Healthcare fee for higher education students: New due dates

Starting 1 January 2024, the due dates for the healthcare fee for higher education students will change, but the fee itself will remain at its current level. Also, degree students from other EU or EEA countries or from Switzerland, Great Britain or Northern Ireland will continue to be exempt from paying the fee.

Parliament has approved an amendment of the Act on Health Services for Students in Higher Education. The due dates for the healthcare fee for higher education students will be moved forward.

Starting from the beginning of 2024, the new due date for the spring term will be 15 March. It applies to students who register as attending by 31 January. The new due date for the autumn term will be 15 November, applicable to students who register as attending by 30 September.

Starting next year, Kela will be able to identify, in advance of each due date, the students who must pay the fee and inform them individually before the fee is due.

The Government has issued a decree under which the healthcare fee and any late fees will remain the same in 2024 as in 2023. The student healthcare fee is 36.80 euros per term and the late fee 5 euros.

Degree students from other EU or EEA countries or from Switzerland, Great Britain or Northern Ireland are exempt from paying the fee

Parliament has also approved a law amendment under which higher education degree students from other EU or EEA countries or from Switzerland, Great Britain or Northern Ireland are exempted from paying the healthcare fee for higher education students. However, this will not result in any change to current practice because Kela has not required the above students to pay the healthcare fee since the spring term of 2022. This is done to comply with the provisions of the EU Regulation on the coordination of social security systems. The amendment will also not take away the students’ right to use the services of the Finnish Student Health Service.

The costs of student health services provided to students covered by the social security systems of other EU or EEA countries or of Switzerland, Great Britain or Northern Ireland are invoiced to the state responsible for the costs of their medical care. Because this will impact the overall funding for healthcare services for higher education students, the funding rules have been changed and clarified.

The proposed changes are planned to become effective on 1 January 2024.

Additional information for customers

• Ministry of Social Affairs and Health press release 23 November 2023: Student healthcare fee for higher education students to remain unchanged in 2024 (stm.fi)
• Healthcare fee for students in higher education (kela.fi)
• All press releases about the changes to social security are available at Changes to social security benefits.