Extending Degree Study Period
According to the UT Study Regulations, full-time students can apply for the extension of studies to eliminate academic lagging. This means that the final date of the study period can be postponed up to 12 months so that the student can make up for insufficient academic progress. Part-time students can extend studies by the time spent studying part time.
Before the study period can be extended, the percentage of completion of the curriculum is assessed. Based on that, the student will be transferred to the extension year either as a full-time or part-time student. The study load cannot be changed during the extension period.
Rules of the payment of tuition fees during the extension of studies
If you take academic leave during the extension, you must always submit an application for continuing the extension before the academic leave ends.
The nominal period of study of students who have graduated from a school where the language of instruction was not Estonian will be extended pursuant to the volume of language learning (please see www.ut.ee/et/oppimine/suvendatult-riigikeele-oppimine). The extension will be done at the end of the initial nominal period of study.
The nominal period of study will be extended by the semesters spent at a foreign university if the student studied abroad for at least three months and completed the courses at a foreign university to a value of at least 15 ECTS per semester. From academic year 2019/2020 there is no three months requirement any more. The nominal period of study is extended after returning from the foreign university.
Temporary Residence Permit (TRP) and extension of studies
As you know, the extension of studies can be due to studies abroad or for any other reason. The students holding TRP for studies and considering the extension of studies need to know the following:
1. If you are continuing with full-time workload after extension of studies (having collected at least 75 % of the maximum credit load). With full-time workload, TRP can be applied for the extended study period at UT. Your TRP can be extended once the study period at SIS (ÕIS) also has been extended. For extension of studies, you need to contact your dean’s office or institute once all courses of this spring semester have been completed and results available, and let them know that you need to extend your studies.
In turn, TRP for can be extended once there is new, a renewed date of the end of studies in SIS. As the extension of studies is usually registered at SIS in August, you will have less than a month until your current TRP expires. There is no reason to worry, since everyone having their TRP expiring on regular basis (just ending on time) can have an extended time of stay for 270 days in Estonia. That a 270-day extension of stay is given automatically, no additional application is required. So, you can extend your TRP also later and there is still legal basis for you to stay in Estonia after expiry of the current TRP. If you need to travel during the that “extended time of stay”, please apply for the relevant sticker to your passport, which then allows you to travel and indicates that you have legal basis for staying in Estonia (it acts like a visa). Further information on extended time of stay is here https://www.ut.ee/en/welcome/non-eu-citizens-residence-permits-and-visas#extensionofstay
For TRP extension, please contact us once the studies have been extended and it is also evident in SIS. Fill in the following Google form
2. If you are continuing with part time workload after extension of studies (having collected 50-75% of the maximum credit load). For extension of studies you need to contact your dean’s office or institute once all courses of this spring semester have been completed and results available, and let them know that you need to extend your studies. Thus, once your studies have been extended and part-time work-load has been assigned (also indicated in SIS), please inform us by sending an-email to studentvisasupport [ät] ut.ee . As you know, students studying on part time work-load, cannot have TRP. We advise you to apply for the D visa, though you can also use your extended time of stay (270-day period given after the expiry of TRP) for staying in Estonia. Still, as an extension of studies is usually given for a year, then this 270-day extended time of stay is not sufficient and D visa should be applied for. Once again, if you decide to use your extended time of stay to complete your studies at UT, please apply for a sticker to make sure you can travel. The procedure is described https://www.ut.ee/en/welcome/non-eu-citizens-residence-permits-and-visas#extensionofstay. D visa application process is also described here https://www.ut.ee/en/welcome/non-eu-citizens-residence-permits-and-visas#dvisa Make sure you take a certificate of being a student of UT (request it from the dean’s office) along when going to the PBGB. Please also inform us by writing to studentvisasupport [ät] ut.ee