Applying to Pori upper secondary school

A person may be admitted into education if they have completed the Finnish primary and lower secondary education syllabus, an equivalent earlier syllabus, or foreign education which in the country in question qualifies for studies equivalent to general upper secondary education. In this case, the education provider must assess the applicant’s command of the language of instruction and other prerequisites for completing general upper secondary education. An applicant cannot be admitted as a student unless they have sufficient knowledge of the study programme’s language of instruction, including both spoken and written language usage and understanding. Additional information General upper secondary education – OKM – Ministry of Education and Culture, Finland

If you apply to Pori Upper Secondary School with a foreign diploma, you must apply through the online joint application system  www.opintopolku.fi . The application period in the spring 2026 joint application to upper secondary education starts on the 17th of February 2026 and ends on the 17th of March 2026 at 3 pm UTC+2.

Unfortunately, the application form is only available in Finnish and Swedish. When applying, select “Ulkomailla suoritettu koulutus” as the basic education. You can apply to up to seven (7) different study programmes, which must be arranged in the order of preference. 
 
Please submit the attachments of your application, your latest diplomas and all other documents supporting your selection by no later than April 1, 2026 to: 
Porin lukio 
Opiskelijavalinta 
Tasavallankatu 4 
28130 Pori 
Finland 
 
If you are applying to our upper secondary education in English, you must also take an entrance exam to show your ability to study in English. The entrance exam in English will be held on April 21, 2026 at 10.00 a.m. at Porin lukio upper secondary school at Tasavallankatu 4, Pori, entrance at the corner of Tasavallankatu and Koulukatu, down the stairs to the 0th floor. You need your ID with your picture (e.g. passport, identity card, driving license), a pencil and an eraser for the test.  Be sure to mention your email address in your application. General upper secondary education in English is intended only for applicants whose language skills are insufficient to complete upper secondary education in Finnish or Swedish due to the duration of their prior education in Finland. A person is considered to have insufficient language skills to complete the curriculum of general upper education intended for young people in Finnish or Swedish only if they have completed studies referred to in the Basic Education Act for no more than three years.

Applicants to upper secondary education in English who are not citizens of the European Union or a country belonging to the European Economic Are are required to have a residence permit granted under the Aliens Act for reasons other than studies. In this case, the applicant is obliged to send a copy of the Migri decision to the school before beginning studies at the upper secondary school. The student intake decision can be given conditional if the applicant’s residence permit process is still going on.

If you apply to Porin lukio upper secondary education in Finnish with a foreign comprehensive school certificate, we invite you to a mandatory Finnish language test. You should have a good ability in Finnish so that you could pass the matriculation examination in Finnish at the end of your studies. The date and time of the Finnish test will be announced earliest on April 10th and the tests will be arranged between April 17th – 29th 2026 at Porin lukio upper secondary school at Tasavallankatu 4, Pori, entrance at the corner of Tasavallankatu and Koulukatu, down the stairs to the 0th floor. We will invite you to the test. You need your ID with your picture (e.g. passport, identity card, driving license), a pencil and an eraser for the test.  Be sure to mention your email address in your application.

Student admissions list will be published on the school’s website on June 11, 2026 the earliest. Your name will appear on it if you are selected and if you have given permission to publish it. In addition, applicants selected as students will receive an admissions letter by email with detailed enrolment instructions. No information about student admissions decisions or test results will be announced before June 11, 2026, even on request. This procedure is in accordance with the decree of the ministry of education and culture and the order of the national board of education.

You must confirm that you will have to take the study place no later than June 25th 2026. Otherwise, it will be cancelled.

You cannot be selected for the sports stream unless you have filled in the questions about your previous sports performance in www.opintopolku.fi . You can get extra points from your previous hobbies related to drama (please attach the certificates to your free-form application). 

If you have any questions about our education programme, please contact our study counsellor, maija.pihl(at)pori.fi, +358 44 701 9492, or the headmaster (international affairs and upper secondary education in English), jarkko.kivela(at)pori.fi, +358 44 701 5333. Decisions concerning student admissions are made by the headmaster Janne Hakoniemi, janne.hakoniemi(at)pori.  

We also have some exchange students (from six months to one year). In general, international exchange student organizations arrange the formalities of the exchange student year. To apply as an exchange student you can also send an informal application to porin.lukio(at)edupori.fi.  

Important Information for International Students Applying to Finnish Upper Secondary School in Finnish

A new law in Finland requires that students from non-EU/EEA countries (called “third-country nationals”) must pay a tuition fee if:

1. You apply for a residence permit for studies, or
2. You stay in Finland with a residence permit granted for studies.
   
   How much is the tuition fee? The fee is at least the average cost of upper secondary education in Finland. If the school’s own cost is lower than the national average, the fee will be at least the school’s own cost.
   
   Important to know: You must pay the tuition fee before you can attend classes. The fee is based on the cost in your first study year and stays the same for your whole study period. This law also means that students in tuition-fee programs do not receive certain social benefits normally available to Finnish students.
   
   Exceptions – No tuition fee if:
3. You join a commissioned education program (ordered by another organization), or
4. You have a temporary residence permit (maximum one year) for an exchange program.