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International legislation

How does the EU legislation affect your social security coverage?

Workers employed within the EU are entitled to coverage under the social security system of their country of employment.

The EU countries are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

The EU countries have common EU legislation but their own social security systems. However, the social security coverage of EU citizens who move between the EU countries is governed by EC Regulation 883/2004 (PDF). The country where you have social security coverage is determined according to the Regulation.

The main principle is that as an employee you are entitled to social security coverage in your country of employment even if you live in another Member State. If you are not employed, your right to social security coverage is determined in accordance with the legislation of your country of residence.

The EC Regulation affects almost all Kela benefits when you move between the EU countries. However, please note that the right to certain benefits, such as basic social assistance or housing allowance, is not determined in accordance with the Regulation. The right to these benefits is determined on the basis of the Finnish national legislation. You must live in Finland permanently in order to get these benefits.

The purpose of the EC Regulation is to ensure that persons who move within the EU are covered by only one national social security system at a time. This is called coordination of social security (ec.europa.eu). The purpose of the Regulation is also to ensure that you do not lose any social security entitlements if you move from one EU country to another.

Learn more about the right to social security coverage in the EU countries and the right to social security coverage in Finland (ec.europa.eu).

The EC Regulation may also apply to citizens of countries outside the EU

The rules governing the coordination of social security within the EU also apply to citizens of countries outside the EU who are residing legally in the EU and who move within the EU area.

Denmark, Norway and Iceland apply EC Regulation 883/2004 to citizens of countries outside the EU through the Nordic Convention on Social Security. The United Kingdom applies the older EEC Regulation 1408/71 to citizens of countries outside the EU.

The EEA countries and Switzerland also apply the EC Regulation

The EEA countries (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) also apply EC Regulation 883/2004. Switzerland applies EC Regulation 883/2004, but only to EU citizens who move between the EU and Switzerland.

Social security agreements concluded by Finland

Your social security coverage can be based on social security agreements. Finland has concluded such agreements with the Nordic countries, the United States, Canada, Chile, Israel, Australia, India, China, South Korea and Japan. Further, Finland has made a separate arrangement concerning social security with the Province of Quebec in Canada. With Australia, Finland also has an agreement covering medical treatment during a temporary stay in the other signatory country.

If you live or work in a country that has a social security agreement with Finland, you may have the right to the benefits mentioned in the agreement from the country in question.

The agreements usually concern employees, their family members and pensioners. A pension accrued in Finland is always paid also to another agreement country. The provisions of the agreements are applied exclusively to the persons and benefits expressly covered by them. If your right to social security coverage is not determined through a social security agreement that Finland has concluded with another country, the right to social security coverage and those Kela benefits that are not included in the scope of the agreement is determined on the basis of the Finnish legislation.

Persons who move between the Nordic countries (Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) are, as a rule, covered by the provisions of the EC Regulation on social security.

In addition, there are provisions concerning the Nordic countries that complement the EC Regulation, for instance on unemployment benefits, medical care and vocational rehabilitation.

Under the Nordic Convention on Social Security, the EC Regulation is also applied to certain categories of persons who would not otherwise be covered by the Regulation. Examples of such categories include citizens of countries outside the EU who move between Denmark and the other Nordic countries.

Nordic Convention on Social Security 55/2014 (finlex.fi, in Finnish)

Nordic cooperation on vocational rehabilitation

The Nordic Convention on Social Security obliges the Nordic countries to cooperate in matters related to cross-border vocational rehabilitation.

The Nordic countries have concluded bilateral administrative agreements on rehabilitation and related practices. The agreements make it easier to handle rehabilitation cases when a person has used the right to free movement and works in one Nordic country and lives in another. Finland has concluded an agreement with Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Denmark.

The bilateral rehabilitation agreements are applied when:

  • a person works in one Nordic country and lives in another
  • the rehabilitation is given in the country of residence and the cash benefit is paid from the country of employment.

Rehabilitation agreement between Finland and Sweden (PDF, in Swedish)

Rehabilitation agreement between Finland and Norway (PDF, in Swedish)

Rehabilitation agreement between Finland and Iceland (PDF, in Swedish)

Rehabilitation agreement between Finland and Denmark (PDF, in Swedish and Danish)

The social security agreement with the United States covers national pensions and survivors' pensions as well as – for employees on a temporary assignment in the other country – also health insurance, daily allowances for parents and child benefits.

Social security agreement between Finland and the United States (finlex.fi, in Finnish)

The social security agreement with Canada covers old-age pensions and survivors’ pensions.

Social security agreement between Finland and Canada (finlex.fi, in Finnish)

The social security arrangement with the Province of Quebec covers medical care and health insurance. According to the arrangement, temporarily employed persons, posted workers, students and researchers as well as their family members are entitled to medical treatment in Quebec.

Social security arrangement between Finland and Quebec (finlex.fi, in Finnish)

The social security agreement with Australia concerns old-age pensions.

Temporary residents of Australia who are covered by Finnish National Health Insurance are entitled to necessary emergency medical treatment.

Social security agreement between Finland and Australia (finlex.fi, in Finnish)

Agreement on medical care between Finland and Australia (finlex.fi, in Finnish)

The social security agreement with Chile covers old-age pensions, survivors' pensions and medical treatment (for pensioners).

Social security agreement between Finland and Chile (finlex.fi)

The social security agreement with Israel covers old-age pensions, survivors' pensions, child benefits and maternity grants. With respect to posted workers, it also covers health insurance and parental benefits.

Social security agreement between Finland and Israel (finlex.fi)

The social security agreement with India covers mainly earnings-related pensions. It does not cover national pensions or any other benefits provided by Kela.

Social security agreement between Finland and India (finlex.fi, in Finnish)

The social security agreements with China, South Korea and Japan cover earnings-related pensions and unemployment insurance contributions. They do not cover national pensions or any other benefits provided by Kela.

Social security agreement between Finland and China (finlex.fi, in Finnish)

Social security agreement between Finland and South Korea (finlex.fi, in Finnish)

Social security agreement between Finland and Japan (finlex.fi, in Finnish)

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Last modified 12/9/2024