Frequently asked questions

The Finnish National Agency for Education does not issue decisions on eligibility for the profession of Arabic teacher. The Finnish National Agency for Education can issue decisions on eligibility for professions based on foreign qualification when the profession in question has statutory eligibility requirements.

Mother tongue instruction is generally organized as supplementary education to basic education. There are no statutory eligibility requirements for mother tongue instruction. Thus, the organizer of the instruction or education defines the qualifications and skills required of the teacher.

The eligibility requirements for subject teachers are: 

• Master's degree
• at least 60 or 120 credits of studies in the teaching
• at least 60 credits of teacher's pedagogical studies.

You have completed a Master’s degree in Finland. You can apply to the Finnish National Agency for Education for a decision on the recognition of your foreign teacher education as comparable to the teacher’s pedagogical studies of at least 60 credits completed in Finland. If your Master’s degree completed in Finland includes studies in mathematics, find out first if the awarding Finnish university can issue to you an equivalency certificate regarding the studies in mathematics.

All subjects for which the decision from the Finnish National Agency for Education can provide eligibility are listed on the application form for the recognition of qualifications.

These subjects are:

• Mother tongue and literature (Finnish, Swedish, Sami)
• Second national language (Swedish, Finnish)
• Foreign language (English, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Latin, Portuguese, French, Sami, German, Russian, Estonian)
• Mathematics
• Biology
• Geography
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Health education
• Religion
• Ethics
• History
• Social Studies
• Music
• Art
• Crafts
• Physical education
• Home economics
• ICT

Go to more information on the website of recognition of qualifications

No it can't. Under the Finnish constitution, everyone is equal before the law. No one shall, without an acceptable reason, be treated differently from other persons on the ground of sex, age, origin, language, religion, conviction, opinion, health, disability or other reason that concerns his or her person. Children shall be treated equally and as individuals and they shall be allowed to influence matters pertaining to themselves to a degree corresponding to their level of development. Promoting equality and preventing discrimination are also the purpose of the Non-discrimination Act.

Those applying for general upper secondary education have the right to apply to an educational institution of their choice. Anyone with a certificate from lower secondary school or with a corresponding completed syllabus can apply for general upper secondary education. An individual may also be admitted as a student, if they otherwise have a sufficient readiness to take up the studies. This means for example that the applicant has sufficient skills in the language of instruction. Equitable criteria shall be applied to student admissions. Student admissions are carried out according to the Ministry of Education and Culture Decree on the Criteria for Student Admissions to General Upper Secondary Education.

Any person shall have the right to freely apply for the vocational qualifications or vocational education and training referred to in the Act on Vocational Education and Training. Applicants may be admitted as a student if they have completed the basic education syllabus or a corresponding earlier syllabus, or if the VET provider deems them otherwise sufficiently capable of acquiring the competence or completing the qualification that is the goal of the education and training. Equal grounds shall be applied in student admissions. Vocational upper secondary education and training admissions are carried our according to the Ministry of Education and Culture Decree on the Criteria for Student Admissions to Vocational Upper Secondary Education. 

A person wishing to pursue higher education studies has the right to freely apply to study for degrees referred to in the Universities Act and Universities of Applied Sciences Act, provided he or she fulfills the eligibility criteria set in the legislation. Student admissions are carried out by the higher education institutes, that decide the admissions criteria. In the application process, applicants may be divided into separate applicant categories on the basis of their different educational backgrounds. The admissions criteria applied must be consistent for all applicants belonging to the same category. 

Education providers decide on student admissions according to the above mentioned regulations. The regulations do not allow for the use of the applicant's nationality or country of residence as a grounds for not handling the application or for not selecting the applicant. The regulations on equality and non-discrimination also apply to student admissions to other education, including higher education institutions.

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