Work placement abroad

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Completing work placement abroad is an excellent opportunity to increase your professional expertise, language skills, and cultural awareness. The time spent abroad in a different working environment increases your self-confidence and makes it easier for you to adapt to new challenges. Employers know this and they appreciate applicants with international work experience. Work placement abroad looks particularly good on your CV.

Where to get started?

Before you start seeking a work placement, think about what you expect to gain from your placement and what your own skills and resources are. Start looking for a placement at least six months in advance. Work placement must be approved by your work placement coordinator, so make sure to discuss it with them. 

You can seek an international work placement on your own, through Haaga-Helia’s contacts, or through organizations that provide work placement services.  

Insurance  

You will be insured by Haaga-Helia insurance policy while on a work placement abroad, including the journey from the place of residence to the work and back. Please note that the insurance does not cover free time, and you must obtain additional travel (health) insurance, too. 

Haaga-Helia’s insurances: 

  • Occupational accidents and diseases insurance for students
  • Liability insurance

Haaga-Helia Work Placement Portal

In the work placement portal you can: 

  • Make a notification of your work placement abroad (you do it if your placement is paid) 
  • Apply for a grant for international work placement (you do it if your placement is unpaid) 
  • Submit your work placement report for International Services (obligatory) 

Haaga-Helia Work Placement Portal

Financing work placement 

International work placement grant is available for you if: 

  • You are a degree student at Haaga-Helia 
  • You apply for the grant for work placement included in your compulsory studies 
  • Your placement is unpaid, and you do not get other grants for this placement (If you receive a salary from the company of less than € 1,000/month, this may be a so-called compensatory salary that covers, for example living in the destination, in which case the internship is still considered unpaid)
  • Your work placement must be carried out physically at the destination (your placement is not fully online work completed remotely from Finland)  
  • You complete your work placement in a country other than your home country (applies also to dual citizenship) 
  • Your work placement is full-time  
  • You don’t complete work placement at the same time as your student exchange 

Important to note concerning the grants

  • If you are entitled to Kela’s student financial aid for Haaga-Helia studies, you are also entitled to it for your work placement abroad 
  • If you travel to EU or ETA/EFTA country or Turkey, you apply for Erasmus+ grant 
  • If you travel to outside EU countries, you apply for Haaga-Helia grant 
  • If you are a foreign student completing unpaid work placement in Finland, and are not eligible for KELAs’ student aid; you apply for Haaga-Helia grant  
  • Please note that grant applications are not processed during Haaga-Helia's official holidays. 

  • If you need a certificate of the grant for the embassy's job application, you can get one upon request at grant@haaga-helia.fi (you can request a certificate even if you haven't applied for a grant yet)

You might also be interested in

Grant for work placement abroad
Student exchange at Haaga-Helia's partner institution
Summer schools and short courses