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Adoption from abroad
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If you adopt a child from another country, you can apply to Kela for an adoption grant to meet some of the costs of the adoption. Such costs can include document translation costs, travel expenses, or the fees charged by the adoption service provider.
Eligibility for an adoption grant
You can get an adoption grant if
- you are adopting a child from abroad
- the adoption service provider has identified a child under 18 years of age for placement in your care
- you have permission to adopt from the Finnish Adoption Board
- you are a permanent resident of Finland.
The following three adoption service providers have operations in Finland: Interpedia ry, Pelastakaa Lapset ry and the City of Helsinki. Learn more about intercountry adoptions on the Valvira website.
An adoption grant is not available if you adopt a child from Finland.
How much is the adoption grant?
The amount of the adoption grant depends on the child's country of origin as follows:
The adoption grant is only paid once per child. It is free from tax.
If you adopt more than one child at the same time, the adoption grant for each child after the first one is equal to 30% of the full grant.
How to apply for an adoption grant
You can apply for an adoption grant 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.
If you live in the Åland Islands you must claim adoption grant from your municipality of residence. The adoption grant available in the Åland Islands may differ from the grant available elsewhere in Finland.
Apply in OmaKela
- Apply for an adoption grant in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish).
Include with your application an SV 94 certificate (pdf) completed and signed by the adoption service provider.
Take a photograph of the certificate and send it in OmaKela.Visit the OmaKela e-service to see if your application has been decided, how much you will get and when your benefits will be paid. You can also see possible reminders concerning, for instance, any documents missing from your application. You will also get a decision by post if you have not given up paper mail.
Apply on a form
- Fill in and print out the application form for parental benefits SV 15e (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.
Things to remember when applying for adoption grant
You can apply for the adoption grant as soon as the child has been identified for placement with you. You must, however, apply at the latest within 2 months from the date on which the child was placed in your care.
Once the child has been placed with the adoptive parents, they may receive a maternity grant, parental allowance, child benefit, child maintenance allowance, and other benefits for families with children. If you are adopting more than one child, please see the links above for information on benefits available in the case of multiple birth or adoption.