Can you get benefits from Kela when you move to Finland?

You can get benefits from Kela if you work in Finland or if Kela considers that you are living in Finland permanently. The right to Kela benefits on the basis of employment is more restricted.

Read more about your right to benefits from Kela

• if you are a posted worker
• if you are a self-employed person.

Can you get Kela benefits on the basis of employment?

If you work in Finland and your wage amounts to EUR 800.02 per month or more, you can get certain Kela benefits as from the start of the employment, for instance sickness allowance (sairauspäiväraha). You can also get a Kela card (Kela-kortti). This applies regardless of the country from which you move to Finland.

The payment of other benefits is affected by, for instance, whether you come from another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, or from some other country. You can get more information about Kela benefits from our website at kela.fi or by calling us.

When you work in Finland and you need a benefit, you can apply for the benefit

• in the OmaKela e-service (in Finnish or Swedish)
• on an application form.

Also notify us of your move to Finland in the OmaKela e-service or file the form Moving to Finland or employment in Finland Y 77e (PDF) with Kela, if you have not done that already.

Can you get Kela benefits on the basis of living in Finland permanently?

You can get benefits from Kela if you live in Finland permanently. We will determine whether we consider you to be living in Finland permanently or temporarily, and if we consider that you live in Finland permanently, you have the right to a wider range of benefits than on the basis of working in Finland.

If you have previously received benefits from Kela on the basis of your work, but your residence in Finland becomes permanent, your right to benefits can become wider. Always remember to notify us of changes in your situation.

Can you get medical care?

If you have a municipality of residence in Finland, you have the right to the medical care you need within the public healthcare system in Finland. If you do not have a municipality of residence in Finland, you can in many cases get the right to medical care in the public healthcare system on the basis of your work.

If you come from another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom to work in Finland, you have the right to public healthcare services for the duration of time that you in Finland are insured for earnings-related pension benefits or against employment accidents and unemployment. If you do not have a municipality of residence in Finland, you can apply for the right to medical care from Kela.

If you come from a country other than the EU or EEA countries, Switzerland and the United Kingdom and you do not have a municipality of residence in Finland, call our customer service number 020 634 0200020 634 0200 if you have questions about your right to medical care.

If you came to Finland to work as a seasonal worker, you can apply for the right to medical care from Kela.

Is your family accompanying you?

If a family member is accompanying you, your family member’s right to benefits from Kela is, as a rule, determined on the basis of whether we consider you to be living in Finland permanently. If we consider that you live in Finland permanently, your family member(s) can also, as a rule, get benefits from Kela.

Read more about

• family members moving to Finland
• benefits for families with children.

Does your family live in another country?

If you have family members in another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, Finland is in some cases responsible for the medical care costs of your family members. Further information is available by calling us.

Read how benefits from two different EU countries are coordinated.

A posted worker is a person whom a foreign employer sends to work temporarily in Finland.

Are you coming to Finland from an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom?

If you come to Finland as a posted worker from another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you have the right to social security coverage in the country from which you come to Finland. In such cases, you cannot, as a rule, get benefits from Kela.

If you come on a posting to Finland, you must have a certificate A1 granted by the authorities in the sending country. Read more on the website of the European Commission about the authorities that grant A1 certificates (europa.eu).

Are you coming to Finland from a country that has a social security agreement with Finland?

If you come to Finland as a posted worker from a country that has concluded a social security agreement with Finland (About Kela section), your right to benefits from Kela is determined on the basis of the relevant social security agreement. However, you may have the right to benefits from Kela that the agreement does not cover.

As a rule, the social security agreements concern pensions. Some agreements cover only individual Kela benefits, and the social security agreements with Japan, China, India and South Korea do not concern Kela benefits at all.

If you apply for benefits from Kela, enclose the certificate of posting granted by the sending country with your application.

Countries with which Finland has a social security agreement (About Kela)

Are you coming to Finland from a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or a country that has a social security agreement with Finland?

If you come to Finland as a posted worker from a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or a country that has a social security agreement with Finland, you can get benefits from Kela on the same grounds as employees.

Is your family accompanying you?

