Kela benefits for those who have fled the war in Ukraine

You have a right to most Kela benefits if you have lived in Finland for a year. The kind of benefits you can get depends on your circumstances.

You can apply for Kela benefits even if you plan to return to Ukraine. You do not have to visit a Kela customer service point. Instead, you can simply send an application form to Kela.

Watch the video: Як заповнити форму UA1 – How to fill out form UA1 (Youtube). Length 6 min 19 s, spoken in Ukrainian and subtitled in Finnish and Ukrainian.

Kela card and child benefit

Once you have lived in Finland for a year, you can apply for a Kela card and for child benefits on the UA 1ukr form (PDF, in Ukrainian and in Finnish). Child benefit is paid for children under 17 years of age who live in Finland. You can apply for a Kela card and child benefits even if you have not applied for registration as a resident of a Finnish municipality (“home municipality”).

Using a Kela card to get reimbursements for prescription medicines

If a doctor prescribes medicines for you, you can get them cheaper by showing your Kela card at the pharmacy. The pharmacy will deduct a reimbursement from the price of the medicine. The amount of the reimbursement depends on the medicine you are buying and any reimbursement entitlements you may have been granted.

If the medicine you are buying has a special rate of reimbursement, or if there are restrictions to its reimbursement status, you need a reimbursement entitlement from Kela to get the reimbursement. To apply for a reimbursement entitlement, you must send Kela a medical statement B that a doctor has issued for you. You can either send the statement to Kela yourself or ask your doctor to do so. No other application is needed. If you wish to send the form yourself, send it to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.

General housing allowance

If you pay rent, you can apply to Kela for help with your housing costs.

Kela can pay you general housing allowance if it is determined that you are living in Finland permanently. The general rule is that if you have lived in Finland for at least a year you are considered to be living permanently in Finland.  

You can use the form General housing allowance AT 1e (PDF, in English) to apply for general housing allowance. Include the rental agreement with your application.

The amount of the housing allowance is affected by

• the number of permanent occupants of the home and the amount of income they have
• the rent 
• the location of the home.

If your housing costs exceed a maximum limit expressed in euros, you cannot get housing allowance. This maximum limit is referred to as maximum housing costs, and it varies according to the municipality in which your home is located and the number of permanent occupants. The maximum housing costs represent the largest housing allowance you can get, even if your actual housing costs are higher. Therefore, you should try to make sure that the amount you pay for housing is reasonable.

If you move, you can also apply for social assistance towards removal costs and rental security deposits.

Social assistance

You can apply for social assistance (toimeentulotuki) if you have been assigned a municipality of residence (kotikunta) and your income, assets and other benefits are not enough to cover your essential daily expenses.

Such expenses can include rent, food, health care and clothing.

Use the Social assistance TO 1ukr form (PDF, in Ukrainian) to apply for social assistance. If you wish to apply for help with a rental security deposit, also complete the form Social assistance - Rental security deposit TO 2ukr (PDF, in Ukrainian).

Before you apply for social assistance, you have to first check if you can get other Kela benefits, such as housing allowance (asumistuki) or child benefit (lapsilisä). Social assistance is meant for people whose wages, salary, other social security benefits, income or assets are not enough to cover their everyday living expenses.

If you are unemployed, you also have to register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services of your municipality of residence.

Kela may have to reduce (cut) the basic amount (perusosa) of your social assistance if you do not apply for other benefits that you may have the right to and if you do not register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services. More information about when you do not need to register with the employment services.

Applications for a home municipality are made to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency

If you meet the below requirements, you can apply to have a home municipality (i.e., to be registered as a resident of a Finnish municipality) on the website of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV):

• You have lived in Finland for at least a year.
• You have received a residence permit on the basis of temporary protection, and the permit is valid for at least a year.
• You have a Finnish personal identity code.

For more information about what having a home municipality involves and how to apply for one, see the website of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (dvv.fi).

The general rule is that Kela benefits are not available until you have lived in Finland for a year or unless you are working in Finland. In order to qualify for most Kela benefits, you must be working or living permanently in Finland. Typically, Kela will consider a residence of at least one year to be permanent.

If you are applying for or have already been granted temporary protection status, you have the right to live in a reception centre and to access the services arranged by the centre.

You are eligible for at least the health insurance benefits available from Kela if you earn at least EUR 800.02 per month (as from 1 January 2023). Health insurance benefits include reimbursements for medicine expenses, parental benefits and the sickness allowance.

If you have children, you can apply for child benefit. If you are pregnant, you can apply for parental allowances and child benefit.

The general rule is that Kela benefits are not available until you have lived in Finland for a year or unless you are working in Finland. If you are applying for or have already been granted temporary protection status, you have the right to live in a reception centre and to access the services arranged by the centre. For example, you can get access to healthcare and to essential social services and are paid a reception allowance which guarantees your basic subsistence. You also have the option to arrange for accommodation independently. You have the right to work and to study. Any earnings your receive will reduce the reception allowance.

If you have applied for asylum, the reception centre will provide economic security and other services while your application for a residence permit is being reviewed. Asylum seekers are usually not eligible for Kela benefits.

If you are not currently or will soon no longer be covered by reception services, you may apply to Kela for social assistance (toimeentulotuki) if you need it. Before you apply for social assistance, you have to first check if you can get other Kela benefits, such as housing allowance (asumistuki) or child benefit (lapsilisä). Social assistance is meant for people whose wages, salary, other social security benefits, income or assets are not enough to cover their everyday living expenses.

If you are unemployed, you also have to register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services of your municipality of residence (kotikunta).

Kela may have to reduce (cut) the basic amount (perusosa) of your social assistance if you do not apply for other benefits that you may have the right to and if you do not register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services. More information about when you do not need to register with the employment services.

