Entitlement to medical care in Finland

If you have a municipality of residence in Finland, you are entitled to all the treatment you need in the public healthcare system. Your entitlement is not affected by your nationality or country of origin. You can apply to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (dvv.fi) for a municipality of residence (i.e. to be officially registered as a resident of a municipality in Finland).

You will only be charged a user fee for treatment in the Finnish public healthcare system. Kela does not provide reimbursement for the costs of treatment obtained in the Finnish public healthcare system.

You may be covered under the Finnish national health insurance scheme on the basis of residence or employment. If you live in Finland permanently, you are covered under the Finnish national health insurance scheme. You may also be covered under the national health insurance scheme if you work in Finland but do not live here permanently.

Apply for a Kela card. By showing your Kela card, you will be reimbursed for:

• part of the costs of private healthcare services
• medicines purchased at a pharmacy. You only pay a copayment.

If you have to pay the costs yourself, you can claim reimbursement from Kela afterwards.

If you are covered under the Finnish national health insurance scheme, you can also be reimbursed for travel costs in connection with medical care.

Read about your eligibility for all Kela benefits if you live permanently or work in Finland. 

If you live in Finland and are covered under the Finnish national health insurance scheme, but you do not have a municipality of residence, you may be entitled to medical care in the Finnish public healthcare system for a user fee. Apply for entitlement to medical care in Finland to find out if you qualify. If Kela grants you entitlement to medical care, you will get a document titled ‘Certificate of entitlement to medical care in Finland’. When you show this certificate, you will only be charged a user fee for treatment in the Finnish public healthcare system.

If you are covered under the Finnish national health insurance scheme, you will be reimbursed for:

• part of the costs of private healthcare services
• medicines purchased at a pharmacy. You only pay a copayment. If you have to pay the costs yourself, you can claim reimbursement from Kela afterwards.

If you are temporarily staying in Finland and have a European Health Insurance Card issued by the country responsible for the costs of your medical care, you will receive medically necessary treatment in the Finnish public healthcare system. Medically necessary treatment means treatment that cannot wait until you return home.

If you come from another Nordic country, you can also get treatment by showing your official ID or passport.

If you come from the United Kingdom, you can get treatment by presenting your European Health Insurance Card, Citizens Rights Card or GHIC card.

You can receive reimbursement from Kela if you are covered for health insurance in another EU or EEA country, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or Australia. Reimbursement is paid for the costs of medically necessary treatment. Reimbursement is also paid for treatment of a chronic disease or in connection with pregnancy and childbirth. Direct reimbursement is only possible for the costs of emergency care if you have a European Health Insurance Card. For other costs, you can claim reimbursement from Kela afterwards.

If you come to Finland temporarily from a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you are only entitled to urgent medical care. You pay for all the costs of the treatment yourself. You are not entitled to reimbursement for the costs of private healthcare services. You will not be reimbursed for travel expenses in connection with medicine purchases or medical care either.

Check how you can obtain medical care in Finland under various circumstances if you are:

• a posted employee
• a recipient of a pension from another EU country
• a family member moving to Finland
• a student. 

1. Fill in the application Entitlement to medical care when moving to Finland, SV 141e (PDF).

   • Save the blank form to your device. Do not fill in the application directly in the browser, because some of the information may not be saved that way.
   • Open the form with Adobe Reader and fill it in.
   • Save the completed form to your device. Note that the application must be in PDF format. On the same application, you can also apply for an S1 certificate and a document titled ‘Certificate of entitlement to medical care in Finland’.
2. Send the application using the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish):

   • Log in to OmaKela. Select Tee hakemus (File an application).
   • Select Sairaanhoito, hammashoito, matkat ja lääkkeet (Medical care, dental care, travel costs and medicines). 
   • When you send your application online, you do not need to sign it.
   • If you have supporting documents, send them via OmaKela after you have submitted your application. If they are paper documents, you can photograph them. Supporting documents you will need to enclose:
     • Pension recipients: If you do not receive a pension from Finland but from another EU or EEA country or Switzerland, enclose a certificate S1 (certificate of entitlement to medical care) with your application. Request this certificate from the health insurance institution of the country that pays you a pension. If you receive a pension from another Nordic country or the United Kingdom, the certificate is not needed.
     • Employees posted to Finland: Enclose a certificate S1 (certificate of entitlement to medical care) issued by the sending country with your application. However, you do not need to enclose a certificate S1 if the sending country is another Nordic country or the United Kingdom or if you move to Finland for less than a year from another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom.
3. Visit OmaKela to view the decision on your entitlement to medical care. The decision states whether Finland takes responsibility for the costs of your medical care in Finland. The decision notice will also be sent to your home address unless you have opted out of paper mail. 

If you cannot use OmaKela, send your application to Kela by post. Save the form Entitlement to medical care when moving to Finland, SV 141e (PDF) to your device and fill it in after saving it. Print out the form and send it along with any supporting documents to Kela, Centre for International Affairs, PL 78, 00381 Helsinki.

The decision notice is only in Finnish or Swedish. If you need help with anything, you can call one of our English-language customer service numbers.

You can receive reimbursement for part of the costs of private healthcare services, medicine purchases and travel costs. You must claim reimbursement within 6 months of the date of paying the costs.

1. Fill in a claim: 

   • for medicine purchases form SV 178e (PDF)
   • for travel costs form SV 4e (PDF)
   • for the costs of private healthcare services form SV 127e (PDF).
   • Save the blank form to your device. Do not fill in the form directly in the browser, because some of the information may not be saved that way. 
   • Open the form with Adobe Reader and fill it in. 
   • Save the completed form to your device. Note that the claim must be in PDF format.
2. Send the application using the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish or Swedish). 

   • Log in to OmaKela. Select Tee hakemus (File an application).
   • Select Sairaanhoito, hammashoito, matkat ja lääkkeet (Medical care, dental care, travel costs and medicines). 
   • Select the claim on your device and press Lähetä (Send).
   • When you send your claim online, you do not need to sign it.
   • If you have supporting documents, send them via OmaKela after you have submitted your claim. If they are paper documents, you can photograph them. Supporting documents you will need to enclose:
     • If you live in another Nordic country and you are covered for health insurance there, enclose a copy of your European Health Insurance Card, your passport or other ID.
     • If you live in the United Kingdom and you are covered for health insurance there, enclose a copy of your European Health Insurance Card, Citizens Rights Card or GHIC card.
     • If you live in Australia and you are covered for health insurance there, enclose a copy of your passport.
3. Visit OmaKela to view the decision on your claim. The decision notice will also be sent to your home address unless you have opted out of paper mail. 

If you cannot use OmaKela, send your application to Kela by post. Save the form to your device and fill it in after saving it. Print out the form and send it and any supporting documents to Kela, Centre for International Affairs, PL 78, 00381 Helsinki.

The decision notice is only in Finnish or Swedish. If you need help with anything, you can call one of our English-language customer service numbers.