Services for students who study abroad
If you complete part of your studies abroad, you can use the OmaKela e-service (in Finnish or Swedish) to handle your benefit processes, or contact us through Kela’s phone services.
If you complete studies exclusively at a foreign educational institution, you can contact Kela in matters concerning student financial aid online, by e-mail, by phone or by mail.
E-service
Use the OmaKela e-service if you wish to send a message or documents concerning student financial aid. You will receive a reply through the online system.
Log in to the OmaKela e-service using your online banking credentials or a mobile ID. If you are a EU citizen and you do not have Finnish online banking credentials, you can use eIDAS identification when contacting Kela. That way, you can contact Kela using your own country’s identification tools. Read the instructions for how EU citizens can log in to and handle Kela-related matters in the e-service.
If you live abroad and you do not have a Finnish banking ID or mobile ID or you cannot use eIDAS identification, you can contact Kela about student financial aid through our service for encrypted e-mail.
For security reasons, email can be sent only over a secure connection. To send email to the Centre for Student Financial Aid, use this link.
Enter your email address in the Sender (Lähettäjä) field. You will receive a message which contains a link you can use to send email to Kela over a secure connection. The link is active for 30 days. Send your message to: ulkomaat.opintotuki@kela.fi
Instructions for sending email over a secure connection (PDF).
Phone service
You can also call our customer service number at 020 634 2550.
Customer service is available by phone from 9am to 3pm Monday to Friday.
Address for customers:
Kela, PO Box 10, FI- 00056 KELA