The full amount of the guarantee pension is
EUR 976.59 per month
Guarantee pension
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The guarantee pension secures a minimum pension for residents of Finland.
Eligibility for a guarantee pension
First, apply for all of the Finnish and foreign pensions to which you may be entitled. After that, you can get a guarantee pension if you meet all of the following requirements:
- You receive a pension that entitles you to a guarantee pension.
- The total amount of all of your pensions before taxes does not exceed EUR 968.69 per month.
- You have lived in Finland for at least 3 years after reaching the age of 16.
If you have lived in Finland for at least a year, any insurance period accumulated in other EU or EEA countries or in Switzerland can be taken into account. Young disabled persons do not have to meet the residence criterion if they have received disability allowance for persons under 16 years of age.
Pensions that entitle you to a guarantee pension include:
- old-age pension and early old-age pension provided by Kela
- old-age pension provided by an authorised pension provider (The old-age pension entitles you to a guarantee pension after you have reached the lowest old-age retirement age in your own age group.)
- rehabilitation subsidy and disability pension provided by Kela
- farm closure compensation.
The following pensions entitle you to a guarantee pension if they have been granted on account of full incapacity for work:
- full rehabilitation subsidy and full disability pension provided by an authorised pension provider
- occupational accident pension and life annuity paid on the basis of statutory workers’ compensation insurance
- occupational accident pension and life annuity paid on the basis of the Military Injuries Act
- disability pension paid on the basis of statutory motor liability insurance
- compensation for loss of income paid on the basis of statutory motor liability insurance. (The compensation will not entitle you to a guarantee pension until one year after the traffic accident.)
If you are an immigrant and do not receive any other pension, you may be entitled to a guarantee pension if you have reached the age of 65 or if you have reached the age of 16 and are incapable for work within the meaning of the National Pensions Act.
Guarantee pension can only be granted to persons staying abroad if their stay abroad is temporary. This means that you cannot receive a guarantee pension if you live abroad on a permanent basis.
You are not entitled to a guarantee pension if you only receive a years-of-service pension, partial early old-age pension, part-time pension, partial disability pension or survivor’s pension.
How much is the guarantee pension?
You can only receive the full amount if you have no other pension income.
The amount of the guarantee pension is reduced by nearly all other pension income you receive from Finland and from abroad. Such pension income includes:
- pensions provided by authorised pension providers
- pensions provided by Kela
- occupational accident pensions.
In addition, taking the old-age pension early reduces the amount of the guarantee pension.
The gross (i.e. before-tax) value of your other pension income is deducted from the guarantee pension.
The guarantee pension is not reduced by:
- earnings (except if you receive a disability pension or a guarantee pension on the grounds of incapacity for work)
- capital income
- assets
- care allowance for pensioners
- front-veterans’ supplement
- child increase to the pension
- voluntary pension insurance you have taken out yourself
- informal care allowance paid by the municipality
- the pensions, other income or assets of your spouse or partner.
If the amount of the guarantee pension is less than EUR 7.90 per month, it is not paid out.
Kela makes an annual index adjustment to the guarantee pension. The index adjustment may reduce or increase the amount of the guarantee pension. You do not have to do anything about the index adjustment, as Kela will automatically adjust the amount of the guarantee pension.
| National pension | Earnings-related pensions, total | Guarantee pension | Total pension |
| - | - | 976,59 | 976,59 |
| 775,70 | - | 200,89 | 976,59 |
| 775,70 | 50,00 | 150,89 | 976,59 |
| 758,49 | 100,00 | 118,10 | 976,59 |
| 708,49 | 200,00 | 68,10 | 976,59 |
| 648,28 | 320,41 | 7,90 | 976,59 |
| 565,12 | 486,73 | - | 1051,85 |
| 558,49 | 500,00 | - | 1058,49 |
| National pension | Earnings-related pensions, total | Guarantee pension | Total pension |
| - | - | 976,59 | 976,59 |
| 692,54 | - | 284,05 | 976,59 |
| 692,54 | 50,00 | 234,05 | 976,59 |
| 675,33 | 100,00 | 201,26 | 976,59 |
| 625,33 | 200,00 | 151,26 | 976,59 |
| 565,12 | 320,41 | 91,06 | 976,59 |
| 481,96 | 486,73 | 7,90 | 976,59 |
| 475,33 | 500,00 | - | 975,33 |
*A couple relationship refers to a cohabiting relationship, marriage or registered partnership.
Taking the old-age pension early reduces the amount of the guarantee pension or may prevent it from being paid at all.
If you have taken out an early old-age pension provided by Kela, your guarantee pension is reduced by the percentage that applies to your old-age pension.
If you have only taken out an early old-age pension provided by an authorised pension provider, your guarantee pension is reduced by the percentage that applies to the relevant pension.
Example of early old-age pension and guarantee pension
A person living alone wants to retire in January 2024, when she is 64 years and 3 months old. She does not receive a pension from an authorised pension provider.
Kela grants her an early old-age pension and guarantee pension starting from 1 January 2024. Since the old-age pension provided by Kela normally only becomes available at the age of 65, both of her pensions are reduced by 3.6%, that is by 0.4% per each month of early retirement.
