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Here you can find the important dates and instructions on how to apply to basic education in English and bilingual education in different languages in Helsinki.
Supplementary applications mean the round of applications for the free places that have not been filled in the main application round in January. Places are for the school year that starts in August 2023. For basic education in English, only places for grade 1 are available. For bilingual education, you can apply to all grades from 1 to 9.
The application period takes place on 8 May–30 July 2023 and the language tests take place in early August. Register for a language test by submitting the electronic application form below (requires strong authentication with online banking credentials or mobile certificate):
If you are unable to use the electronic form, fill out and print the PDF form. Deliver it to us according to the instructions on the PDF.
The language test for bilingual Finnish-English education will be held on Friday 4 August at Kulosaari Primary School. We will email all applicants further instructions regarding the language test.
If you are applying for bilingual Finnish-English education in Grade 1, you can choose whether you take the language test in Finnish or English. For other grades, you will be tested in both Finnish and English.
Each school providing bilingual education holds a language test for the free places on Friday 4 August at their own school. We will email all applicants further instructions regarding the language test. The other options for bilingual education are Finnish–Chinese, Finnish–Estonian, Finnish–Russian and Finnish–Spanish. See the schools for each programme in the table below.
If the number of places is 0, you can still apply. It is possible that places will become available before August.
If there is a dash (-) in the box, the programme is not available at all for this grade.
Grade | ||||||||||
School | languages | 1 | 2 |
3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
Laajasalo comprehensive school |
Finnish-English |
0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - |
Vesala comprehensive school
|
Finnish-English |
0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | - | - | 4 | - | - |
Malmi comprehensive school
|
Finnish-English |
1 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 8 | - | - |
Kulosaari primary school |
Finnish-English |
2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
Töölö primary school |
Finnish-English |
0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
Käpylä comprehensive school
|
Finnish-Spanish |
0 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - |
Meilahti primary school |
Finnish-Chinese |
Places are available for all grades. |
||||||||
Meilahti lower secondary school |
Finnish-Chinese |
Places are available for all grades. |
||||||||
Myllypuro comprehensive school
|
Finnish-Russian |
Places are available for all grades. |
||||||||
Latokartano comprehensive school
|
Finnish-Estonian |
17 | 17 | 8 | 0 | 12 | 13 | - | - | - |
The language test for basic education in English will be held on Thursday 3 August at Ressu Comprehesive School. We will email all applicants further instructions regarding the language test.
School | Grade 1 |
Ressu comprehensive school | 4 |
Maunula primary school | 1 |
The schools will send out the admission decisions to guardians by Tuesday 8 August by email.
English-language and Bilingual Services
If you have questions about the supplementary admission or applying, get in touch with Eduguidance
Email eduguidance@hel.fi, telephone +358 9 310 76965
In addition to the municipal schools offering English-language classes, the following lower secondary schools organise basic education in English and/or as bilingual Finnish-English education for grades 7–9:
Pupils who move to Helsinki in the middle of basic education and have previously studied in English in Finland or abroad have the right to apply for vacancies in grades 2–9. The pupils are placed in classes in accordance with their year of birth. The student must meet the following criteria:
The Board of Education Division has approved the admission criteria on 26 October 2021. See the English translation of the school admission criteria in Finnish-language basic education: Determination of a pupil’s school and criteria for school admission in Finnish-language basic education (PDF)
Attach the applicant’s most recent certificate of studies in English-language basic education. Please attach a copy of the original certificate and if needed, a translation of it in Finnish or English with the required information. Please make sure the following information is included in the attachments:
school details (name of the school, contact person such as the principal)
dates or times of the completed studies (start date, end date if applicable)
information that indicates that the language of instruction has been English, i.e., the studies have been completed entirely or mainly in English-language instruction
Date and a school stamp or a signature.
If the information or the attachments are inadequate, we will send you a request for additional information. The request for additional information must be resolved within two weeks.
Language test dates in 2023 (Continuous admission, Basic education in English)
Autumn 2023: Thu 3 August, Thu 7 Setember, Thu 5 October, Thu 2 November and Thu 7 December.
If a pupil moves to Helsinki in the middle of basic education and has previously studied in bilingual Finnish-English education elsewhere in Finland, the pupil can apply for bilingual Finnish-English education if the following criteria are met:
The Board of Education Division has approved the admission criteria on 26 October 2021. See the English translation of the school admission criteria in Finnish-language basic education: Determination of a pupil’s school and criteria for school admission in Finnish-language basic education (PDF)
The Board of Education Division has approved the admission criteria on 26 October 2021. See the English translation of the school admission criteria in Finnish-language basic education: Determination of a pupil’s school and criteria for school admission in Finnish-language basic education (PDF)
If you have questions about English or bilingual education services, or early childhood education in different languages, please email, call or book an online appointment. We speak Finnish and English.
Email eduguidance@hel.fi
Tel. +358 9 310 76965