How to claim maternity allowance

  1. You can claim maternity allowance online (only in Finnish). Use your online banking codes to log on to Kela's online customer services. Alternatively, you can complete and print out the Application – Parental Benefits for Mothers (SV 9e) and post it to any Kela office.
  2. You can also apply for maternity grant, parental allowance and child benefit at the same time. If your employer is paying you wages during your maternity leave, please notify in the online customer service or on the application form for which period you will receive the wages. For that period, maternity allowance will be paid to the employer on application.
    • Please state the starting and ending dates of the allowance in the application. You can check them with the calculator for the allowance period (only in Finnish).
    • When completing the application in the online customer service, you will see your income confirmed in the last tax return and how much the income should be in order to be able to claim allowance with the 6 months' income. If you are claiming allowance according to the income for the previous 6 months, you can provide the information on income once you have received it. Your employer can notify the salary information in the employer's customer service (only in Finnish) or on form Y 17e. Alternatively, you can send your salary certificate to Kela.
    • If you have your next child before your older child's third birthday and are claiming allowance on the basis of your older child, you need not notify it in the application. Kela will automatically receive this information when processing your application.
  4. Please attach to your application a pregnancy certificate stating that your pregnancy has lasted for 154 days. You will get a pregnancy certificate from your doctor or the antenatal clinic.

Application period

Claim the allowance at least 2 months before the estimated date of delivery.

Don't forget to notify your employer of your leave and its duration at least 2 months before the start of your leave. Ask your employer how you should notify them of the leave.

If you have received financial aid for students and are on a low income, you may be entitled to student loan interest assistance. This is applied for with the Interest allowance application form (OT7).

If you are claiming Special Maternity Allowance, read here what else is required for the application.

Notifying of changes

Please notify Kela without delay of any changes in your circumstances, such as starting work or studies. This way, Kela will not pay too much parental allowance and you will avoid unnecessary repayments in the future. You can notify of the changes in the eServices (in Finnish).

Updated 03/05/13