The amount of the old-age pension is EUR 747.78 per month and the amount of the guarantee pension EUR 193.65 per month. The total amount is EUR 941.43 per month. Her pension income will therefore permanently be about EUR 35 per month lower than it would be if she had retired at the age of 65.
Earnings do not usually affect the guarantee pension, apart from a few exceptions.
If you receive a disability pension and a guarantee pension, you can earn EUR 976.59 per month without your earnings affecting the payment of the pensions.
If you receive a disability pension granted on the basis of permanent blindness or mobility disability, your earnings will not affect your disability pension at all. However, your earnings will affect your possible guarantee pension. You can earn a maximum of EUR 976.59 per month without your earnings affecting the guarantee pension.
If you are an immigrant and receive a guarantee pension on the basis of incapacity for work, you can earn EUR 976.79 per month without your earnings affecting the payment of the guarantee pension.
Payment date
If banks are closed on the scheduled payment date, the pensions are paid on the nearest preceding banking day.
How to apply for a guarantee pension
You can apply for a guarantee pension 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
- First, apply for all of the Finnish and foreign pensions to which you may be entitled.
- Apply for a guarantee pension in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish).
- Take photographs of the supporting documents and send them in OmaKela. From the application you can check which documents you should enclose with the application.
- 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 form Application - Guarantee pension GE 1e (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.
Alternatively, you can apply for a guarantee pension by calling our customer service number 020 634 2650 or by visiting a Kela customer service point.
Things to remember when you apply for a guarantee pension
You can receive a guarantee pension from the beginning of the month in which the payment of the pension or compensation that entitles you to a guarantee pension begins, at the earliest. Applications for guarantee pension can be made retroactively for up to 6 months.
If you are under 65 years of age and an immigrant, and you wish to apply for a guarantee pension on the basis of incapacity for work, complete the form Application - Rehabilitation subsidy/Disability pension ETK/KELA 7002e (pdf) in addition to an application for a guarantee pension.
If you receive a guarantee pension on the basis of incapacity for work for a fixed period of time and your incapacity for work continues after the fixed period, you do not need to submit a new application. All you need to do is submit a new medical statement to Kela. It can be a medical statement B, a separate treatment or rehabilitation plan, a medical statement E or a patient record that includes your doctor’s assessment of the duration of your incapacity for work.
Also remember to report changes that affect your guarantee pension.
If interacting with Kela is challenging for you personally, you can authorise another person to do so on your behalf.
With a power of attorney, another person can apply for a guarantee pension on your behalf by phone, at a customer service point or by mail.
Read more about how to authorise another person to manage your Kela-related affairs.
Report changes that affect your guarantee pension
If you receive a guarantee pension, you must tell Kela about any changes that may affect your guarantee pension. Tell Kela if:
- you begin to receive another pension, compensation or survivors' pension from Finland or from abroad or if the amount of these changes
- you move abroad or stay abroad for more than 3 months.
If you are under 65 years of age and receive a disability pension from Kela in addition to a guarantee pension, tell Kela if you start a job that pays you more than EUR 976.59 per month.
If you are an immigrant and receive a guarantee pension on the basis of incapacity for work, you must also tell us if:
- you are under 65 years of age and start a job that pays you more than EUR 976.59 per month
- your health status or capacity for work improves
- you complete a vocational education
- you drop out of a rehabilitation programme.
You can report any changes to us in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish), through our customer service or by mail.
If there are changes to any other pension or compensation you receive:
- Report the changes in OmaKela.
- Report the changes by calling our customer service number 020 634 2650 or by visiting a Kela customer service point.
- Complete the form Application for review - National pension / Guarantee pension E 285e (pdf) and send it to Kela by mail.
If you move abroad:
- Tell us about the move in OmaKela.
- Tell us about the move by calling our customer service number 020 634 2650 or by visiting a Kela customer service point.
- Complete the form Y 38e (pdf) and mail it to Kela.
If you start paid employment while receiving a disability pension in addition to a guarantee pension or while receiving a guarantee pension on the basis of incapacity for work:
- Tell us about the paid employment and its duration in OmaKela.
- Tell us about the paid employment by calling our customer service number 020 634 2650 or by visiting a Kela customer service point.
If you receive a guarantee pension on the basis of incapacity for work and there are other changes in your circumstances:
- Report the changes in OmaKela.
- Report the changes by calling our customer service number 020 634 2650 or by visiting a Kela customer service point.
- Complete the form EV 267 (pdf, available in Finnish and Swedish) and mail it to Kela.
What else is going on in your life?
Do you need support for your housing costs?
You are eligible for the housing allowance for pensioners if you are living permanently in Finland, you have a low income and you receive a pension which entitles you to the housing allowance for pensioners.
Do you have medical or medicine expenses?
You can receive reimbursement for the costs of private healthcare services and prescription medicines prescribed for an illness. Read about what kinds of expenses can be reimbursed.
Do you need everyday support because of a disability or severe illness?
The care allowance for pensioners is intended as support for pensioners with a disability or chronic illness in their daily life, functional ability, rehabilitation and care.
Do you use Kela taxis?
Kela provides reimbursements for the costs of taxi rides to persons who need help with transport to and from healthcare providers because of their health or poor traffic conditions.
When money is tight
If you have a very low income despite receiving a guarantee pension, you should find out if you are eligible for social assistance.