Permanent residence or employment in Finland is a requirement for most Kela benefits

You may have a right to most Kela benefits if Kela considers you to be a permanent resident of Finland. This is based on an overall assessment of your circumstances.

Kela will consider you a permanent resident if you meet any of the following conditions:

• You have lived in Finland for at least 12 months.
• A family member of yours (spouse/partner or under-age child) is already living in Finland.
• You have lived in Finland previously.
• You intend to work or study in Finland for at least two years.

If you work in Finland, you may have a right to health insurance benefits even if Kela does not consider you a permanent resident. Your pay must be at least EUR 800.02 per month in order to qualify for health insurance benefits. Health insurance benefits include reimbursements for medicine expenses, parental benefits and the sickness allowance.

Read more: Instructions on arriving in Finland from Ukraine (migri.fi)

Darya fled the war, arriving in Finland in March 2022. She is accompanied by Ivan, who is three, and Maria, who is eight. Darya is a single parent and not married. Darya is unemployed.

This example describes the benefits that Darya and her children can get from Kela once they have lived in Finland for at least a year and have been assigned a home municipality. Please note that the sums shown here are examples and assume that the family has no other income or assets.

There are online calculators you can use to estimate whether you can get Kela benefits and how much they would be. The calculators can only provide an estimate based on the information you put in. The calculators are available in Finnish and Swedish.

Child benefit

The amount of child benefit is higher the more children there are in the family that are under age 17. For the first child, it is EUR 94.88 per month, and for the second, EUR 104.84 per month. The child benefit is tax-free income. Assets and income do not affect the amount of the child benefit.

If you are a single parent, you get a single-parent supplement of EUR 73.30 per month for each child. You qualify for the single-parent supplement if you are not married or cohabiting or legally separated from your spouse. This means that someone whose married spouse is alive and has stayed back to fight in the war cannot get the single-parent supplement.

The total child benefit that Darya can get is EUR 346.32 per month (94.88 + 104.84 + 73.30 + 73.30).

The child benefit is paid on the 26th day of each month. If the payment date falls on a weekend, a holiday or the first day following a weekend or holiday (for instance Monday), it is paid on the immediately preceding business day.

Child benefit can be claimed on form UA 1 (pdf).

General housing allowance

Darya and her children rent a flat in Vantaa for which they pay EUR 950 per month. Darya can get EUR 707.00 per month in general housing allowance. This calculation is based on the assumption that Darya has no other sources of income besides the child benefit and social assistance she gets from Kela.

The maximum housing costs used to calculate the allowance vary from one municipality to another. See this page for information about the maximum housing costs in Finnish municipalities. The maximum housing costs are specified by law. For example, if Darya and her children lived in Salo, they could get only EUR 513.20 per month in housing allowance.

Kela pays the housing allowance into your account on the first business day of the month. If it is too late to make the payment on the regular payment date, the allowance is paid when your application is decided, in which case the payment will be in your account in two working days. You can also ask Kela to pay the housing allowance into your landlord’s account.

Use the AT 1 e form (pdf, in English) to apply for general housing allowance.

Social assistance

Before applying for social assistance, Darya must find out whether she could secure other income or qualify for other social benefits. Basic social assistance is intended for persons who are unable to make a living from work or self-employment, by receiving social security benefits, or by relying on their other income or assets.

If Darya’s income and assets, including any other income or benefits she could get, are not enough to cover essential expenses such as food and housing, she can get basic social assistance. The calculation assumes that Darya’s family has no significant healthcare expenses or any other expenses relevant to the basic social assistance.

Darya can get EUR 1,360.08 per month in social assistance if her income and expenses do not change. The amount of basic social assistance is based on a monthly calculation. The child benefit of EUR 346.32 and the general housing allowance of EUR 707 count as income for purposes of the calculation. The following are recognised as expenses: the basic amount for single parents (EUR 669.99), the basic amounts determined on the basis of the children’s ages (EUR 411.40 and EUR 382.01) and also rent (EUR 950).

Because Darya is unemployed, she must also register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services of her municipality of residence (kotikunta). If Darya does not do so, Kela may have to reduce (cut) the basic amount (perusosa) of her social assistance.

Kela can also grant Darya social assistance to pay the security deposit for a reasonably priced rented apartment if she does not have a compelling reason for needing a more expensive one. Kela has set municipality-specific limits for reasonable housing costs. The money for the security deposit is usually provided in the form of a voucher. You can also get basic social assistance for moving costs. You can use our search tool to check the limits for each municipality. 

Basic social assistance is paid regularly on the first business day of the month. If it is too late to make the payment on the regular payment date, the allowance is paid when your application is decided, in which case the payment will be in your account in two working days.

Use the TO 1 ukr (PDF) form to apply for social assistance, and the TO 2 ukr (PDF) form to apply for money towards a security deposit.

Total amount of benefits

The total amount of benefits that Darya can get is about EUR 2,413 per month. Child benefit, housing allowance and social assistance are not taxed.

If you are unemployed, register as a jobseeker with the employment services of your municipality of residence (kotikunta) at Job Market Finland (tyomarkkinatori.fi).

If you have a temporary residence permit (B permit), you can get general social security benefit (yleistuki) only if you meet the work requirement (työssäoloehto) for employees. The entitlement to the general social security benefit lasts for 400 payment days, that is, approximately 18 months. To fulfil the work requirement, you must have worked for long enough before you became unemployed.

The work you do counts as work history for the work requirement in the following way:

• you get one month for each month in which you earn at least EUR 930
• you get half a month for each month in which you earn at least EUR 465 but less than EUR 930.

