Do you work in Finland but live in another country?

If you work as a cross-border worker in Finland but you live in another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you can get benefits from Kela regardless of which country you live in. If you apply for Kela benefits or for a Kela card (Kela-kortti), notify us of your move to Finland in one of the following ways:

• in the OmaKela e-service (in Finnish or Swedish)
• on the form Moving to Finland or employment in Finland Y 77e (PDF).

Example: Hans lives in Sweden and works in Finland

Hans works in Finland in Tornio at the local health centre, but he lives in Haparanda in Sweden. Hans may have the right to Kela benefits because he works in Finland.

Can you get medical care?

You are entitled to all necessary medical care both in Finland and in your country of residence. You get medical care to the price of the local client fee. 

Apply for the right to medical care from Kela, and file the S1 certificate issued by Kela with the authorities in your country of residence. At the same time, Kela will grant you a European Health insurance Card and the document titled ‘Certificate of entitlement to medical care in Finland’.

If you work in the Nordic countries or in the United Kingdom, you usually do not need an S1 certificate because the certificate is not used between Finland and the Nordic countries, and Finland and the United Kingdom.

If you work in Finland, you can use public healthcare services at the price of the client fee charged to local residents by showing your certificate of entitlement to medical care in Finland. If you get at least EUR 800.02 per month in wages or salary, you can also get reimbursement for

• the costs of using private healthcare services in Finland
• prescription medicines you buy
• the costs of trips you have made to access medical care (travel costs).

Read more about

• how to apply for the right to medical care
• the European Health Insurance Card.

If you live in a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom but you work in Finland, you can get certain Kela benefits if your wage amounts to EUR 800.02 per month or more.

If you apply for Kela benefits or for a Kela card (Kela-kortti), notify us of your move to Finland in one of the following ways:

• in the OmaKela e-service (in Finnish or Swedish)
• on the form Moving to Finland or employment in Finland Y 77e (PDF).

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 home base is the place where a period of work normally starts and ends and where the employer is not liable to arrange accommodation. 

You have the right to benefits from Kela, if you meet all of the following criteria:

• you work as a member of flight personnel
• you live in an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom
• your home base is in Finland.

If you live in a country other than the country where your home base is located, you or your employer must apply for a certificate A1 for you. When your home base is in Finland, apply for a certificate A1 from the Finnish Centre for Pensions.

Read more about how to apply for an A1 certificate (etk.fi)

Example: A member of flight personnel needs a certificate A1

Fabian from Sweden works as a flight attendant and his home base is Helsinki. He lives in Stockholm, but his flights to different destinations in the EU leave from Helsinki. He is entitled to Kela benefits. Fabian or his employer must apply for a certificate A1 for Fabian from the Finnish Centre for Pensions to show that he has social security coverage in Finland.

Can you get medical care?

If the Finnish Centre for Pensions grants the certificate A1, you will get a European Health Insurance Card from Kela. By presenting the card you get necessary medical care in the EU and EEA countries, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

If you live in an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom and your home base is in Finland, apply for the right to medical care from Kela and file the S1 certificate granted by Kela with the health insurance institution in your country of residence. If you live in the Nordic countries or in the United Kingdom, you do not, as a rule, need an S1 certificate because the certificate is not used between Finland and the Nordic countries, and Finland and the United Kingdom.

In your country of residence, you get all the necessary treatment to the price of the local client fee according to the legislation of the country in question.

When you apply for the right to medical care, you can also get the document titled ‘Certificate of entitlement to medical care in Finland’ if you do not have a municipality of residence in Finland. With this document, you will only be charged a client fee for treatment in the Finnish public healthcare system. If you get at least EUR 800.02 per month in wages or salary, you can also get reimbursement for

• the costs of using private healthcare services in Finland
• prescription medicines you buy
• the costs of trips you have made to access medical care (travel costs).

If you come from an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom to work on board a vessel carrying the Finnish flag, you have, as a rule, the right to Kela benefits regardless of where you live. As a maritime worker you have social security coverage in the country whose flag the vessel is carrying. This is called the flag state principle. Your employer must apply for a certificate A1 for you from the Finnish Centre for Pensions.

Read more about how to apply for an A1 certificate (etk.fi)

There is an exception to the flag state principle, however. If you live in the same country as where the company that pays your wage is headquartered but you work on board a vessel carrying the flag of another country, the flag state principle is waived. In that case, you have social security coverage in your country of residence.

Can you get medical care?

As a maritime worker you have the right to medical treatment in both your country of residence and the country whose flag the vessel where you work is carrying.

If the Finnish Centre for Pensions grants a certificate A1, you will get a European Health Insurance Card from Kela, and by presenting the card you get necessary medical care in the EU and EEA countries, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

If you work on board a vessel carrying the Finnish flag and you live in an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, apply for the right to medical care and file the S1 certificate granted by Kela with the health insurance institution in your country of residence. If you live in the Nordic countries or in the United Kingdom, you do not, as a rule, need an S1 certificate because the certificate is not used between Finland and the Nordic countries, and Finland and the United Kingdom.

In your country of residence, you get all the necessary treatment to the price of the local client fee according to the legislation of the country in question.

When you apply for the right to medical care, you can also get the document titled ‘Certificate of entitlement to medical care in Finland’ if you do not have a municipality of residence in Finland. With this document, you will only be charged a client fee for treatment in the Finnish public healthcare system. If you get at least EUR 800.02 per month in wages or salary, you can also get reimbursement for

• the costs of using private healthcare services in Finland
• prescription medicines you buy
• the costs of trips you have made to access medical care (travel costs).

If you work on board a vessel carrying the Finnish flag but you live in a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you can get the right to Kela benefits on the basis of your employment.

Can you get medical care?

If you work on board a vessel carrying the Finnish flag but you live in a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, contact Kela if you have questions about your right to medical care.