As a rule, the same rules apply to your accompanying family members as to you, unless your family members work in Finland. They thus cannot, as a rule, get benefits from Kela.

Read more about the rules for the family members of posted workers.

Can you get medical care?

EU and EEA countries, Switzerland and the United Kingdom

If you have a European Health Insurance Card granted by the sending country or an equivalent document from the United Kingdom, you have the right to necessary medical care in Finland. 

If you work as an employee posted to Finland from another EU or EEA country or Switzerland for more than one year or if we consider that you live in Finland permanently, do as follows:

1. Request an S1 certificate of entitlement to medical care from the authorities in your country of origin.
2. Apply for the right to medical care from Kela and also file the S1 certificate with Kela.
3. When we have registered the S1 certificate, you will get a decision on your right to medical care and the document titled ‘Certificate of entitlement to medical care in Finland’.

With this document, you will only be charged a client fee for treatment in the Finnish public healthcare system. With the document, you can also get reimbursements for

• the costs for private healthcare services incurred in Finland
• medicine purchases
• travel costs in connection with medical care.

You do not need to file an S1 certificate if you come from a Nordic country or the United Kingdom. However, apply for the right to medical care.

Other countries

If you come to Finland from a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom and you do not have a municipality of residence in Finland, you are only entitled to emergency medical care in Finland. You can be charged for the costs for the medical care afterwards.

If you have a municipality of residence in Finland, you are entitled to the medical care you need within the public healthcare system in Finland to the price of a client fee.

If you come from Quebec, there may be exceptions to your right to medical care. In that case, call our customer service number 020 634 0200020 634 0200.

Civil servants usually work for the government or some other public-sector employer.

Can you get Kela benefits?

EU and EEA countries, Switzerland and the United Kingdom

If you move to Finland from an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom as a civil servant employed by another country, you have social security coverage in your employer country for the duration of the employment in Finland. You thus cannot get benefits from Kela.

Other countries

If you move to Finland as a civil servant working for another country and you come from a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or a country that has a social security agreement with Finland, you cannot, as a rule, get benefits from Kela. 

Can you get medical care?

EU and EEA countries, Switzerland and the United Kingdom

If you have a European Health Insurance Card granted by the employer country or an equivalent document from the United Kingdom, you have the right to necessary medical care in Finland.

If you work as a civil servant posted to Finland from another EU or EEA country or Switzerland for more than one year or if we consider that you live in Finland permanently, do as follows:

1. Request an S1 certificate of entitlement to medical care from the authorities in your country of origin.
2. Apply for the right to medical care from Kela and also file the S1 certificate with Kela.
3. When we have registered the S1 certificate, you will get a decision on your right to medical care and the document titled ‘Certificate of entitlement to medical care in Finland’.

With this document, you will only be charged a client fee for treatment in the Finnish public healthcare system. With the document, you can also get reimbursements for

• the costs for private healthcare services incurred in Finland
• medicine purchases
• travel costs in connection with medical care.

You do not need to file an S1 certificate if you come from a Nordic country or the United Kingdom. However, apply for the right to medical care.

Other countries

If you come to Finland from a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom and you do not have a municipality of residence in Finland, you are only entitled to emergency medical care in Finland. You can be charged for the costs for the medical care afterwards.

If you have a municipality of residence in Finland, you are entitled to the medical care you need within the public healthcare system in Finland to the price of a client fee.

If you come from Quebec, there may be exceptions to your right to medical care. In that case, call our customer service number 020 634 0200020 634 0200.

Is your family accompanying you?

If you come from an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, your family members can get benefits from Kela if we consider that their country of residence is Finland.

If you come from a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, the same rules apply, as a rule, to your accompanying family members as to you, unless your family members work in Finland.

Read more about family members of posted workers here.

Personnel at diplomatic missions includes persons who work at the diplomatic mission of another country in Finland. The personnel at diplomatic missions can be posted employees or locally hired in Finland.

Diplomats also work at the diplomatic missions of other countries in Finland, but diplomats have certain rights and privileges related to their role as diplomats.

Can you get Kela benefits?