You meet the work requirement when you have accumulated at least 12 months of work history during the last 28 months.

This means that you qualify for the general social security benefit if you have worked a total of approximately one year in Finland before becoming unemployed.

Work in another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom also counts towards the work requirement.

Work history accumulated over a period longer than 28 months can also be included in the work requirement, for example in the following situations:

• you have been ill
• you have been studying
• you have been caring for your child, who is under 3
• you have participated in employment-promoting services.

If you have a continuous residence permit (A permit), you do not need to meet the work requirement to qualify for general social security benefit.

Persons under temporary protection cannot get student financial aid (opintotuki). However, you can get social assistance during your studies if all your income and assets are not enough to cover your essential daily expenses. More information about how Kela calculates social assistance.

Social assistance is paid as a last resort. This means that you have to apply for all other benefits you may qualify for first before you apply for social assistance. These benefits are called primary benefits (ensisijaiset tuet). Kela may have to reduce (cut) the basic amount (perusosa) of your social assistance if you do not apply for all other benefits you may have the right to. However, you do not have to apply for student financial aid because you cannot get it due to the type of residence permit you have.

If you are in upper secondary education and you have a municipality of residence (kotikunta) in Finland, you can get school transport subsidy (koulumatkatuki). You can apply for a municipality of residence after you have lived in Finland for one year.

When you move into private accommodation, you can get general housing allowance if you live permanently in Finland and you meet the requirements for the allowance. Typically, Kela will consider you to be living in Finland permanently if you have been in Finland for at least a year.  

You can use the AT1 e form (PDF, in English) to apply for general housing allowance. Your application must be accompanied by at least the rental agreement. Apply for housing allowance after you have signed the rental agreement.

The amount of the housing allowance depends on the number of adults and children sharing a home on a non-temporary basis, their income, the rent and the location of the home. Accepted housing costs are defined in law. 

Rental security deposit

When you move into a rental apartment, you are usually required to post a security deposit for a few months or to pay rent in advance. 

Once you have been assigned a home municipality, you have found an affordable apartment and you are moving from a reception centre or other accommodation to your own apartment in Finland, you can also receive basic social assistance for the rental security deposit and moving costs if your own income and assets are not enough to pay for them.

You can use the form TO 1ukr (PDF, in Ukrainian) to apply for social assistance If you want to apply for help with a rental security deposit, also complete the form TO2 ukr (PDF, in Ukrainian). 

More information about security deposits: Can social assistance be paid for moving costs?

You have the right to urgent medical treatment in the public healthcare system regardless of your nationality or country of origin. However, you must pay for the services you use.

If you have applied for asylum or have received a resident permit on grounds of temporary protection, the reception centre will provide you access to health services.

Usually, the right to use public health services is linked to one's residence in a specific municipality (“municipality of residence”). If you are registered as a resident of a Finnish municipality, you receive all of the services available from the public healthcare system at the same cost as all other residents of the municipality. Your nationality or country of origin is not relevant. You are also able to use public health services if you work in Finland.

Read more about healthcare services for people who have come to Finland from Ukraine (EU-healthcare.fi).

A short visit outside Finland usually has no effect on eligibility for Kela benefits.

If you cannot get a bank account, Kela benefits can be put on a prepaid card.

If you receive a pension from Ukraine, the pension may affect the benefits you receive from Kela. When you apply for a benefit from Kela, you have to enclose reliable documentation on the pensions from Ukraine with your application. If you do not have official documentation, you can submit other available documentation or provide your own written or verbal statement in the matter. Kela will consider whether the documents and explanation you provide are sufficiently informative and will contact you if needed.

As a rule, Kela pays national or guarantee pension to persons who have lived in Finland for at least three years since reaching the age of 16. The three-year residence period is calculated from the date on which Kela determines that you live permanently in Finland.

You may be entitled to some benefits from Kela, if Kela considers that you are permanently resident in Finland and the other entitlement criteria for the benefits are met.

Read more in our press release: Minors who come from Ukraine to Finland without their families can get benefits from Kela.

If you move from Finland to another country, you need to report the move abroad to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV). If you receive any benefits from Kela, you also need to notify Kela of your move. Complete the form Y38e (pdf, in English) and submit it to Kela. You can also notify Kela of the move by phone or by visiting a customer service point.

It is important to report the move abroad so that Kela does not pay you any unnecessary benefits.

Kela can pay you basic social assistance if all your income and assets are not enough to cover your essential expenses, such as food and housing. 

Before you apply for social assistance, you have to first check if you can get other Kela benefits, such as housing allowance (asumistuki) or child benefit (lapsilisä). Social assistance is meant for people whose wages, salary, other social security benefits, income or assets are not enough to cover their everyday living expenses.

If you are unemployed, you also have to register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services of your municipality of residence (kotikunta).

Kela may have to reduce (cut) the basic amount (perusosa) of your social assistance if you do not apply for other benefits that you may have the right to and if you do not register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services. More information about when you do not need to register with the employment services.

If you are applying for or have already been granted temporary protection status, and you are within the scope of immigrant reception services, you cannot get basic social assistance. In such a case, you can use the services available from the reception centre.

If you live in a reception centre, you should apply for basic social assistance once you and all your family members have a home municipality in Finland and you have found a place to live in the municipality. If you live in an apartment rented by a reception centre from the municipality and the rental agreement for this apartment is transferred to you, apply for social assistance when you or your family have been granted a home municipality and the rental agreement has been transferred.

If you do not live in a reception centre, you should apply for basic social assistance as soon as you have been assigned a home municipality. You can usually be assigned a home municipality when you have lived in Finland for a year. However, if you have family members who have arrived in Finland after you, they usually do not have to wait a whole year. You can all be assigned a home municipality at the same time.

