# Register as a student & identify in Candour - Savonia AMK

> As a new degree student you must register as present (or absent, see conditions and instructions below) for the first academic year.

## Registration Requirements
As a new degree student, you must register as present (or absent) for the first academic year. 

**Note:** If you are obligated to pay a tuition fee, you must pay it according to the given instructions. If you do not pay the tuition fee in time, you will lose your study place.

You must register as present during **1 – 31 August 2026**. Registering as a present student can be done only by:
* In person on campus
* By authenticating online through the Candour service

Detailed instructions regarding registration will be sent to all students during July 2026. If you do not register as present by 31 August 2026 and you do not have a legal reason for registering as absent, your study place will be cancelled.

## Registering as Absent
There are certain limitations regarding registering as absent. As a new student starting studies, you are entitled to register as absent in the first study year only if you meet the following criteria:

### Military or Civilian Service
* **Reason:** Completing military service, civilian service, or voluntary military service for women in Finland, service under the Conscription Act (1438/2007), Non-Military Service Act (1446/2007), or Act on Women’s Voluntary Military Service (194/1995).
* **Required document:** Call-up order.

### Parental Leave
* **Reason:** Maternity, paternity, or parental leave.
* **Required document:** Kela’s certificate regarding maternity, paternity, or parental allowance period or, if the certificate has not yet been received, a medical certificate regarding the pregnancy or corresponding certificates from the authorities of other countries regarding statutory parental leave.

### Illness or Injury
* **Reason:** Personal illness or injury that prevents you from studying.
* **Required document:** Sickness allowance decision or, if no decision exists, a medical certificate. The medical certificate must state which illness or injury the student suffers from, and that this condition prevents the student from beginning their studies on 1 January / 1 August.
* **Obstacles caused by practical arrangements:** An adequate clarification, e.g., a certificate from the student housing foundation that the student is on the waiting list for an apartment required by his or her injury.

## Steps to Follow for Absence
1. Accept the offered study place at Studyinfo.fi or by sending a confirmation form to Savonia UAS.
2. Send the documents proving the legal grounds for your absence to Savonia UAS Admission Services (admissions@savonia.fi) by the deadline of confirming the study place.
3. If the reason for registering as absent appears later, you must send the document to Admission Services as soon as possible, but by **31 August 2026** at the latest.

If you have legal grounds for your absence and have submitted the required documentation in time, Savonia UAS Admission Services will mark you as absent for the upcoming academic year. If you do not have legal grounds or your document arrives after the deadline, you are not entitled to register as absent and should register as present.

## Impact on Study Right and Benefits
* **Absence during first year:** If you are absent due to military/civilian service or parental leave, you are entitled to register as absent for another academic year (two semesters) for any reason later in your studies without shortening your study right. If the absence is due to illness, injury, or disability, you are not entitled to another period of absence, and time spent not studying will shorten your study right.
* **Absence after first year:** If you are present for your first year, you are entitled to register as absent for one academic year (two semesters) for any reason later. This does not shorten your study right.
* **Restrictions:** When absent, you are not entitled to complete studies, gain credits, or receive student financial aid, meal subsidies, or other student benefits (e.g., travel discounts). If you receive financial aid from Kela, remember to cancel it.
* **Returning to studies:** When being absent, you must still register for the next academic year on schedule. When continuing studies, you must update your individual study and career plan and check for any curriculum changes.