Reimbursement of travel costs

Kela provides compensation on the basis of the principle of the nearest place of care, i.e., usually the place of care nearest to your permanent home address. Trips within your own wellbeing service county (stm.fi) are reimbursed to the place where you obtained care. You get reimbursement according to the lowest-cost available means of transport, which is usually public transport, such as train or bus.

If you need to use a taxi for health reasons, order the taxi from the regional dispatch number. You only pay a copayment for the taxi ride. The copayment is a maximum of EUR 25 for a one-way trip. The copayments you pay for taxi rides are automatically included in the annual out-of-pocket maximum for travel costs when the taxi ride has been processed at Kela. You do not have to claim reimbursement for them separately.

If you have to stay overnight in the locality where you get treatment or rehabilitation, you can also get accommodation allowance. The maximum accommodation allowance is EUR 20.18 per night.

Destination, i.e., place of care

Trips to public healthcare services

Primary healthcare (for instance health centre, centre for social and health services)

If you visit a treatment provider in your wellbeing services county, you will get a reimbursement for your costs of travelling to that provider.

On the basis of the freedom of choice in healthcare you can choose a place of care in primary healthcare also outside your wellbeing services county (stm.fi). In such a case, the trip can be reimbursed up to an amount equal to the cost of travelling from your permanent home address to the health and social services centre in your wellbeing services county that offers extensive health services.

Specialised medical care (for instance central hospital, university hospital)

Trips to specialised medical care are reimbursed within your (according to your permanent place of residence) collaborative area (stm.fi) to the unit in specialised medical care where you obtained treatment.

On the basis of the freedom of choice in healthcare you can choose the place of care for specialised medical care together with your doctor also from another collaborative area. In such cases, the travel costs are reimbursed up to an amount equal to the cost of travelling from your permanent home address to the university hospital in the collaborative area determined on the basis of your wellbeing services county.

Trips to private healthcare services

If you visit a private healthcare provider, you will, as a rule, get a reimbursement for the travel costs if the treatment you receive is reimbursable by Kela. You can also get a reimbursement for your travel costs if you see a doctor and he or she performs a treatment-related procedure that Kela does not reimburse. Such a treatment-related procedure can be for instance hip surgery, removal of nevus or placing ear tubes in small children’s ears.

If you have a payment voucher or service voucher from your wellbeing services county or a rehabilitation decision from Kela that covers the treatment, you will get a reimbursement for your travel costs.

General practitioner, dentist

If you visit a private treatment provider in primary healthcare in your wellbeing services county (for instance general practitioner or dentist), you will get a reimbursement for your costs of travelling to that provider.

If you visit a private general practitioner or dentist outside your wellbeing services county, the travel costs are reimbursed up to an amount equal to the cost of travelling from your permanent home address to the centre for social and health services in your wellbeing services county (stm.fi) that offers extensive health services.

Specialist, specialist dentist

If you visit a private specialist doctor or specialist dentist, the travel costs are reimbursed up to an amount equal to the cost of visiting the university hospital in the collaborative area that is determined on the basis of your wellbeing services county (stm.fi).

Trips to rehabilitation provided by Kela

If you are in rehabilitation arranged through Kela, you will usually get a reimbursement for travel costs to the rehabilitation site. If there are limitations on the reimbursement of the travel costs, this will be explained to you in the rehabilitation decision.

Trips to student health services

Kela can provide reimbursement for travel costs in relation to student health services. Students in higher education have access to the services of the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS), and travel to and from primary healthcare appointments is reimbursable.

Costs are reimbursed up to the amount that a trip from your home address to the nearest FSHS location offering the treatment needed would cost. Costs can be reimbursed also to other FSHS locations provided that a healthcare professional deems the treatment available there necessary.

Means of transport, i.e., vehicle

Using public transport

You will get a reimbursement according to the lowest-cost available means of transport. Train or bus is usually the lowest-cost option, as long as your health permits you to use them and public transport is available for your connection.

