Who is entitled to a familiar taxi driver?
Children under 16 years of age who attend treatment or rehabilitation regularly and travel alone have the right to use the services of a familiar taxi driver.
In certain specific situations, also seriously ill children who receive treatment in a central or university hospital may have the right to use the services of a familiar driver, regardless of whether they are accompanied by a parent or other person.
Kela can also grant the right to a familiar taxi driver based on an individual assessment. Unaccompanied customers who are for health reasons only able to use the services of a driver who is familiar with the kind of assistance they may need during the trip, may be entitled to use the services of a familiar driver based on an assessment of their situation.
A familiar taxi driver can be granted for instance if the customer has impaired mobility which requires the right kind of assistance, and where the wrong kind of assistance can cause serious harm.
Sami-speaking customers in the Sami homeland (Enontekiö, Inari, Utsjoki and the reindeer owners’ association of Lapland in Sodankylä) have separate instructions for how to order a taxi (see instructions in Northern Sami, Inari Sami and Skolt Sami).
Instructions in the Sami languages:
How to check your right to a familiar taxi driver
If you wish to find out if you may be entitled to a familiar taxi driver, please call Kela's customer service number 020 634 2650.
When calling, tell us what kind of special assistance, guidance or supervision you need due to your state of health during the ride and whether you always have someone accompanying you. Also tell us why you cannot travel in any other way than with a familiar taxi driver.
Send Kela a certificate proving your right to use of taxi on a continuing basis (SV 67). Kela cannot verify your right to use the services of a familiar driver until you have provided the certificate. The certificate is not needed if the customer is a child under 16.
We will look at your situation and tell you whether you have the right to use the services of a familiar taxi driver. You will be notified in a message via the OmaKela e-service, if you have selected that in OmaKela as your preferred contact method. Please note that our e-service is only available in Finnish and Swedish. Otherwise you will be notified by mail. We will also notify the dispatch for Kela taxis.
Call the regional dispatch number to book a taxi until you get information from Kela on your possible right to a familiar taxi driver. See the regional dispatch numbers.
How to book a familiar taxi driver
If you are granted the right to use the services of a familiar taxi driver, you should contact the dispatch centre in your region. The dispatch centre will inform you once it has assigned a familiar taxi driver for you. As regards taxi travels that are reimbursed by Kela, the driver must belong to one of the service providers with whom Kela has made an agreement on taxi travels that Kela reimburses.
When you have received confirmation that you have a familiar taxi driver, book your ride directly with the taxi operator or the driver. Please note that even if you have the right to a familiar taxi driver, you may have to share the ride with other customers travelling in the same direction.
Ride-sharing is not used with unaccompanied children under 16 children unless their guardian expressly allows it.