The International Professional Exchange Program (IPEP) of CIF Finland brings professionals from other countries to Finland for three weeks in May. CIF Finland is the Finnish branch of the Council of International Fellowship, a non-profit network of national branches founded in 1960.
The program combines lectures at the University of Helsinki with visits to agencies and services in the Helsinki area, plus about one week of individual placement in another Finnish city, planned around what each participant wants to see. Participants stay with host families for the whole program.
The 2026 edition ran from 30 April to 24 May 2026 and closed to applications on 23 November 2025. CIF’s current program list, published on 1 September 2026, shows the next edition running 7 to 29 May 2027 for six participants, with a November 2026 deadline whose exact day is not yet published.
Benefits & funding
- No participation fee for the CIF Finland IPEP.
- Host families provide a private bedroom, breakfast and evening meals on weekdays, and all meals at weekends; usually two families in the Helsinki, Espoo or Vantaa area and one in the placement city.
- CIF Finland pays the domestic travel connected to the program.
- Lectures at the University of Helsinki and visits to agencies and services around Helsinki.
- About one week of individual placement in another Finnish city, arranged to match the participant’s own field; cities named by CIF Finland include Lappeenranta, Turku, Oulu and Rovaniemi.
- Six places in the 2027 group.
- The participant pays international travel and travel insurance.
Eligibility
- An educational background in social work, social welfare, human services or a related field, the requirement CIF International sets for every IPEP.
- At least two years of professional experience in those fields.
- Proficiency in the program’s working language; the Finland program runs in English.
- No nationality, residency, age or gender requirement is stated.
- Applications are routed through the CIF national branch or contact person in the applicant’s own country. Where a country has neither, the application goes straight to CIF Finland.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Experience required
≥ 2 yrs
Circlebreaker is a free database of global fellowships, scholarships and programs — every one decoded like this.
We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Read the CIF Finland IPEP flyer and the CIF Finland English page for the cycle’s dates, host-family arrangements and costs.
- 2Download the CIF IPEP application form, available from CIF Finland’s English page and from CIF International’s Programs page.
- 3Send the completed form to the CIF national branch or contact person in your own country, who forwards it with their recommendation letter.
- 4Submit CIF’s grant request form at the same time as the application if you need financial support.
- 5If your country has no branch and no contact person, email the application to info@ciffinland.org.
- 6Apply before the cycle’s deadline in November.
Program timeline
Application deadline for the 2026 program
Nov 23, 2025
The 2026 program runs
Apr 30, 2026 to May 24, 2026
2026-11
Application deadline for the 2027 program, exact day not yet published
The 2027 program runs
May 7, 2027 to May 29, 2027