If you come to Finland as a diplomat, you have social security coverage in the sending country during your employment in Finland and you cannot get benefits from Kela.

If you are a posted employee at the diplomatic mission of another country in Finland and you come from an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you have social security coverage in the sending country during the employment in Finland. You thus cannot get benefits from Kela.

If you are a posted employee at the diplomatic mission of another country in Finland and you come from a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or a country that has a social security agreement with Finland, you cannot, as a rule, get benefits from Kela.

Can you get medical care?

EU and EEA countries, Switzerland and the United Kingdom

If you have a European Health Insurance Card granted by the sending country or an equivalent document from the United Kingdom, you have the right to necessary medical care in Finland.

If you work as an employee posted to Finland from another EU or EEA country or Switzerland for more than one year or if we consider that you live in Finland permanently, do the following:

1. Request an S1 certificate of entitlement to medical care from the authorities in your country of origin.
2. Apply for the right to medical care from Kela and also file the S1 certificate with Kela.
3. When we have registered the S1 certificate, you will get a decision on your right to medical care and the document titled ‘Certificate of entitlement to medical care in Finland’.

With this document, you will only be charged a client fee for treatment in the Finnish public healthcare system. With the document, you can also get reimbursements for

• the costs for private healthcare services incurred in Finland
• medicine purchases
• travel costs in connection with medical care.

You do not need to file an S1 certificate if you come from a Nordic country or the United Kingdom. However, apply for the right to medical care.

Other countries

If you come to Finland from a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom and you do not have a municipality of residence in Finland, you are only entitled to emergency medical care in Finland. You can be charged for the costs for the medical care afterwards.

If you have a municipality of residence in Finland, you are entitled to the medical care you need within the public healthcare system in Finland to the price of a client fee.

If you come from Quebec, there may be exceptions to your right to medical care. In that case, call our customer service number 020 634 0200020 634 0200.

Is your family accompanying you?

If you come from an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, your family members can get benefits from Kela if we consider that their country of residence is Finland.

If you come from a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, the same rules apply, as a rule, to your accompanying family members as to you, unless your family members work in Finland.

Read more about family members of posted workers here.

A grant recipient is a person who does research work or artistic work financed through a grant and who is insured under the farmers’ pension insurance scheme (MYEL).

Read more about insurance under the Farmers’ Pensions Act (MYEL) (mela.fi).

Can you get benefits?

If you get a Finnish grant, you must take out insurance under the Farmers’ Pensions Act (MYEL) (mela.fi). If you get insured under MYEL, you have the right to certain benefits from Kela, such as sickness allowance (sairauspäiväraha). You can also get a Kela card (Kela-kortti). Your right to benefits is based on your work and lasts as long as you do work financed through a grant. 

The right to other benefits is affected by, for instance, your country of origin, i.e. whether you come from another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, or from some other country. You can get more information about Kela benefits from our website at kela.fi or by calling us.

If you are not insured under the Farmers’ Pensions Act (MYEL)

If you are a researcher whose work is financed through a grant but you are not insured under the Farmers’ Pensions Act (MYEL), you can get the right to benefits from Kela on the basis of your work if you have enough income. In such a case, your wage, the foreign grant or other incomes must amount to EUR 800.02 per month or more.

If you work as a researcher in Finland and your income is less than EUR 800.02 per month, we will determine whether you can get benefits from Kela on the basis of living in Finland permanently.

Learn more about how you can get benefits on the basis of permanent residence or employment.

Can you get medical care?

If you have a municipality of residence in Finland, you have the right to medical care within the public healthcare system in Finland to the price of a client fee.

If you come to Finland from another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom and you do not have a municipality of residence in Finland, you must apply for the right to medical care in order to get medical care within the public healthcare system in Finland to the price of a client fee. Apply for the right to medical care from Kela if

• you are insured under the Farmers’ Pensions Act (MYEL)
• you are not insured under the Farmers’ Pensions Act (MYEL) but your income amounts to EUR 800.02 per month or more.

