User accounts and passwords

This page includes the most important instructions related to user accounts. You can find more help from this instructions site by using, for example, the search. If you cannot solve the problem with the instructions, don’t hesitate to contact the IT Helpdesk.

In their work or studies, University staff and students require a username and related password to access the University of Helsinki IT systems. The primary account is the “AD account”, with which you log in to the University computers and the most common network services, such as email and Flamma.

All university staff and students who have an HR contract or a valid study right are granted a personal user account. The user account provides access to the University IT systems as well as an @helsinki.fi email address.

The MyAccount service can be found at https://myaccount.helsinki.fi.

• Activate your user account according to these instructions.
• NB! Also remember to activate multi-factor authentication (MFA)!
• By receiving the username, you agree to comply with the University IT systems terms of use.
• Read the IT Helpdesk’s tips for new University staff and students

Problems?

Feel free to ask the IT Helpdesk for assistance!

• Read more instructions for new student from Studies service.
• If you have questions concerning user accounts, please turn to your contact person for IT matters.

By default, the user account includes the right to use the University’s workstations and most common IT systems. Some IT systems may require separate access rights.

• You can apply for additional rights through the HERO person role register.

• You can check your user account details with MyAccount service (requires you to log in)
• You can also find your account details in Flamma (requires you to log in)

In addition to personal user accounts, various other accounts are used for different situations at the university. 

These include, for example, limited user accounts, jointly used group user accounts and administrator and main user accounts.

More detailed instructions on the various accounts are available from IT Helpdesk (the contact details can be found at the end of each help page).

Limited user accounts

With a limited user account, you can access university services that require authentication, such as Flamma, Wiki, Moodle or Sisu. Some services require that your user account details also include your personal identity number or email address. You cannot use the limited user account to log in to university workstations.

• Read more about limited user accounts in the separate instructions.

Roaming accounts

Visitors from other universities can also access the eduroam wireless guest network with their home university user account if their home university is part of the eduroam network.

Members of the Finnish Haka identity federation can use their home university user account to log in to services such as Wiki.

Visitors can also use the HelsinkiUni Guest Network. Read more about the guest network in the separate instructions.

Jointly used group user accounts

A jointly used group user account is shared by several people. For example, it can be used to access a specific machine or for a task where the person in charge changes frequently.

Such an account must have a person in charge to whom it is issued.

Note! With the Windows 11 change, the use of jointly used group user accounts on certain machines is not possible due to licensing requirements. Jointly used group user account can still be used on shared machines. Helpdesk may need to individually assess whether a jointly used group user account can be created for the requested purpose.

• University employees apply for group usernames using this e-form.

Administrator and main user accounts

Administrator and main user accounts are intended for staff working on IT-related tasks at the university.

Administrators and main users must have a separate personal user account in the information system when acting in their role as an administrator or main user. In accordance with the principle of least privilege, these administrator and main user accounts are only to be used when performing administrator or main user tasks within the system.

• Use this e-form to apply for administrator and main user accounts.

University accounts are also used by third parties, such as consultants and developers. Accounts for external users are created via the Kamu service.

Read more about the Kamu service in the separate instructions.

User accounts are valid for a set period. Validity is automatically extended in accordance with the HR contract, the right to study or the Kamu contract. User accounts expire at the end of employment or studies. 

A message about the username and password expiring is automatically sent to the @helsinki.fi inbox linked to the user account. If no University email address is linked to the user account, the expiration message can be sent to an external email address.

You can add an external email address to your user account details in the MyAccount service (requires you to log in).

Students

Students’ user accounts are valid for a single term or the full academic year, depending on attendance.

• For those registered for attendance for the whole academic year or for the spring term, user accounts are valid until 30 September.
• For those registered for attendance for the autumn term, user accounts are valid until 31 January.

Graduating in the middle of the term does not end the validity of the user account. Your account will remain active for five (5) months after you graduate. Please note: user accounts of Open university students are only active for the duration of the course.

Non-attendance registration for students, doctoral students and others (further instructions in the My Studies service)

Staff

Staff user accounts are valid for a maximum of 18 months at a time. For temporary staff members, the validity of accounts is linked to the duration of the employment relationship. The period of validity expires 14 days after the end of the employment relationship. However, the maximum period of validity of user accounts is eighteen months at a time. The validity will be automatically extended as long as the employment relationship remains valid.

Other user accounts

The validity of non-personal user accounts (see the section on Different types of usernames) is extended in accordance with the Kamu contract. 

Read more about the Kamu service in the separate instructions.
 

Further information about the period of validity and extension of user accounts is available in these instructions.

After your user account expires, you can no longer log in to the University’s online services (e.g. workstations in computer facilities, email, Sisu).

• Further information about the impacts of the user account’s expiry (e.g. logging in to the University’s services, email, copying your own files elsewhere) is available in these instructions.
• Tip: Obtain an alumni email address alongside your University email address that is about to expire and indicate it as your new address.
• You can restore your expired user account in MyAccount service.

Data relating to old accounts is retained for at least 550 days (= approx. 1½ years). If a user returns to the university within 1½ years, they will be able to regain access to their old account. Accounts that have been inactive for more than 550 days are moved to the so-called account repository. In this case, any emails and files they contain will be lost. 

If an employee transfers to another department, they do not need to apply for a new username. 

Reasons for your user account not working include an incorrect password, an expired account or an uncompleted IT security test.

• You can check your account details via the MyAccount service by logging in using, for example, Suomi.fi authentication.
• Read more about IT security test for staff in Flamma
• Read more about IT security test for students in Studies service

Make sure you entered the password correctly and the username in the correct format.

If the reason is none of these, and you cannot get your account to work, please contact IT Helpdesk.

The password linked to the University’s user account is valid for one year at a time. Of course, you can change your password more often for information security reasons. 

You will receive a weekly email notification about your password expiring every Sunday, starting around 1½ months before the password expires. The password expiration message is automatically sent only to the account’s @helsinki.fi address.

You can change or reset your password yourself via the MyAccount service.

Attention users of the university’s centralised Macs! University Mac users are advised to change their password following the separate instructions (to avoid various issues). You can check your password settings in the MyAccount service, but the Mac’s own password change tool also checks the password’s suitability. 

• You can change your password in MyAccount service
• More instructions for MyAccount service and changing the password

Changing your light account password

You can also change your Light ID password via the MyAccount service.

You will not receive any notifications regarding the expiry of your light account or its password. If you need to use your light account for a longer period, please ensure that it remains active.

If you are unable to change your password, please contact the IT Helpdesk.

The password must be difficult to guess. A good password contains both upper and lower case letters, numbers, and certain allowed special characters. A good password is as long as possible, yet one that you can remember and no one else can guess. It may be difficult to remember a long and seemingly random password, but there are some memory-assisting techniques you can use.

See the instructions for KeePass on the separate instructions.

Please remember:
If you can’t resolve the issue using the instructions, please don’t hesitate to contact the IT Helpdesk.