If you use public transport to travel to a public healthcare provider (for instance centre for social and health services or hospital) or rehabilitation provided by Kela, you do not need a separate certificate from the healthcare provider to accompany the claim for reimbursement of travel costs.

If you use public transport to travel to a private healthcare provider, a healthcare certificate from the healthcare provider on the SV 67 form is required. As a rule, the travel costs are only reimbursed when the treatment you obtain is reimbursed by Kela. You can also get a reimbursement for your travel costs if you see a doctor and he or she performs a treatment-related procedure that Kela does not reimburse. Such a treatment-related procedure can be for instance hip surgery, removal of nevus or placing ear tubes in small children’s ears. If you have a payment voucher or service voucher from your wellbeing services county or a rehabilitation decision from Kela that covers the treatment, you will get a reimbursement for your travel costs.

Kela will pay a reimbursement based on the price of a single ticket. If you used a multi-journey ticket, divide its price by the number of trips you have made to a healthcare provider. That way you get the price per unit. If the price per unit is more expensive than a single ticket, Kela only reimburses the price of a single ticket.

You can plan your trip using the route planner (kelareitit.digitransit.fi). It will show you the distance, the travel time and the availability of public transport.

Using a private car

If you use a private car, the rate of reimbursement is EUR 0.33 per kilometre.

If several family members travel in the same car, reimbursement is claimed as one single cost using the customer’s personal data.

If the one-way trip is less than 200 kilometres, you do not have to present a certificate from the healthcare provider (form SV 67) on the necessity of using a private car.

When you travel in a private car for health reasons and the one-way trip is more than 200 kilometres, you need a certificate from the healthcare provider (form SV 67), stating your right to use a private car. If you travel in a private car more than 200 kilometres because public transport is not available, state this in your claim for reimbursement.

The length of the trip that Kela will reimburse is based on the information in the route planner (kelareitit.digitransit.fi) for the travel route you have stated in your claim. The costs for longer trips than this are not reimbursed.

Using a taxi

You can get reimbursement for a taxi ride, if you have to use a taxi for health reasons or because public transport is not available.

Kela pays reimbursement for the taxi ride only if you call the regional dispatch number to book the taxi. Each region has two service providers from which customers can book taxi rides reimbursed by Kela. You can choose which of them to contact to book a taxi. Travels by taxi ordered elsewhere are not reimbursed by Kela.

Two means of transport, i.e., trip chain

Trip chain refers to situations where a person uses at least two different means of transport: for instance, part of the trip is made by bus and part of the trip using a Kela taxi booked via the regional dispatch number. The travel costs are added up and a copayment of EUR 25 (i.e., the part paid by the person him/herself) for a one-way trip is deducted from them.

Other means of transport

Kela also provides reimbursement for the cost of transportation by ambulance or ambulance aircraft. In these cases, the reimbursement is available only if the healthcare provider confirms that using such means of transport is necessary (form SV 67 or equivalent). Kela can also provide reimbursement for transport in the Finnish archipelago, taking into account the special circumstances in the archipelago.

Accommodation allowance

You can get accommodation allowance, if you have to stay overnight in the locality where you get treatment or rehabilitation for instance in order to be in time for the treatment or to avoid back and forth travel between your home and the place of care.

You can also get accommodation allowance, if you have to stay overnight near the hospital while waiting for your child to be born in order to reduce the risks related to childbirth. In order to get accommodation allowance in such a situation, you need a doctor’s assessment of your pregnancy.

Accommodation allowance is paid to each eligible person to a maximum of EUR 20,18 per night. The allowance can be paid for instance to both parents, if the doctor considers that it is necessary for both parents to participate in the child’s hospital care.

When you claim reimbursement for accommodation costs, keep the receipt for 6 months. If we need the receipt in order to process the claim, we will request it from you.

How to apply for accommodation allowance.

Can I get reimbursement for travel costs?