If you come from a country other than the EU or EEA countries, Switzerland or the United Kingdom and you do not have a municipality of residence in Finland, call our customer service number 020 634 0200020 634 0200 if you have questions about your right to medical care in Finland.

If you come from Quebec, there may be exceptions to your right to medical care. In that case, call our customer service number 020 634 0200020 634 0200.

As a rule, trainees and au pairs come to work in Finland only for a short time.

Can you get Kela benefits?

Trainees and au pairs cannot, as a rule, get benefits from Kela because they work in Finland only for a short time and their pay is low.

However, if the pay for the work amounts to EUR 800.02 per month or more, you may have the right to certain benefits from Kela on the basis of your work. If that is the case, read more about employees here.

Can you get medical care?

If you come from an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom and you have a European Health Insurance Card granted by your country of origin or an equivalent document from the United Kingdom, you get necessary medical care in Finland. If you get paid for your work, read more about medical care for employees here.

If you come from a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you pay the medical care costs yourself.

Read more about medical care in Finland during your stay here.

A jobseeker is a person who is unemployed or works part-time and who is looking for work in Finland.

Can you get Kela benefits?

If you come from another EU or EEA country or Switzerland and you are looking for work in Finland, you can get unemployment benefit from your country of origin. Read more about what to do to get unemployment benefit from your country of origin.

You can get benefits from Kela on the basis of your work, if you find a job in Finland. The benefits paid on the basis of employment are not affected by the country you come from. If you do not find work but you still live in Finland, your right to Kela benefits is determined by whether we consider that you are living in Finland permanently.

Can you get medical care?

If you have a European Health Insurance Card granted by another EU or EEA country or Switzerland or an equivalent document from the United Kingdom, you have the right to necessary medical care in Finland. 

If you come to Finland to look for work from a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you only have the right to emergency medical care. You can be charged for the costs for the medical care afterwards.

If you come to Finland from another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom to study here, your stay in Finland is, as a rule, considered temporary regardless of the duration of the studies, and you cannot get benefits from Kela. You have social security coverage in your country of origin. 

Your circumstances may change during your studies. If we consider that your residence in Finland becomes permanent, you can get benefits from Kela. In this case, you also have some other reason for your stay in Finland than studying. However, please note that there are restrictions regarding the student financial aid (opintotuki).

If you work in Finland during your studies, you can get certain benefits on the basis of your work even if we consider that you do not live in Finland permanently. In this case, your wage in Finland must amount to EUR 800.02 per month or more.

Read more about living permanently in Finland or working in Finland here.

Can you get student financial aid?

If you come to Finland as an exchange student, you cannot get student financial aid.

If you have come to Finland to study for a degree but you are not a Finnish citizen, you usually do not qualify for student financial aid from Finland. However, you can get student financial aid for degree studies if you meet one of the following conditions:

• You work in Finland for an average of 10 hours or more per week for a period of at least 4 months or you have taken out a compulsory earnings-related pension insurance policy for the self-employed. You can get student financial aid only for the period of time you work in Finland.
• You have the right of permanent residence in Finland under EU law (migri.fi).

You can also get student financial aid for degree studies if you have a family member who works in Finland and they are a citizen of an EU or EEA country or Switzerland or a UK citizen covered by the withdrawal agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom.

You can also get student financial aid for degree studies if you originally came to Finland for some other reason than to study. Your reason can, for example, relate to employment or family ties. Where this is the case, you must also meet the following conditions:

• You have registered your right of permanent residence as a citizen of an EU or EEA country or Switzerland or as a family member of such a citizen, or you hold a residence card of a family member of an EU citizen in Finland or a residence permit card defined in the withdrawal agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom.
• You are living in Finland permanently. Whether you are considered to be living in Finland permanently is determined on the basis of the Municipality of Residence Act.

Read more on student financial aid.

Can you get medical care?

You can get necessary medical care, if you have a European Health Insurance Card granted by your country of origin or an equivalent document from the United Kingdom. Order the card before coming to Finland.

The Finnish Student Health Service (Finnish abbreviation YTHS) arranges healthcare services for higher education students in Finland. Read more about the healthcare fee for higher education students.

