Background:

In the past few years, Finland has amended its laws regarding study-based residence permits for third-country nationals. The number of students has increased substantially, especially the number of students who are bringing their families with them. In addition, there have been reports that some of the students, especially those who bring their family with them, do not have the necessary funds to support themselves and their families. In this context, the Finnish National Contact Point (NCP) to the EMN launched this ad hoc query to understand how other countries verify that third-country national students have the necessary funds to support themselves and their families.

Respondents:

27 EMN Member and Observer Countries (including BE) provided a public answer to this ad hoc query.

Findings:

A preliminary analysis of the results of the ad hoc query shows that:

• Almost all responding countries report using a minimum financial threshold that the third-country national students must fulfil as proof of financial means for being issued a residence permit. Only HU reports that while they do not use an exact minimum threshold determined by law, they do check that the third-country national or their sponsor has the financial means necessary for a long-term stay in the country. The amount of minimum funds required is difficult to compare because some countries calculate on a monthly basis, while others require a total amount. In BE, this amount (indexed every year) is 835€/month for the academic year 2025-2026.
   
• Out of the 27 responding countries, only 3 countries, including BE, resort to the use of a blocked bank account in order for third-country national prospective students to prove sufficient financial means. In BE, the use of a blocked account is one of the options to prove financial means and is, in practice, encouraged by the Immigration Office and universities. Other options include a scholarship certificate or a guarantee of support by a third party.
   
• Around half of the responding countries require verification of the documents proving the necessary funds, either by a diplomatic post of the immigration authorities. In the other half, this check can be done but is not systematically implemented. In BE, the verification of documents is required by law and is done by the Immigration Office.
   
• The majority of responding countries do not keep statistics on whether many student applications are revoked due to insufficient funds. This includes BE, whose statistics on the refusal of visa applications do not specify the motive of refusal. The few countries that report on observed trends on the grounds of revocation of student residence permits indicate that the lack of sufficient funds is not often grounds for revocation of these permits.
   
• In the vast majority of responding countries, third-country national students can benefit from family reunification. Only 4 countries report an increase in the amount of residence permits on this basis, and one country (SE) even reports a decrease in recent years. In BE, third-country national students can benefit from family reunification with their spouse and children. Given that the income requirement for the student is higher in that case (at least 120% of the minimum income), there are not many applications.
   
• The top 5 countries for students residence permits during the period 2020-2024 vary greatly from country to country, with no less than 43 different countries reported in total. Across all responding countries, the top 5 nationalities of third-country national students are Indian, Chinese, Turkish, Russian, Pakistani and American (tied in 5th place).

For further details, please read the compilation of answers attached above.