Coming to Finland to study? Here are some useful facts about social security in Finland
If you are coming to Finland to study, you must be able to support yourself for the entire duration of your studies in Finland. Students who move to Finland from abroad and their family members usually cannot get Kela benefits. Read this article for basic facts about social security in Finland and what you should know before you move to Finland.
The Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) provides social security in Finland. Kela pays benefits to help people who do not have enough money to cover their housing costs or living expenses for example due to illness or unemployment. You can get benefits from Kela if you live or work in Finland permanently.
Students who come to Finland from abroad to study usually cannot get any Kela benefits. In any case, Kela will always determine if you are living in Finland temporarily or permanently based on your specific circumstances. Your family members’ right to Kela benefits also depends on if Kela considers you to be living in Finland permanently.
In Finland, students do not automatically get financial support for their studies. That is why it is important to make sure that you have or make enough money to support yourself while you study in Finland. Please also keep in mind that it may be difficult for you to find a job in Finland. For example, many employers require that their employees have a good working knowledge of Finnish or Swedish.
If you move to Finland from a non-EU country and your studies last for two years or more, Kela can take the view that you have moved to Finland permanently. In that case, you have the right to
- some Kela benefits, for example if you get sick or have a child
- get reimbursement for the costs of private healthcare services
- use public healthcare services if you have a municipality of residence (kotikunta) in Finland.
You also have the right to use the services of the Finnish Student Health Service (yths.fi) after you have paid the healthcare fee for higher education students to Kela. However, your residence permit also requires you to have a private insurance policy that covers your medical costs and medicine expenses (migri.fi).
If you move to Finland only to study, you cannot get Kela benefits for
- your studies
- housing costs
- unemployment.
Your family members can get Kela benefits only if Kela determines that they live in Finland permanently. They can then get Kela benefits for example for housing costs. However, the housing benefits they can get are smaller than usual. If your family member has a municipality of residence (kotikunta) in Finland, they can get medical care in the public healthcare system in Finland for the price of the local user fee.
If you come to Finland from another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, your stay in Finland is usually considered temporary and you cannot get benefits from Kela. You have social security coverage from your home country.
- You can get medically necessary treatment in Finland by showing your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
- If you are studying for a higher education degree in Finland, you can use the services of the Finnish Student Health Service (yths.fi) without paying the healthcare fee for higher education students.
Your family members usually cannot get Kela benefits. If you and your family decide to stay in Finland after you complete your studies, for example to work, your situation may be different. At that point, Kela will check again if you can be considered to be living in Finland permanently and if you and your family members have the right to Kela benefits. Your family members can get medically necessary treatment in Finland by showing their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).
Exchange students usually cannot get Kela benefits.
- If you come to Finland from another EU country, you can get medically necessary treatment in Finland for the price of the local user fee. However, you need to have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to do so.
- If you come to Finland from a non-EU country, you will have to pay the costs of your medical care yourself.
- You cannot use the services of the Finnish Student Health Service (yths.fi).
If your family members come to stay in Finland with you while you are on exchange here, they usually cannot get any Kela benefits.
If you need a residence permit to study in Finland, your permit will usually require you to be able to support yourself in Finland for the entire duration of your studies. Some Kela benefits may affect your residence permit. Kela cannot answer questions about residence permits or citizenship applications. For more information about the way benefits affect residence permits and citizenship, see the website of the Finnish Immigration Service (migri.fi).
What to do if you run out of money?
You have to first check if you can get help from someone else, such as your embassy or a friend or family member. If your situation is urgent, you can contact Kela. We will check if you can get social assistance (toimeentulotuki) or a voucher (maksusitoumus) to buy food. Social assistance is granted as a last resort when you cannot get help from anywhere else.
Kela paying you social assistance may affect your residence permit. That is why we recommend that you try to find other ways to secure your finances first. For example, students who have been granted a residence permit for studies can work for a certain number of hours per week (migri.fi).
How to contact Kela
You can use the OmaKela e-service to access Kela’s services online, but the e-service is available only in Finnish and Swedish. You can also
- call Kela’s customer service for service in Finnish, Swedish or English
- visit a Kela service point for one-on-one service in English
- book an appointment if your situation is complicated or if you need an interpreter.
What to do when you are applying for Kela benefits for the first time
- Contact the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri) before you come to Finland,
- You can ask Migri what you should do when you first arrive in Finland. Go to the website of the Finnish Immigration Service (migri.fi).
- Notify the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) if you move to Finland for one year or more.
- The Digital and Population Data Services Agency can grant you a Finnish personal identity code and a municipality of residence (kotikunta). Go to the website of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (dvv.fi).
- Get a Finnish personal identity code and bank account.
- Kela does not pay benefits in cash. You must have a bank account.
- Check which benefits you may have the right to.
- Visit our website for information on the kind of situations where you might have the right to benefits. Choose the option that best describes your situation and check if you can get benefits and medical care.
- Apply for a Kela card and Kela benefits in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish) or on an application form that you send in by post. You can also visit one of our service points.
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When you apply for benefits for the first time, also let us know that you have moved to Finland in OmaKela or by completing and submitting the form Notification – Moving to Finland or employment in Finland Y 77e (PDF).
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