Learn more about home municipalities on the Digital and Population Data Services Agency website (dvv.fi).

Before you apply for social assistance, you have to first check if you can get other Kela benefits, such as housing allowance (asumistuki) or child benefit (lapsilisä). Social assistance is meant for people whose wages, salary, other social security benefits, income or assets are not enough to cover their everyday living expenses.

If you are unemployed, you also have to register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services of your municipality of residence (kotikunta).

Kela may have to reduce (cut) the basic amount (perusosa) of your social assistance if you do not apply for other benefits that you may have the right to and if you do not register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services. More information about when you do not need to register with the employment services.

Learn more about other Kela benefits and how to apply for them.

Basic social assistance is not available for all types of expenses. It can only be granted for essential expenses, such as reasonable housing costs, food and prescription medicines.

The expenses relevant to basic social assistance are divided between expenses covered by the basic amount and other basic expenses.

Basic amount

The basic amount already includes normal everyday expenses, such as food and clothing. When you apply for assistance, you do not have to show receipts or invoices for these expenses.

Each family member is entitled to their own basic amount.

The following expenses are included in the basic amount:

• food
• clothing
• minor health care expenses (such as non-prescription medications)
• personal hygiene and keeping your home clean
• public transport
• newspaper subscription
• telephone and internet access
• hobbies and recreation
• other comparable expenses.

Other basic expenses

You can also apply for basic social assistance for other basic expenses. If you are applying for social assistance for such expenses, please provide copies of invoices (e.g. electricity bill) or receipts (e.g. prescription or patient instructions for medicines) as supporting documents. Please remember to submit all the pages of the bill.

Kela usually recognises these expenses at their actual value, as long as they are reasonable, when deciding on your right to basic social assistance.

Other basic expenses can include:

• reasonable housing costs (e.g. rent, maintenance charge, electric bill, water, and home insurance)
• necessary moving costs
• healthcare costs that are not included in the basic amount (e.g. health centre user fees and prescription medicines)
• costs of municipal early childhood education (e.g. daycare centre bill)
• costs of children’s before-school and after-school programmes
• certain costs related to meeting children in cases where the parents have separated
• the costs of obtaining a necessary identity, residence or travel document.

In order to determine which housing costs count as reasonable, Kela has defined acceptable housing costs. They are determined based on the municipality in which the apartment is located and the size of the family or the number of persons living in the apartment.  Use our search tool to check the limits for reasonable housing costs in the municipality where the apartment is located.

Generally only reasonable housing costs are accepted by Kela, but sometimes families can be granted social assistance for slightly higher costs if there is a specific reason for them (for example, if you use assistive devices for moving).

If you have expenses for which you cannot get basic social assistance, you can apply to the social services office of your wellbeing services county for supplementary or preventive social assistance in order to cover them. You can write these expenses in your application for basic social assistance and ask Kela to submit this part of your application to the wellbeing services county for consideration.

You can get basic social assistance if you have more expenses that can be recognised for the purposes of basic social assistance than you do income and assets.

Kela does a calculation of your income, assets and expenses. The basic amount is included in the expenses. The amount of social assistance paid is calculated by deducting expenses from income.

If Kela pays you a benefit retroactively, that will reduce the amount of social assistance you will get.

No tax is deducted from the basic social assistance.

See also: How is social assistance calculated?

Once you have been assigned a home municipality, you have found an affordable apartment and you are moving from a reception centre or other accommodation to your own apartment in Finland, you can also receive basic social assistance for the rental security deposit and, when necessary, moving costs if your own income and assets are not enough to pay for them.

When you are looking for an apartment, you should take into account that Kela has set limits for reasonable housing costs. They are determined based on the municipality in which the apartment is located and the size of the family or the number of persons living in the apartment.  Use our search tool to check the limits for reasonable housing costs in the municipality where the apartment is located.

Kela usually recognises the housing costs at their actual value, as long as they are reasonable, when deciding on your right to basic social assistance. As a rule, Kela only pays assistance when you move to an affordable apartment. Sometimes slightly higher housing costs can also be taken into account as expenses if there is a specific reason for them (for instance if you use assistive devices for moving) or if there are no affordable apartments in the locality. 

If you need basic social assistance to pay the security deposit, submit a rental security deposit application to Kela before signing the rent agreement. Usually, Kela provides the money for the security deposit in the form of a voucher.

You can apply for social assistance for the rental security deposit using an apartment offer or a rental agreement. If all the housing costs (for instance water charges) do not show in the apartment offer, you must submit a specification of them. If you apply for the deposit using an apartment offer, submit a copy of the rental agreement to Kela once it has been signed.

If you have furniture that needs moving, you can apply for basic social assistance for moving costs. Mention this in your basic social assistance application. In cases where you arrange your move yourself and there are costs associated with the move,  these moving costs can be accepted as expenses relevant to the payment of social assistance.

Before you apply for social assistance, you have to first check if you can get other Kela benefits, such as housing allowance (asumistuki) or child benefit (lapsilisä). Social assistance is meant for people whose wages, salary, other social security benefits, income or assets are not enough to cover their everyday living expenses.

If you are unemployed, you also have to register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services of your municipality of residence (kotikunta).

Kela may have to reduce (cut) the basic amount (perusosa) of your social assistance if you do not apply for other benefits that you may have the right to and if you do not register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services. More information about when you do not need to register with the employment services.

You can apply for basic social assistance for an extended period of time, for example for 3–6 months. Based on your circumstances, Kela will evaluate for how long a period you can get assistance. Please make sure to complete the application carefully. Apply for social assistance using the form Social assistance TO 1ukr (PDF, in Ukrainian).

