Lower healthcare fee for students in higher education in 2025 – pay as soon as possible
Students enrolled in higher education who are studying towards a degree and who have registered as attending must pay a student healthcare fee to Kela. The total healthcare fee for higher education students in 2025 is EUR 71.20, or EUR 35.60 for each term.
The healthcare fee for students in higher education has been confirmed for 2025. The total fee is EUR 71.20, or EUR 35.60 for each term, which is slightly lower than last year. In 2024, the healthcare fee was EUR 36.80 per term. You can pay the fee now in OmaKela (available in Finnish and Swedish only).
The due date for the spring term healthcare fee is 15 March for students who register as attending by 31 January. For students who register as attending on or after 1 February, the due date is 31 July. The due date for the autumn term healthcare fee is 15 November. You can pay the healthcare fee either just for the spring term or for the entire year at once.
You do not need to pay the healthcare fee if you have social security coverage from another EU/EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom.
Always pay the fee on time
Students who are required to pay the fee will receive a letter from Kela before the due date with instructions on how to pay the fee. If you have already paid the fee, you will not receive this letter.
If you do not pay the fee by the due date, you will receive a payment reminder from Kela. You will also be charged a late fee of EUR 5. According to Mari Jaakkola, Legal Counsel at Kela’s Overpayment Recovery Centre, the most common reason for unpaid healthcare fees is that the student simply forgets to pay.
“We do understand that students have a lot going on at the beginning of term and that paying the healthcare fee can slip your mind. That is why we encourage students to pay the fee at the beginning of the year to make sure they do not forget it. Students who know that they will be attending during the autumn term as well can pay the fee for the entire year in one go,” says Jaakkola.
The healthcare fee is used to finance healthcare services for higher education students. The state finances 77% of the costs of the healthcare services offered to higher education students and the remaining 23% are financed through the healthcare fee. The Finnish Student Health Service (YTHS) provides student healthcare services for higher education students in Finland.
Additional information for customers