If you start working alongside your studies, you can apply for the right to medical care from Kela in order to get medical care within the public healthcare system to the price of a client fee. You can also get reimbursement for

• the costs incurred in Finland for private healthcare services
• medicine purchases
• travels in connection with medical care.

Is your family accompanying you?

If a family member is accompanying you, your family member’s right to benefits from Kela is usually determined on the basis of whether we consider you to be living in Finland permanently. As we usually consider students from another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom to be staying in Finland temporarily regardless of the duration of their studies, your family member will usually not qualify for Kela benefits either.

If your family member starts working in Finland, they can qualify for Kela benefits based on the work they do in Finland.

If there is a change in your life situation or that of your family members, we may reassess your case. If we consider you to be living in Finland permanently as a result, you or your family members may qualify for Kela benefits.

If you come to Finland as an exchange student, you cannot, as a rule, get benefits from Kela.

If you come to Finland from a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom in order to study here for 2 years or more, you can get certain benefits from Kela such as sickness allowance, daily allowances for parents or reimbursement for the costs for private healthcare services and prescription medicines. However, you do not have the right to all Kela benefits. For instance, you cannot get student financial aid (opintotuki), the housing supplement for students or general housing allowance (yleinen asumistuki).  

Your circumstances may change during your studies. If we consider that your residence in Finland becomes permanent, you can get benefits from Kela. In this case, you also have some other reason for your stay in Finland than studying. However, please note that there are restrictions regarding the student financial aid (opintotuki).

If you work in Finland during your studies, you can get certain benefits on the basis of your work even if we consider that you do not live in Finland permanently. In this case, your wage in Finland must amount to EUR 800.02 per month or more.

Read more about living permanently in Finland or working in Finland here.

Can you get student financial aid?

If you come to Finland as an exchange student, you cannot get student financial aid.

If you have come to Finland to study for a degree but you are not a Finnish citizen, you usually do not qualify for student financial aid from Finland.

You can get student financial aid if you originally came to Finland for some other reason than to study. Your reason can, for example, relate to employment or family ties. Where this is the case, you must also hold one of the following:

• a continuous residence permit (A permit)
• a permanent residence permit (P permit)
• a permanent EU residence permit granted to third-country nationals who have resided in an EU country for a long period of time (P-EU permit)
• a residence card granted to the family member of a citizen of an EU or EEA country or Switzerland
• a residence permit card defined in the withdrawal agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom.

You must also be living in Finland permanently. Whether you are considered to be living in Finland permanently is determined on the basis of the Municipality of Residence Act.

Can you get medical care?

If you come to Finland as an exchange student, you will have to pay your medical care costs yourself. You cannot get reimbursement for the costs from Kela.

If you come to Finland to study for 2 years or more, you can, as a rule, get a Kela card (Kela-kortti). If you do not have a municipality of residence in Finland, you only have the right to emergency medical care in Finland. You can be charged for the costs for the medical care afterwards. If you have a municipality of residence in Finland, you have the right to the medical care you need within the public healthcare system in Finland to the price of a client fee.

The Finnish Student Health Service (Finnish abbreviation YTHS) arranges healthcare services for higher education students in Finland. Read more about the healthcare fee for higher education students.

If you come from Quebec, there may be exceptions to your right to medical care. In that case, call our customer service number 020 634 0200020 634 0200.

Is your family accompanying you?

If a family member is accompanying you, your family member’s right to benefits from Kela is usually determined on the basis of whether we consider you to be living in Finland permanently.

If you come to Finland to study for at least 2 years and we consider you to be living in Finland permanently, your family member can usually get benefits from Kela. Your family member can be paid, for example, daily allowances for parents and reimbursements for the costs of private healthcare services and prescription medicines.

Your family member may also qualify for general housing allowance, but you will not count as a member of the household when the general housing allowance is calculated. This means that you cannot get either general housing allowance or the housing supplement for students.

If your family member starts working in Finland, they can qualify for Kela benefits also based on the work they do in Finland.

If you get a pension from Finland and you move back to Finland, notify Kela of your return. Make sure to also notify the authorities in your country of origin of your move.