If you have a family and your spouse or your child’s other parent is in Ukraine, tell us about it in your application. If you receive child support from your spouse or your child’s other parent, indicate its amount in your application.

State the information on your housing situation and the housing costs clearly in the application. State for instance your share of the housing costs, if you live together with someone else than your spouse/partner or children.

If you do not yet have a Finnish bank account, state the account number connected to the prepaid card from the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) to which the assistance can be paid. 

Make sure to complete the application carefully and in full, and enclose all necessary documentation with the application. By doing so you can get a decision on your application quicker. If documents are missing or the application has been completed carelessly, we may have to request further information, and this delays the processing of the application. At the very least, necessary documents include:

• the latest decision on your reception allowance, and possibly a decision on the termination of your reception allowance
• bank statements for the family’s all Finnish bank accounts for the last 2 months (the bank statement must show the account holder, the account number, the initial and final balance, a list of the transactions and information on which period the statement covers)
  • if the bank account has been in use for less than a month and you cannot yet provide a bank statement for it, you must still state the account number and the date on which the account was opened
• bank statements for the family’s all foreign bank accounts (for instance Ukrainian) for the last 2 months (the bank statement must show the account holder, the account number, the initial and final balance, a list of the transactions and information on which period the statement covers)
• documents detailing your assets, if it is possible to obtain such documents (if you cannot get the documents, write it in your application under Additional information)
• information on all incomes from abroad, if possible to provide, for instance decision on or payment notice for pension from Ukraine (also state in the application if the incomes are available to you) 
• bills and receipts of the expenses for which you are seeking basic social assistance (bills will be handled on the basis of their original due dates)
• when applying for social assistance for the rental security deposit, the form Rental security deposit TO 2ukr (PDF, in Ukrainian) with supporting documents and the apartment offer or rental agreement (As a rule, assistance can only be paid when you move to an affordable apartment. Read more on how to apply for rental security deposit and assistance for moving costs here.)
• signed rental agreement (including sublease agreement) if an agreement has been made

Once your application includes all necessary information and supporting documents, Kela will give you a decision on your application within seven working days.

As soon as Kela has reviewed your application, a written decision will be sent to the address you have provided. You will receive a decision even if you are not granted social assistance. Please read the decision carefully. The front page of the decision shows who will be paid assistance, how much will be paid, and what is the payment date of the assistance. The grounds on which the assistance has been granted are also specified in the decision.

Kela pays the basic social assistance into your bank account on the first business day of the month. If you are granted social assistance but it is too late to pay it to you on the regular payment date, the payment is made immediately after the decision to grant you social assistance. In that case the assistance is deposited into your account within two business days.

If you do not yet have a Finnish bank account, you can open one by booking an appointment at a bank. You can open a bank account if you have a document proving your identity and a Finnish personal identity code.

Check with the bank which documents the bank accepts for proving your identity. In addition to an international passport, many banks accept identity documents that are in use internally in Ukraine (passport of the citizen of Ukraine) if they also contain the information in Latin letters and in English and you can be identified from the document. If the document you have does not contain the information in Latin letters and in English, banks will accept it if you also have a document issued by the Ukrainian Embassy proving they have verified your identity.

Before you have opened a bank account, social assistance can also be paid to the prepaid card provided by the Finnish Immigration Service, i.e. Migri, if you have one. You can get more detailed instructions about this from Migri. Please note that the prepaid card is only valid for a limited time after you stop being covered by reception services.

If you want, Kela can pay your rent directly from your basic social assistance to your landlord. State this in your application. If you want, electric bills and home insurance payments can also be paid directly.

When you have received a decision on basic social assistance, you can also send invoices that you receive after the decision to Kela, provided that the due date for payment falls in the period for which the decision is valid. The due date means the due date of the original invoice, not the due date of the reminder. The decision also contains further instructions on which invoices you can send to Kela.

After the decision on your social assistance expires, it is possible to renew your application and receive additional social assistance. See the previous decision on social assistance for details on which supporting documents are needed for the renewal application.

Basic social assistance can also be granted in the form of a voucher

A voucher is a document in which Kela promises to pay all or part of the cost of a product or service for you. Vouchers may be granted for rental security deposits, prescription medicines or identity cards, for example.

Vouchers issued for the purchase of medication are transmitted electronically to the pharmacy. You can visit any pharmacy you wish. Present your Kela card or other reliable ID so that the pharmacy can look up your voucher.

Medication or other products prescribed to you for the treatment of an illness can be supplied on a voucher. You can get up to three months' worth of medication at one time. You cannot get a refill until you have used up nearly all of the previous batch in accordance with the prescription. The pharmacy will substitute a less expensive generic product for the brand named in the prescription except if your doctor has ruled out such a substitution.

The most significant changes introduced by the Act that entered into force in 2026 relate to reductions that Kela can make from the basic amount (perusosa) of social assistance, how income affects social assistance and how rent can be paid from basic social assistance.

The monthly earned-income deduction (ansiotulovähennys) of EUR 150 was abolished for all customers aged 18 and over on 1 February 2026. This means that earned income (wages and salaries) is now taken into account in full when Kela calculates how much social assistance you can get. Financial assistance received by customers aged 18 and over will also be taken into account in full. Until now, smaller amounts of financial assistance have not been taken into account in the calculation of social assistance. The limit for such sums has been EUR 50 per month for persons living alone and EUR 100 per month for a family.

As of 1 February 2026, Kela will pay the part of social assistance earmarked for rent directly to your landlord if Kela has granted you or your family a rental security deposit (vuokravakuus) for the home you are living in as part of your social assistance.

