International legislation

How does the EU legislation affect your social security coverage?

Workers employed within the EU are entitled to coverage under the social security system of their country of employment.

The EU countries have common EU legislation but their own social security systems. However, the social security coverage of EU citizens who move between the EU countries is governed by EC Regulation 883/2004 (PDF). The country where you have social security coverage is determined according to the Regulation.

The main principle is that as an employee you are entitled to social security coverage in your country of employment even if you live in another Member State. If you are not employed, your right to social security coverage is determined in accordance with the legislation of your country of residence.

The EC Regulation affects almost all Kela benefits when you move between the EU countries. However, please note that the right to certain benefits, such as basic social assistance or housing allowance, is not determined in accordance with the Regulation. The right to these benefits is determined on the basis of the Finnish national legislation. You must live in Finland permanently in order to get these benefits.

The purpose of the EC Regulation is to ensure that persons who move within the EU are covered by only one national social security system at a time. This is called coordination of social security (ec.europa.eu). The purpose of the Regulation is also to ensure that you do not lose any social security entitlements if you move from one EU country to another.

Learn more about the right to social security coverage in the EU countries and the right to social security coverage in Finland (ec.europa.eu).

The EC Regulation may also apply to citizens of countries outside the EU

The rules governing the coordination of social security within the EU also apply to citizens of countries outside the EU who are residing legally in the EU and who move within the EU area.

Denmark, Norway and Iceland apply EC Regulation 883/2004 to citizens of countries outside the EU through the Nordic Convention on Social Security. The United Kingdom applies the older EEC Regulation 1408/71 to citizens of countries outside the EU.

The EEA countries and Switzerland also apply the EC Regulation

The EEA countries (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) also apply EC Regulation 883/2004. Switzerland applies EC Regulation 883/2004, but only to EU citizens who move between the EU and Switzerland.

Social security agreements concluded by Finland

Your social security coverage can be based on social security agreements. Finland has concluded such agreements with the Nordic countries, the United States, Canada, Chile, Israel, Australia, India, China, South Korea and Japan. Further, Finland has made a separate arrangement concerning social security with the Province of Quebec in Canada. With Australia, Finland also has an agreement covering medical treatment during a temporary stay in the other signatory country.

If you live or work in a country that has a social security agreement with Finland, you may have the right to the benefits mentioned in the agreement from the country in question.

The agreements usually concern employees, their family members and pensioners. A pension accrued in Finland is always paid also to another agreement country. The provisions of the agreements are applied exclusively to the persons and benefits expressly covered by them. If your right to social security coverage is not determined through a social security agreement that Finland has concluded with another country, the right to social security coverage and those Kela benefits that are not included in the scope of the agreement is determined on the basis of the Finnish legislation.

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