On the basis of your notification, we will determine whether we consider that you are moving to Finland permanently. If we consider that your residence in Finland is for the long term, you can usually be granted benefits from Kela. You can get more information about Kela benefits from our website at kela.fi or by calling us.

Can you get medical care?

If you have a municipality of residence in Finland, you have the right to the medical care you need within the public healthcare system in Finland to the price of a client fee.

If you are insured for healthcare benefits, you can apply for a Kela card (Kela-kortti). With the Kela card, you can get reimbursement for

• the costs for private healthcare services
• medicine purchases
• travel costs in connection with medical care.

If you move to Finland and you get a pension from an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom (but not from Finland), we will determine whether we consider that you are living in Finland permanently when you apply for a benefit. If we consider that your residence in Finland is for the long term, you can usually be granted benefits from Kela.

You cannot apply for pensions and disability allowances from Kela until you have lived in Finland for at least three years after reaching age 16. In this 3-year period, we can include periods when you have lived or worked in other EU or EEA countries, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, if you have lived in Finland for one year or more.

You can get more information about Kela benefits from our website at kela.fi or by calling us.

Read more about

• pensions
• disability allowances.

Can you get medical care?

If you move to Finland permanently from another EU or EEA country or Switzerland, do as follows:

1. Request an S1 certificate of entitlement to medical care from the authorities in the country that pays you a pension. Also notify the authorities in your country of origin of your move to Finland.
2. Apply for the right to medical care from Kela and file the S1 certificate with Kela.
3. When we have registered the S1 certificate, you will get a decision and the document titled ‘Certificate of entitlement to medical care in Finland’.

With this document, you will only be charged a client fee for treatment in the Finnish public healthcare system. With the document, you can also get reimbursements for

• the costs for private healthcare services incurred in Finland
• medicine purchases
• travel costs in connection with medical care.

If the country that pays you a pension is another Nordic country or the United Kingdom, you do not need to file the S1 certificate. However, apply for the right to medical care.

If you are staying in Finland temporarily, you have the right to necessary medical care in Finland with the European Health Insurance Card or an equivalent document from the United Kingdom. The European Health Insurance Card can be obtained from the country that pays you a pension.

If you move to Finland and you get a pension from a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, we will determine whether we consider that you are living in Finland permanently when you apply for a benefit. If we consider that your move to Finland is permanent, you can, as a rule, get benefits from Kela.

You cannot apply for pensions and disability allowances from Kela until you have lived in Finland for at least three years after reaching age 16. In this 3-year period, we can include periods when you have lived or worked in other EU or EEA countries, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, if you have lived in Finland for one year or more.

You can get more information about Kela benefits from our website at kela.fi or by calling us.

Read more about

• pensions
• disability allowance.

Can you get medical care?

If you do not have a municipality of residence in Finland, you only have the right to emergency medical care in Finland. You can be charged for the costs for the medical care afterwards.

If you have a municipality of residence in Finland, you have the right to the medical care you need within the public healthcare system in Finland to the price of a client fee.

The term ‘family member’ refers to married spouses and partners who are cohabiting or in a registered partnership. Children under age 18 who live in the same household are also considered family members.

If you have moved to Finland as the family member of a posted worker, a diplomat, a member of the personnel at a diplomatic mission or a civil servant, read more in the instructions for family members of posted workers.

Can you get Kela benefits?

You can get benefits from Kela if we consider that you live in Finland permanently. When we consider whether you are living in Finland permanently, our assessment is also affected by whether we consider that the person to whom or together with whom you moved to Finland is living in Finland permanently. You can also get benefits from Kela on the basis of working in Finland.

Read more about living permanently in Finland or working in Finland here.

If you come to Finland to move in with a family member who works in Finland or you move to Finland together with a family member who works in Finland and you come from an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you may have the right to benefits for families with children from Kela, even if we consider that you do not live in Finland permanently. However, you cannot, as a rule, get other benefits from Kela.

You can apply for Kela benefits

• in the OmaKela e-service (in Finnish or Swedish)
• on a form.