Social assistance is meant for people whose wages, salary, other social security benefits, income or assets are not enough to cover their everyday living expenses. Before you apply for social assistance, you have to first check if you can get other Kela benefits, such as housing allowance (asumistuki) or child benefit (lapsilisä).

If you are unemployed, you also have to register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services of your municipality of residence (kotikunta).

Kela may have to reduce (cut) the basic amount (perusosa) of your social assistance if you do not apply for other benefits that you may have the right to and if you do not register as an unemployed jobseeker looking for full-time work with the employment services. More information about when you do not need to register with the employment services.

More information about the legislative changes to social assistance.

The 3-year permanent residence period starts on the day from which Kela considers you to be living in Finland permanently. This does not mean the day you arrived in Finland or the day you were granted a municipality of residence (kotikunta). We will usually consider you to be living permanently in Finland after one year has passed from the day when you moved to Finland. If you have lived in another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, the time you lived there can count towards the 3-year permanent residence period after you have lived in Finland for at least one year.

What counts as living in Finland permanently?

Kela will assess each person’s situation separately. We will take into account for example

• how long you have lived in Finland
• if you have family ties to Finland
• whether you work in Finland or another country
• if you have a permanent address in Finland.

Kela will pay you a pension if you do not get any earnings-related pension (työeläke) or if your earnings-related pension is small. An earnings-related pension is a pension you accumulate when you work for an employer or for your own business as a self-employed person. The pension Kela pays is called a national pension (kansaneläke). You can get a national pension

• in the form of an old-age pension (vanhuuseläke) when you turn 65
• in the form of a disability pension (työkyvyttömyyseläke) or rehabilitation subsidy (kuntoutustuki) if you are unfit for work and your ability to work is impaired in the long term.

If all your pensions are small and they are not enough for you to live on, Kela may also pay you a guarantee pension (takuueläke). Before you apply for a guarantee pension, you must first apply for all other pensions you may have the right to both in Finland and in other countries.

You can get an old-age pension (vanhuuseläke) from Kela if

• you are at least 65 years old
• you are living in Finland on a permanent basis
• you have lived permanently in Finland for at least 3 years.

The full amount of old-age pension Kela can pay is about EUR 787 per month for a person living alone and EUR 703 per month for a person living with their partner. If you get other pensions, they will reduce the amount of old-age pension Kela can pay. You will also get less pension from Kela if you lived primarily abroad when you were of working age.

You cannot get an old-age pension if you moved to Finland for the first time when you were 65 or older. However, you may still qualify for a guarantee pension (takuueläke).

How to apply for an old-age pension

1. Complete the application form for an old-age pension EV 310e (PDF).

   • Save the blank form to your device. Do not fill in the form directly in the browser because some of the information may not be saved that way.
   • Open the form with Adobe Reader and fill it in.
   • Save the completed application to your device. Note that the application must be in PDF format.
   • Read our instructions for what to do if you run into a technical problem.
2. Send your application in the OmaKela e-service:

   • Log in to OmaKela and select Tee hakemus tai ilmoita muutoksista (Submit an application or report changes).
   • Select Eläkkeet (Pensions) and Vanhuuseläke (Old-age pension).
   • If you send your application to Kela in OmaKela, you do not need to sign it.
3. Send your supporting documents in OmaKela after you have submitted your application. If they are paper documents, you can photograph them.

   • If you get a pension from Ukraine or some other country, please also submit reliable documentation about it. Remember to also submit a completed Appendix U Residence and employment abroad (ETK/Kela 7110e) (PDF) with your application. List all the countries where you have lived, worked or studied. You may have the right to get a pension from one or several of those countries.

Visit OmaKela to see if your application has been decided, how much you will get and when your benefit will be paid.

If you cannot use OmaKela, mail your application to Kela. Print out the form, sign it and send the form and any supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.

You can also apply for an old-age pension at a Kela service point.

More information about the old-age pension

You can get a guarantee pension (takuueläke) if your other pensions are very small or if you are not paid any other pensions. Before you can qualify for a guarantee pension, you must first apply for all other pensions you may have the right to both in Finland and other countries.

You can usually get a guarantee pension if you meet the following criteria:

• you are living in Finland on a permanent basis
• you have lived in Finland for at least 3 years
• you get a pension that gives you the right to a guarantee pension
• the total amount of all your pensions before taxes is EUR 982.90 per month or less.

It is also possible for you to get a guarantee pension if you only get a pension from abroad or if you are not paid any other pensions at all. In that case, you must be at least 65 years old or unfit for work.

The full amount of the guarantee pension is about EUR 991 per month. You will get the full amount if you do not have any other pensions. Any pensions you get from Finland or other countries will reduce the amount of guarantee pension you can get.

How to apply for a guarantee pension

1. First apply for all other Finnish and foreign pensions you may have the right to.
2. Complete the application form for a guarantee pension GE 1e (PDF).

   • Save the blank form to your device. Do not fill in the form directly in the browser because some of the information may not be saved that way.
   • Open the form with Adobe Reader and fill it in.
   • Save the completed application to your device. Note that the application must be in PDF format.
   • Read our instructions for what to do if you run into a technical problem.
3. Send your application in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish):

   • Log in to OmaKela and select Tee hakemus tai ilmoita muutoksista (Submit an application or report changes).
   • Select Eläkkeet (Pensions) and Takuueläke (Guarantee pension).
   • When you send your application in OmaKela, you do not need to sign it.
   • If you have supporting documents, send them via OmaKela after you have submitted your application. If they are paper documents, you can photograph them.

Visit OmaKela to see if your application has been decided, how much you will get and when your benefit will be paid.

If you cannot use OmaKela, mail your application to Kela. Print out the form, sign it and send the form and any supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.

You can also apply for a guarantee pension at a Kela service point or by calling our customer service.

