It is time to pay the healthcare fee for students in higher education – act now to avoid a past due notice
Higher education students must pay a student healthcare fee to Kela. The due date for the autumn term is 30 September 2023.
All degree students registered as attending at a Finnish higher education institution must pay the student healthcare fee to Kela. The 2023 rate of the student healthcare fee is EUR 36.80 per term. Students are not billed for the fee but are expected to pay it on their own initiative in the OmaKela e-service by 30 September 2023.
“Students can already go in and pay the fee for the autumn term. If they pay it in time, Kela won’t charge them an additional fee of EUR 5,” says Vibeke Jensen, Coordinator at Kela’s Legal Services Section.
In September, Kela sends a letter to students who according to the information available to Kela have registered as attending for the autumn term 2023 but have not yet paid the healthcare fee.
Students who do not pay the fee by 30 September 2023 will get a letter from Kela reminding them of it. They will also be charged a EUR 5 late fee.
The student healthcare fee covers the services available from the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS). FSHS provides health care services, mental health services and oral health services. FSHS also promotes the wellbeing of student communities. Read more about the FSHS services.
Students do not have to pay the healthcare fee if they have social security coverage from another EU/EEA country, from Switzerland, or from Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Students who have social security coverage from another EU or EEA country, from Switzerland or from Great Britain and Northern Ireland are exempt from paying the student healthcare fee for higher education students.
However, the student must submit a copy of a valid EHIC card (European Health Insurance Card) to Kela. For more detailed instructions, see Kela’s website.