Also notify us of your move to Finland in the OmaKela e-service or file the form Moving to Finland or employment in Finland Y 77e (PDF) with us, if you have not done that already.

If you have children aged under 18 who are moving with you and for whom you are the legal guardian, inform us of their move in your notification.

You can get more information about Kela benefits from our website at kela.fi or by calling us.

Can you get medical care?

If you have a municipality of residence in Finland, you have the right to the medical care you need within the public healthcare system in Finland to the price of a client fee. 

If you come to Finland to move in with a family member who works in Finland or you move to Finland together with a family member who works in Finland and you come from an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you may have the right to medical care, even if you do not have a municipality of residence in Finland. In that case, apply for the right to medical care from Kela.

The term ‘family members of posted workers’ refers to married spouses and partners who are cohabiting or in a registered partnership. Children under age 18 who live in the same household are also considered family members.

These instructions also concern you if you are the family member of a

• diplomat
• member of the personnel at a diplomatic mission
• civil servant.

Can you get Kela benefits?

EU and EEA countries, Switzerland and the United Kingdom

If you come to Finland as the family member of a posted worker from another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you have, as a rule, the right to social security coverage in the country from which you have come to Finland. In such cases you cannot, as a rule, get benefits from Kela. However, you may have the right to benefits from Kela, if we consider that you live in Finland permanently.

If you start working in Finland, you can get benefits from Kela on the same grounds as employees.

Other countries

If you move to Finland as the family member of a posted worker from a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you can, as a rule, get benefits from Kela, if we consider that you live in Finland permanently.

If you are the family member of a diplomat, a member of the personnel at a diplomatic mission or a civil servant, you cannot, as a rule, get benefits from Kela.

However, you can get benefits if you work in Finland.

Read more about living permanently in Finland or working in Finland here.

Can you get medical care?

EU and EEA countries, Switzerland and the United Kingdom

As the family member of a posted worker, you have the right to necessary medical care in Finland, if you have a European Health Insurance Card granted by your country of origin or an equivalent document from the United Kingdom.

If you come to Finland from another EU or EEA country or Switzerland and you live in Finland for more than one year or if we consider that you live in Finland permanently, do the following:

1. Request an S1 certificate of entitlement to medical care from the authorities in your country of origin.
2. Apply for the right to medical care from Kela and also file the S1 certificate with Kela.
3. When we have registered the S1 certificate, you will get a decision on your right to medical care and the document titled ‘Certificate of entitlement to medical care in Finland’.

With this document, you will only be charged a client fee for treatment in the Finnish public healthcare system. With the document, you can also get reimbursements for

• the costs for private healthcare services incurred in Finland
• medicine purchases
• travel costs in connection with medical care.

You do not need to file an S1 certificate if you come from a Nordic country or the United Kingdom. However, apply for the right to medical care.

Other countries

If you come to Finland as the family member of a posted worker from a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom and you do not have a municipality of residence in Finland, you have, as a rule, only the right to emergency medical care in Finland. You can be charged for the costs for the medical care afterwards.

If you have a municipality of residence in Finland, you have the right to the medical care you need within the public healthcare system in Finland to the price of a client fee.

If you come from Quebec, there may be exceptions to your right to medical care. In that case, call our customer service number 020 634 0200020 634 0200.

An asylum seeker is a person who is applying for asylum in Finland on the basis of international protection.

Can you get Kela benefits?

If you have applied for asylum in Finland, you cannot get benefits from Kela until you have been granted a residence permit.

If you have been granted asylum in Finland, you can get benefits from Kela if you intend to live in Finland permanently.

Further information for asylum seekers (infofinland.fi).

Can you get medical care?

Ask the reception centre how you can get medical care.

A quota refugee is a person whom the UN Refugee Agency has granted the status of refugee and whom Finland receives.

Can you get Kela benefits?

As a quota refugee, you can get benefits from Kela immediately after you have moved to Finland.

Further information for quota refugees (infofinland.fi).

Can you get medical care?

If you have a municipality of residence in Finland, you have the right to the medical care you need within the public healthcare system in Finland to the price of a client fee. Read more about your right to medical care in Finland.