Policy framework

As described in Eurydice database/Finland 12. Mobility and internationalisation, 'the international mobility of students and teachers is an essential part of basic education in Finland’. The main agency for implementing policies in the field of international co-operation in education, training, youth, sports, and culture is the Finnish National Agency for Education. 

As described in Mobility Scoreboard database/Finland (2023, Country fiches, chapter 1.1.4), the legal base for international learning mobility in the context of Finnish IVET is grounded in the Vocational Education and Training Act, the Finnish National Agency for Education Act and the new National Qualification Requirements, supporting the internationalisation of VET students. 

According to the Mobility Scoreboard Higher Education Background Report 2022/2023, Finland is among the European education systems that have introduced top-level strategies focusing primarily or partly on guidance and information for outgoing mobility. At the moment, the international strategy for higher education and research 2017–2025 can be regarded as a top-level strategy. The main content of the strategy is described in Eurydice/Finland 12.5 Other dimensions of internationalisation in higher education. For more information, see the Ministry of Education and Culture’s press release Updated vision for international activities in Finnish higher education and research published. 

Main cross-border mobility programmes for students in formal education

Government financial resources for the internationalisation of education and training are channelled through the Finnish National Agency for Education. There are also other national organisations offering funding to help finance school exchanges, for example. The main programmes for international student and staff mobility are Erasmus+ for European countries and Nordplus for Nordic and Baltic countries. 

Erasmus+ and Nordplus Junior include students in upper secondary education, as well as primary and lower secondary students, covering both general and vocational study programmes. Upper secondary exchanges are also organised by various organisations, such as Rotary, which has clubs in both Finland and Estonia. 

Young people who are in higher education or have recently graduated can also apply for an EDUFI traineeship, which is coordinated by the National Agency for Education. Erasmus+ exchange can also be completed within a year from graduation, according to the Finnish National Agency for Education (in Finnish). 

Mobility periods are linked to studies in relation to national curricula. The length of the mobility periods varies from a couple of days to several months. The pupils and students receive financial support for travel, accommodation, and catering through the projects financed by either Erasmus+ or Nordplus. For more information, see the Eurydice database/Finland 12.1 Mobility in early childhood and school education. 

More information on national reforms in higher education regarding international mobility can be accessed through Eurydice/Finland 13.4 National reforms in higher education. 

Promoting mobility in the context of non-formal learning, and of youth work

The Youth Act does not specify the exact form of youth work services that municipalities must organise; instead, they are tailored to local needs. However, various bodies (such as NGOs and parishes) that offer youth work or share expertise on youth work at the local and national levels have long traditions in international youth work. According to the Youth Act, international youth work can also receive funding through the annual state budget. There are also National Youth Centres around the country, which are especially named in the Act as institutions for promoting an international orientation for young people. 

As a public authority, the Regional State Administrative Agencies have a role in promoting and implementing international youth work at a regional level. They organise, for example, in-service training and networking events for people working with young people. See more about the role of the Regional State Administrative Agencies in youth work on their Youth work webpage.  It should be noted that from the beginning of 2026, the majority of Regional State Administrative Agencies’ responsibilities will be transferred to the new Finnish Supervisory Agency (see Glossary).  

Quality assurance

The Finnish National Agency for Education publishes annual statistics on the international mobility of students and education professionals in Finland. The statistics are collected from comprehensive schools, general upper secondary schools, vocational institutions and higher education institutions. They include various types of mobility, regardless of whether the funding has been received from educational institutions, the state, or, for example, Erasmus+. 

The annual statistics provide information on the proportion of students participating in international mobility programmes, as well as on different forms of internationalisation in schools (e.g., international study modules, workshops, and instruction in global education and sustainable development). 

According to the Finnish National Agency (in Finnish), monitoring the quality and achievement of learning goals is the education institution’s responsibility. Learning agreement plans and certificates for participation and studies completed are mentioned as methods for recognising learning outcomes. 

In the context of Erasmus+ exchange programmes, the student must also follow the Erasmus+ Student Charter instructions. As described on the European Commission’s Erasmus+ Programme Guide, higher education institutions also ‘commit to provide all the necessary support to mobile participants, including linguistic preparation’, before being granted the Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE). 

Regarding Erasmus+, the equal distribution of funds across different regions of the country is monitored. The Finnish National Agency for Education, together with several other Erasmus+ Youth National Agencies and research partners, also participates in transnational, ongoing research-based analysis of European youth programmes. The regular surveys carried out measure the impact that participation in Youth in Action and Erasmus+ has had on participants´ learning, attitudes, and active participation in society. For more information, see RAY MON – Research project on the evidence-based analysis and monitoring of Erasmus+ Youth.