Kela can grant reimbursement for trips that

you make on your own
you make with a family member or other person accompanying you
the family member or other person accompanying you makes on their own.

Kela reimburses the travel costs of accompanying persons and family members based on the lowest-cost available means of transport. When considering the means of transport, the accompanying person’s health is taken into account.

Reimbursement for the travel costs of the family member or other accompanying person must be claimed using the customer’s personal data.

Trips made by an accompanying person

The travel costs of an accompanying person are reimbursed to the extent that the customer and the accompanying person travel together. Kela pays reimbursement for an independent trip by the accompanying person only to an amount equalling the costs for a trip from the customer’s home address to the place of care. This is the case for example if the customer has to stay back for treatment and the accompanying person returns alone. The reimbursement for an independent trip by the accompanying person is, as a rule, reimbursed according to the lowest-cost means of transport, taking into account the accompanying person’s health.

Reimbursement is available if the treatment staff thinks that the customer’s health is such that an accompanying person is necessary. Usually there can only be one accompanying person.

If the need for an accompanying person is obvious, no professional opinion is required. This includes situations where the patient is a child or a frail elderly person.

Trips made by a family member

Reimbursement can be paid for the trip made by a family member, if the doctor considers that it is necessary for the family member to participate in the treatment in order for the treatment to be successful. The participation of a family member must always be based on a doctor’s assessment, and it must be stated in a certificate (form SV 67). Solely visiting is not reimbursed by Kela.

What type of travel costs are not reimbursed by Kela?

Kela does not reimburse the following types of travel:

trips to preventive care (for instance vaccinations, screening and medical examinations)
trips solely to fetch medical consumables
separate trips to the pharmacy
transport of assistive device or sample without the customer
trips made by patients in public institutional care
trips under the Disability Services Act and the Social Welfare Act
trips related to school health service and accidents in school
trips under the Act on Special Care for Persons with Developmental Disabilities
daily trips according to the decision on education or training in vocational rehabilitation provided by Kela
trips related to participation in scientific research.

How much of the travel costs are reimbursed?

The copayment for a one-way trip is a maximum of EUR 25. There is a maximum copayment of EUR 50 for a return trip. Any costs above the copayment are reimbursed by Kela. If the trip costs less than EUR 25, you will have to pay full price. If the trip costs for instance EUR 10, the copayment is EUR 10 and this amount counts towards the annual out-of-pocket maximum.

Keep the receipt or other reliable proof that shows the costs caused by the trip. Kela may ask you to provide the receipt afterwards.

If you use a private car, Kela will reimburse you EUR 0.33 per kilometre for the part of the costs exceeding the EUR 25 copayment.

How much is the annual out-of-pocket maximum for travel costs, i.e., cap on out-of-pocket travel costs?

All copayments for travel costs reimbursed by Kela count towards the annual out-of-pocket maximum for travel costs, i.e., cap on out-of-pocket travel costs.

The annual limit on out-of-pocket travel costs is

EUR 300.

All copayments for individual trips and any payments below EUR 25 count towards the annual out-of-pocket maximum. If your out-of-pocket travel costs in a calendar year exceed EUR 300, you need not pay anything for the trips you take during the remaining year.

You can check the amount of travel costs that count towards the annual out-of-pocket maximum in the OmaKela e-service (in Finnish and Swedish). Select Omat etuudet (Your benefits) -> Lääkekatto ja matkakatto sekä muut sairaanhoitokorvausasiat (Annual maximum limit for medicine costs and travel costs and other matters related to reimbursements in healthcare). The copayment for the trip will count towards the annual out-of-pocket maximum when the trip has been processed at Kela.

If you travel in a private car or use public transport, it is worthwhile to claim reimbursement also for travel costs of less than EUR 25. The travel costs will still count towards the annual out-of-pocket maximum even if no reimbursement is payable for the specific trip. Reimbursement must be claimed within six months of the trip.

