How Kela processes applications

After Kela has received your application, we start processing it. Processing will be easier and faster if you submit all supporting documents and other additional information as soon as possible. Once Kela has processed your application, you will get a decision.

How to ensure that your application can be processed without delay

1. Send all supporting documents by the due date.
   The application form will tell you what supporting documents you must send. If you do not submit all the necessary supporting documents, we may have to reject your application.

2. If we ask you for more information, send it to us as soon as possible.
   If we need additional information, we will ask you for it. By sending us all the information we ask for quickly, you can help us process your application without delay. If you do not provide the information we have asked for, we may have to reject your application.

3. Once you have submitted all the requested information, please wait patiently for a decision.
   Our processing times are estimates. There is no need to worry even if it takes us longer to process your application.
   
   Our customer service cannot give you a more precise estimate of the processing time for your application.

What supporting documents should you send with your application?

The application form will tell you what supporting documents you must send to Kela. If you apply for a benefit in the OmaKela e-service, you can also see a list of the required supporting documents on the page called Lähetä liite (Send supporting documents) in OmaKela. More information on supporting documents is available on the web page of the Kela benefit you are applying for. Please contact our customer service if you have questions about the supporting documents.

If you accidentally submit the wrong supporting document, you can still still send us the correct supporting document before the due date. You can also supplement the information you have already provided by sending a message in OmaKela.

If we do not get the right supporting documents by the due date, we may have to reject your application.

We will contact you if we need further information

If we need more information, we will contact you, usually via the OmaKela e-service. The notification that we need more information may remain visible on the front page of OmaKela even after you have sent us the additional information we have requested.

We may also call you or send you a request for additional information by post. A phone call from Kela will usually come from one of the following two numbers: 020 692 219 or 020 634 1611.

Please provide the additional information we have requested as soon as possible so that we can continue processing your application. Submit the information to Kela by the due date at the latest. If we do not get the information we have asked for, we may have to reject your application.

The arrival date of your application determines the period for which the benefit can be paid retroactively

Your application becomes pending on the day it arrives at Kela. The arrival date of your application is important because it is used to calculate the period for which you can retroactively be paid the benefit you have applied for. 

The application becomes pending even if some or all supporting documents are missing. You can submit your application first and provide supporting documents later. However, you must submit your supporting documents by the due date at the latest.

Your application becomes pending immediately if you submit it in the OmaKela e-service. If you send your application to us by post, it will become pending on the day it arrives at Kela.

If your application can be submitted to some other organisation, it becomes pending at Kela on the day you submit it. For example, pension applications become pending at Kela on the date they are submitted to an authorised pension provider, service point or foreign institution.

Information we receive automatically

Your income can affect the benefits paid to you. For example, your annual income is used as the basis for calculating the amount of sickness allowance, daily allowances for parents, rehabilitation allowance and special care allowance you can get.

We generally get income data from the Incomes Register and from pension and insurance companies and unemployment funds. If we can get your data from these sources, you do not need report your income separately to Kela. The application form will tell you if you need to provide information on your income.

Employers are obliged to report salaries they have paid and other information to the Incomes Register. You can check what information your employer has reported to the Incomes Register. Use your online banking credentials or mobile ID to log in to the e-service for the Incomes Register (vero.fi).

Your doctor can submit medical certificates and medical statements electronically to us via MyKanta. In such case, you do not need provide a copy of the certificate or statement separately to Kela.

Doctor’s assessment of your health status and functional capacity 

When you apply for certain benefits, you must submit a medical certificate or a medical statement that contains information on your health status, work ability or functional capacity or on your treatment or rehabilitation plan together with your application.

Kela’s Medical Advisors will assess whether you meet the criteria for the benefit. They assess your health status, work ability and functional capacity as well as your need for rehabilitation and treatment from the perspective of insurance medicine. Kela’s Medical Advisors do not grant benefits or reject applications. The decision is made in each case by an Administrative Specialist.  You can check the decision notice to see the grounds on which the decision was made.