to pay the tuition fee does not, under section 43 of the Universities Act and section 32 of the Universities of Applied Sciences Act, constitute grounds for the student having to forfeit the right to study. Instead, the higher education institution may decide that the payment of tuition fees is a condition for enrolment and thus, in effect, a condition for being able to study.

The practices applicable to tuition fees must be non-discriminatory and citizenship cannot be used as grounds in them. However, higher education institutions may grant, by their own decision, scholarships for humanitarian reasons, and the scholarship can be used to offset the tuition fee, meaning that the fee does not need to be paid.

The freezing of funds is associated with a provision according to which no financial resources may be made available to a person on the sanctions list (Article 2, paragraph 2: “No funds or economic resources shall be made available, directly or indirectly, to or for the benefit of natural or legal persons, entities or bodies listed in the Annex”). Therefore, such persons may not be granted a scholarship. Before granting a scholarship, it is advisable to check whether the recipient is on the sanctions list, and scholarships are granted on condition that the recipient is not subject to any sanctions.

Early childhood education and care affects children’s learning abilities, linguistic capabilities and the creation of a safe everyday life. Early childhood education and care is effective for learning Finnish and Swedish. Municipalities are encouraged to provide early childhood education and care for children within the scope of temporary protection. 

Some children within the scope of temporary protection obtain a municipality of residence in Finland directly, if the child’s family member has been issued a municipality of residence in Finland. These children have a subjective right to municipal early childhood education and care. 

Children within the scope of temporary protection or seeking asylum are entitled to early childhood education provided by the municipality in cases where the child’s parent or other guardian is employed or is enrolled in studies or for some other similar reason. Early childhood education and care must also be provided in urgent situations or when circumstances make it otherwise necessary. However, the best interests of the child must always be a primary consideration in the provision of early childhood education and care, and the provision of early childhood education and care must be based on an individual assessment of the child’s needs. 

Municipalities have a duty to provide advice and guidance on the services in early childhood education and care available in their municipality.

Once asylum has been granted to a family and a child, the child has the same right to municipal early childhood education and care as other children whose place of residence is in Finland.

Once immigrants have been granted a residence permit on the basis of temporary protection, they may study in Finland without any limitations. People are free to apply for vocational education and training and general upper secondary education, and those within the scope of temporary protection can also apply on the same terms as Finnish citizens.

Information on how to apply for studies can be found on the Studyinfo.fi website or on the websites of education providers, for example. Information and advice on education and training is also available at the Ohjaamo service points and on the infofinland.fi website.

studyinfo.fi
ohjaamot.fi
infofinland.fi

Those within the scope of temporary protection who decide to apply for vocational education and training may also complete their studies in the form of education and training based on a training agreement or apprenticeship agreement, provided that the requirements for it are otherwise met.

Vocational education and training can be organised at the workplace in connection with practical work tasks in the form of training based on a training agreement or apprenticeship training. Students taking part in training based on a training agreement acquire competence in a workplace through practical job tasks but are not employed in the workplace. Apprenticeship training, instead, is based on a written fixed-term employment contract between a student aged 15 or over and the employer.

The international community, and the administrative branch of the Ministry of Education and Culture included, has widely and strongly condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  

The European Commission decided to freeze cooperation within the framework of EU training and research programmes with Russian and Belarusian partners. 

Russia and Belarus have been excluded from the activities of international organisations, such as the OECD, and from decision-making in the Council of Europe, including partial agreements. UNESCO will assess the effects of the Russian attacks and the need for emergency relief in Ukraine, especially with regard to education, culture, cultural heritage and the dissemination of information.  
Among the organisations involved in regional cooperation, the Nordic Council of Ministers, the Council of the Baltic Sea States and the Barents Euro-Arctic Council have suspended their cooperation with Russia and Belarus.   

The following statements, among others, have been issued in the administrative branch of the Ministry of Education and Culture:

• Declaration of EU Ministers responsible for Culture, Audiovisual and Media condemning the Russian aggression against Ukraine and supporting Ukrainian artists, journalists and cultural and media professionals I Impression (europa.eu)
• Statement by the ministers of sport of 37 countries on banning Russia and Belarus from competing in international sports activities

• EU Commission press release on suspending cooperation with Russia on research and innovation  

• CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) statement on the situation in Ukraine  

• Ukraine: UNESCO Decisions adopted by the Executive Board at its 7th special session  

• UNESCO Extraordinary Meeting of the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict: Declaration on the protection of cultural heritage in Ukraine  

• Ukraine: UNESCO statement following the adoption of the UN General Assembly resolution

• Council of Europe Steering Committee for Education (CDEDU): Statement on the educational consequences of the Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine

• UN Assembly Resolution demanding end to Russian offensive in Ukraine

• Resolution on the cessation of the membership of the Russian Federation to the Council of Europe  

• Press release on the Nordic Council of Ministers suspending its co-operation with Russia and Belarus  

• Joint statement of Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the European Union regarding Barents Euro-Arctic cooperation  

• Statement by the members of the Council of the Baltic Sea States (Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the EU) on suspending Russia from further participation in the Council’s activities  

• Northern Dimension Policy: Joint statement by the European Union, Iceland and Norway on suspending activities with Russia and Belarus  

All sanctions and restrictions have been imposed on Russia and Belarus as states. The policies focus on supporting Ukraine; they are not directed at Russian students and researchers.