The costs for travel by taxi automatically count towards the annual out-of-pocket maximum when they have been processed at Kela. You do not have to claim reimbursement for them separately.

What happens when the annual out-of-pocket maximum has been reached?

Kela will not inform customers separately that they have reached the annual out-of-pocket maximum.

Kela keeps track of your progress towards reaching the annual out-of-pocket maximum and no copayment will be charged for your trips after the annual out-of-pocket maximum has been reached.

Once you reach the maximum, Kela also notifies the dispatch centre for Kela taxis. The taxi driver will then not charge any copayment for your trip. You will still need a certificate proving your right to use a taxi.

If you are charged a copayment even though you have reached the annual out-of-pocket maximum, Kela will return to you any copayments charged unnecessarily.

Unlike the rest of Finland, in the Åland Islands taxis are booked directly from a taxi company. Once the annual out-of-pocket maximum has been reached, the customer will be notified of this in a decision on reimbursement of travel costs. The customer can also print out information about the cumulative annual out-of-pocket maximum from OmaKela and show it to the taxi driver.

How to apply reimbursement of travel costs and accommodation allowance

You can apply for reimbursement of travel costs and accommodation allowance either on a form or in the OmaKela e-service. OmaKela is currently only available in Finnish and Swedish. Kela’s forms are also available in English.

Apply in OmaKela

Apply reimbursement for travel costs and accommodation allowance in the OmaKela e-service. You can only claim reimbursement for the costs related to your own illness. If you have been accompanied by a family member or some other person on the trip, you must also claim reimbursement for this person’s travel costs using your personal data.
- If you are claiming reimbursement for instance for your child’s travel costs, you can claim reimbursement on the form Reimbursement for travel expenses SV 4e (PDF) or by calling our customer service number 020 634 2650.
Take photographs of the supporting documents and send them in OmaKela. You need to enclose the form Todistus matkakorvausta varten (SV 67) (Certificate for reimbursement of travel costs) that you have received from the healthcare provider with the claim, when you are claiming
- reimbursement for trips to a private healthcare provider
- reimbursement for trips of more than 200 kilometres with private car to a public healthcare provider
- accommodation allowance and you have received a certificate (keep the receipt for the accommodation costs for 6 months, because we may request it when needed).

Visit OmaKela to see if your claim has been decided, how much you will get and when the reimbursement will be paid. You will also see reminders of, for instance, supporting documents missing from your claim. The decision notice will also be sent to your home address unless you have opted out of paper mail.

Keep the receipt for the trip and the certificate (form SV 67) for an individual taxi ride until you receive the decision notice on the reimbursement. However, always submit the certificate on the right to use a taxi on a continuing basis (form SV 67) to Kela. If we need receipts or certificates in order to decide on your claim, we will ask you to submit them. For instance, you need not enclose receipts for the use of public transport with the claim, but you must keep the receipts.

Apply reimbursement for travel costs and accommodation allowance

Apply on a form

Fill in and print out the form Reimbursement for travel expenses SV 4e (PDF).
Enclose additional documents in support of the application as necessary. The application form includes information on which supporting documents you need.
Send the application and any supporting documents by mail. The address is Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.
Visit OmaKela to see if your application has been decided, how much you will get and when your benefit will be paid. You will also see reminders of, for instance, supporting documents missing from your application. The decision notice will also be sent to your home address unless you have opted out of paper mail.

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

For travels by taxi, you cannot apply reimbursement afterwards from Kela

If you call the regional dispatch number to book a taxi, you can get a reimbursement from the driver. You cannot apply reimbursement afterwards from Kela for the taxi ride.

When to apply

Apply reimbursement within 6 months of the trip or overnight stay.

Do you still have questions?

Call Kela’s customer service.

020 634 2650

Current topics

Stop receiving paper mail and speed up the handling process

Visit the OmaKela e-service (only in Finnish and Swedish) to give your consent to receive messages, letters and decision notices from us electronically. You will be notified by text message or e-mail whenever you have new mail in OmaKela.