How to apply for a guarantee pension if you are unfit for work

If you are under 65 and you want to apply for a guarantee pension (takuueläke) because you are unfit for work, complete the form Application – Rehabilitation subsidy/Disability pension ETK/KELA 7002e in addition to your guarantee pension application. Submit the following with your application: a medical statement B (B-lausunto) dated within the past 6 months and any other documentation related to your health, as well as a treatment or rehabilitation plan and the completed form Appendix U – Residence and employment abroad ETK/Kela 7110e (PDF).

More information about the guarantee pension

You can get housing allowance for pensioners (eläketensaajan asumistuki) if you live permanently in Finland, have a low income and are paid a pension that qualifies you for the allowance. The allowance is meant to help you pay your housing costs, and Kela can also pay it directly to your landlord. The allowance does not cover all housing costs.

You may qualify for housing allowance for pensioners if you live

• alone
• together with your partner (your partner does not need to be paid a pension)
• together with several people (for example multiple roommates) and all of them are paid a pension that gives them the right to housing allowance for pensioners.

If both you and your partner are pensioners, you have to apply for the allowance together in a joint application. Kela will divide the allowance between you and pay one half (50%) to each of you.

If you cannot get housing allowance for pensioners, check if you can get general housing allowance (yleinen asumistuki) instead.

How to apply for housing allowance for pensioners

1. Apply for housing allowance for pensioners in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish).
2. Take photographs of the supporting documents and send them in OmaKela. Check what supporting documents you need to submit with your application.

Visit OmaKela to see if Kela has made a decision on your application, how much you will get and when your benefit will be paid. You will also see reminders to submit any missing supporting documents.

If you cannot use OmaKela, mail your application to Kela. Save the form Housing allowance for pensioners AE 1e (PDF) to your device and fill it in after saving it. Print out the completed form and send it and the supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.

More information about housing allowance for pensioners.

You can get rehabilitation subsidy (kuntoutustuki) or a disability pension (työkyvyttömyyseläke) if you have a medical condition or disability that reduces your ability to work in the long term and you are currently unfit for work. Rehabilitation subsidy is a fixed-term disability pension. Kela can usually grant you rehabilitation subsidy or a disability pension only after you have been paid sickness allowance (sairauspäiväraha) for about one year.

You may have the right to rehabilitation subsidy or a disability pension from Kela if you meet all of the following criteria:

• you are 18–64
• you have a medical condition or a disability that prevents you from working in a job that ensures a reasonable income (EUR 990.90 per month)
• you have a medical statement issued by a doctor saying that you are unfit for work and a treatment or rehabilitation plan
• you are living in Finland on a permanent basis
• you have lived in Finland for at least 3 years
• you are not paid an earnings-related pension (työeläke) or your earnings-related pension is small.

How to apply for rehabilitation subsidy or a disability pension

1. Apply for rehabilitation subsidy or a disability pension in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish) if you have not accumulated any earnings-related pension or your earnings-related pension is small. You can apply for an earnings-related pension with the same application if you have accumulated even a small amount of earnings-related pension.

   • Information on rehabilitation subsidies and disability pensions paid by authorised pension providers is available on their websites. If you do not know which authorised pension provider you are covered by, visit the työelake.fi website for more information.
2. Take photographs of the supporting documents and send them in OmaKela. Submit the following with your application:

   • a medical statement dated within the past 6 months that a doctor has issued to you for applying for rehabilitation subsidy or a disability pension and other documentation on your health
   • a treatment or rehabilitation plan issued by a care provider. The plan can be included in the medical statement or submitted as a separate document
   • Appendix TM Mela 1801 (in Finnish) (PDF) if you are a farmer
   • Appendix U ETK/Kela 7110e (PDF) if you have lived or worked in other countries as well.

If you are applying for the continued payment of your rehabilitation subsidy, submit a new medical statement issued by a doctor to Kela. You do not have to submit a new application because Kela will determine if the payment of your rehabilitation subsidy can continue on the basis of the medical statement.

Visit OmaKela to see if your application has been decided, how much you will get and when your benefit will be paid. You can also see reminders to submit any missing supporting documents.

If you cannot use OmaKela, mail your application to Kela. Save the application form for a disability pension ETK/Kela 7002e (PDF) to your device and fill it in after saving it. Print out the completed form and send it and the supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA. Please note that we will start processing your application faster if you submit it in OmaKela.

More information about the disability pension and rehabilitation subsidy.

Survivors’ pensions (perhe-eläke) give financial security to a widow, widower or a child if a partner or parent dies. These pensions can be paid either as a spouse’s pension (leskeneläke) or an orphan’s pension (lapseneläke). You can get a spouse’s pension from Kela if your partner dies and you are under 65. The spouse’s pension will give you financial security after your partner’s death.

You can get a spouse’s pension if all the following criteria are met:

• you are living in Finland on a permanent basis
• you have lived in Finland for at least 3 years
• your partner lived in Finland or had some other connection to Finland
• you were married or in a registered partnership or you lived together without marrying and you had a child under 18 together
• you got together with your partner before they turned 65 and you were together for a long enough time.

If Kela grants you a spouse’s pension, you will first get a starting pension (alkueläke) for a maximum of 6 months. After that, you may get a continuing pension (jatkoeläke). The amount of the continuing pension depends on your income and family circumstances. Pensions you get from other countries may reduce the amount of spouse’s pension you can get.

If you have children, remember to check if they have the right to an orphan’s pension. If your child is under 17, you can also apply for a single-parent supplement to the child benefit (lapsilisä) Kela pays for the child.

How to apply for a spouse’s pension

1. Apply for a spouse’s pension paid by Kela by filling out the form Spouse’s pension ETK/Kela 7004e (PDF). You can use the same application to apply for a spouse’s pension paid by an authorised pension provider. Alternatively, you can apply for a spouse’s pension by visiting the e-service of your partner’s authorised pension provider. You can check your partner’s authorised pension provider by contacting the Finnish Centre for Pensions .

   • Save the blank form to your device. Do not fill in the form directly in the browser because some of the information may not be saved that way.
   • Open the form with Adobe Reader and fill it in.
   • Save the completed application to your device. Note that the application must be in PDF format.
   • If you have or your partner has lived or worked outside Finland, you must also fill in the form Appendix U – Residence and employment abroad ETK/Kela 7110e (PDF).
   • If your income is low, you can apply for an additional amount to your continuing pension by filling in the form Additional amount of the surviving spouse’s pension EV 277e (PDF). The additional amount cannot be granted until the payment of the starting pension has ended. Do not apply for the additional amount until towards the end of the payment period for the starting pension.
2. Send your application in the OmaKela e-service:

   • Log in to OmaKela and select Tee hakemus tai ilmoita muutoksista (Submit an application or report changes).
   • Select Eläkkeet (Pensions) and Perhe-eläke (Survivors’ pensions).
   • If you send your application in OmaKela, you do not need to sign it.
   • If you have supporting documents, send them via OmaKela after you have submitted your application. If they are paper documents, you can photograph them.

Visit OmaKela to see if your application has been decided, how much you will get and when your benefit will be paid. The decision notice will also be sent to you by mail to your home address.

If you cannot use OmaKela, mail your application to Kela. Save the application form Spouse’s pension ETK/KELA 7004e (PDF) to your device and fill it in after saving it. Print out the completed form and send it and the supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.

More information about the spouse’s pension

More information about the orphan’s pension

When you apply for a pension from Kela, you must submit documentation on all pensions you get from other countries together with your application. You can also submit other documents that can help Kela make a decision on your application.

Documentation on foreign pensions

If you get a pension from Ukraine or some other country that is not Finland, you must submit reliable documentation about it to Kela. You can submit, for example, the following with your application:

• a copy of your pension decision
• a copy of a payment notice that concerns your pension
• some other documentation issued to you by the entity that pays the pension to you.

If you do not have any official documentation on your foreign pension(s), you can submit other documents you may have or your own written statement in the matter.

Appendix U

Appendix U is a form that you must submit together with your pension application. Appendix U gives Kela information on whether and when you have worked, lived or studied in other countries.

We need this form to check if you qualify for pensions from Finland and other countries and to calculate how much pension Kela can pay you. Please fill in and submit an Appendix U even if you have not worked in other countries.

Yes, they can. If it is difficult for you to use Kela’s services, a family member or a friend can help you apply for a pension. Acting on behalf of another person works differently depending on if you are an adult aged 18 or over or if the application concerns a child under 18.

Your family member or friend can fill in and submit an application on your behalf if you give them permission to do so. The permission can be

• a power of attorney (valtakirja) that your family member or friend can use to manage your affairs by phone, by mail or by visiting a service point
• a Suomi.fi mandate that allows your family member or friend to act on your behalf in the OmaKela e-service.

If you cannot apply for Kela benefits on your own due to illness or for some other reason, in the case of some benefits it is possible for a family member or another person who is taking care of you to act on your behalf without a separate power of attorney.

How to authorise another person to act on your behalf with a power of attorney (PDF in Ukrainian)
How to authorise another person to act on your behalf with a power of attorney (PDF in Russian)
More information about acting on someone else’s behalf

Everyone in Finland has the right to at least a basic level of subsistence if they are unable to secure a living otherwise. This security is provided in the form of basic social assistance. In practice, this means that Kela provides vouchers for food and essential prescription medicines, which are valid for a short period of time. The amount of social assistance provided depends on the income and assets available to the client. The decision to grant basic social assistance may contain a provision to recover all or part of the assistance granted at a later time. This could be the case if a client has income or assets which they for some reason cannot access at the time the assistance is granted.

The pensions and the housing allowance for pensioners provided by Kela will continue to be paid normally regardless of any problems that may currently exist when it comes to accessing Russian pension payments.

Provide to Kela either other relevant documents which may be available to you or a verbal explanation of the issue. Kela will consider whether the documents and explanation you provide are sufficiently informative and will contact you if needed.

Everyone in Finland has the right to at least a basic level of subsistence if they are unable to secure a living in some other way. This security is provided in the form of basic social assistance. In practice, this means that Kela provides vouchers for food and essential prescription medicines, which are valid for a short period of time.

The amount of social assistance provided depends on the income and assets available to the client. The decision to grant basic social assistance may contain a provision to recover all or part of the assistance granted at a later time. This could be the case if a client has income or assets which they for some reason cannot access at the time the assistance is granted.

National pensions, guarantee pensions, child increases and survivors’ pensions (with the exception of the additional amount of the surviving spouse’s pension) will continue to be paid normally despite the current situation. They will not be adjusted based on exchange rate fluctuations alone. However, the housing allowance for pensioners can be reviewed following a change in the ruble’s exchange rate if the income of the person receiving the allowance changes substantially. This applies also to the additional amount of the surviving spouse’s pension.

Russian nationals can be paid benefits just like the nationals of any other country. When someone applies for benefits Kela determines whether they are considered to be permanently living in Finland or if they could be entitled to Kela benefits on the basis of employment. Further, Russian nationals must have a valid residence permit, which is granted by the Finnish Immigration Service (migri.fi).

Kela can pay financial aid to students who are studying in Russia. In addition, some other benefits, including those for families with children, may be payable during brief holiday trips.