First wave of people who have fled the war in Ukraine to Finland may qualify for pensions from Kela starting in spring 2026

The 3-year permanent residence period starts on the day from which Kela considers you to be living in Finland permanently. This does not mean the day you arrived in Finland or the day you were granted a municipality of residence (kotikunta). We will usually consider you to be living permanently in Finland after one year has passed from the day when you moved to Finland. If you have lived in another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, the time you lived there can count towards the 3-year permanent residence period after you have lived in Finland for at least one year.

What counts as living in Finland permanently?

Kela will assess each person’s situation separately. We will take into account for example

• how long you have lived in Finland
• if you have family ties to Finland
• whether you work in Finland or another country
• if you have a permanent address in Finland.

Kela will pay you a pension if you do not get any earnings-related pension (työeläke) or if your earnings-related pension is small. An earnings-related pension is a pension you accumulate when you work for an employer or for your own business as a self-employed person. The pension Kela pays is called a national pension (kansaneläke). You can get a national pension

• in the form of an old-age pension (vanhuuseläke) when you turn 65
• in the form of a disability pension (työkyvyttömyyseläke) or rehabilitation subsidy (kuntoutustuki) if you are unfit for work and your ability to work is impaired in the long term.

If all your pensions are small and they are not enough for you to live on, Kela may also pay you a guarantee pension (takuueläke). Before you apply for a guarantee pension, you must first apply for all other pensions you may have the right to both in Finland and in other countries.

You can get an old-age pension (vanhuuseläke) from Kela if

• you are at least 65 years old
• you are living in Finland on a permanent basis
• you have lived permanently in Finland for at least 3 years.

The full amount of old-age pension Kela can pay is about EUR 787 per month for a person living alone and EUR 703 per month for a person living with their partner. If you get other pensions, they will reduce the amount of old-age pension Kela can pay. You will also get less pension from Kela if you lived primarily abroad when you were of working age.

You cannot get an old-age pension if you moved to Finland for the first time when you were 65 or older. However, you may still qualify for a guarantee pension (takuueläke).

How to apply for an old-age pension

1. Complete the application form for an old-age pension EV 310e (PDF).

   • Save the blank form to your device. Do not fill in the form directly in the browser because some of the information may not be saved that way.
   • Open the form with Adobe Reader and fill it in.
   • Save the completed application to your device. Note that the application must be in PDF format.
   • Read our instructions for what to do if you run into a technical problem.
2. Send your application in the OmaKela e-service:

   • Log in to OmaKela and select Tee hakemus (File an application).
   • Select Eläkkeet (Pensions) and Vanhuuseläke (Old-age pension).
   • If you send your application to Kela in OmaKela, you do not need to sign it.
3. Send your supporting documents in OmaKela after you have submitted your application. If they are paper documents, you can photograph them.

   • If you get a pension from Ukraine or some other country, please also submit reliable documentation about it. Remember to also submit a completed Appendix U Residence and employment abroad (ETK/Kela 7110e) (PDF) with your application. List all the countries where you have lived, worked or studied. You may have the right to get a pension from one or several of those countries.

Visit OmaKela to see if your application has been decided, how much you will get and when your benefit will be paid.

If you cannot use OmaKela, mail your application to Kela. Print out the form, sign it and send the form and any supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.

You can also apply for an old-age pension at a Kela service point.

More information about the old-age pension

You can get a guarantee pension (takuueläke) if your other pensions are very small or if you are not paid any other pensions. Before you can qualify for a guarantee pension, you must first apply for all other pensions you may have the right to both in Finland and other countries.

You can usually get a guarantee pension if you meet the following criteria:

• you are living in Finland on a permanent basis
• you have lived in Finland for at least 3 years
• you get a pension that gives you the right to a guarantee pension
• the total amount of all your pensions before taxes is EUR 982.90 per month or less.

It is also possible for you to get a guarantee pension if you only get a pension from abroad or if you are not paid any other pensions at all. In that case, you must be at least 65 years old or unfit for work.

The full amount of the guarantee pension is about EUR 991 per month. You will get the full amount if you do not have any other pensions. Any pensions you get from Finland or other countries will reduce the amount of guarantee pension you can get.

How to apply for a guarantee pension

1. First apply for all other Finnish and foreign pensions you may have the right to.
2. Complete the application form for a guarantee pension GE 1e (PDF).

   • Save the blank form to your device. Do not fill in the form directly in the browser because some of the information may not be saved that way.
   • Open the form with Adobe Reader and fill it in.
   • Save the completed application to your device. Note that the application must be in PDF format.
   • Read our instructions for what to do if you run into a technical problem.
3. Send your application in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish):

   • Log in to OmaKela and select Tee hakemus (File an application).
   • Select Eläkkeet (Pensions) and Takuueläke (Guarantee pension).
   • When you send your application in OmaKela, you do not need to sign it.
   • If you have supporting documents, send them via OmaKela after you have submitted your application. If they are paper documents, you can photograph them.

Visit OmaKela to see if your application has been decided, how much you will get and when your benefit will be paid.

If you cannot use OmaKela, mail your application to Kela. Print out the form, sign it and send the form and any supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.

You can also apply for a guarantee pension at a Kela service point or by calling our customer service.

How to apply for a guarantee pension if you are unfit for work

If you are under 65 and you want to apply for a guarantee pension (takuueläke) because you are unfit for work, complete the form Application – Rehabilitation subsidy/Disability pension ETK/KELA 7002e in addition to your guarantee pension application. Submit the following with your application: a medical statement B (B-lausunto) dated within the past 6 months and any other documentation related to your health, as well as a treatment or rehabilitation plan and the completed form Appendix U – Residence and employment abroad ETK/Kela 7110e (PDF).

More information about the guarantee pension

You can get housing allowance for pensioners (eläketensaajan asumistuki) if you live permanently in Finland, have a low income and are paid a pension that qualifies you for the allowance. The allowance is meant to help you pay your housing costs, and Kela can also pay it directly to your landlord. The allowance does not cover all housing costs.

You may qualify for housing allowance for pensioners if you live

• alone
• together with your partner (your partner does not need to be paid a pension)
• together with several people (for example multiple roommates) and all of them are paid a pension that gives them the right to housing allowance for pensioners.

If both you and your partner are pensioners, you have to apply for the allowance together in a joint application. Kela will divide the allowance between you and pay one half (50%) to each of you.

If you cannot get housing allowance for pensioners, check if you can get general housing allowance (yleinen asumistuki) instead.

How to apply for housing allowance for pensioners

1. Apply for housing allowance for pensioners in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish).
2. Take photographs of the supporting documents and send them in OmaKela. Check what supporting documents you need to submit with your application.

Visit OmaKela to see if Kela has made a decision on your application, how much you will get and when your benefit will be paid. You will also see reminders to submit any missing supporting documents.

If you cannot use OmaKela, mail your application to Kela. Save the form Housing allowance for pensioners AE 1e (PDF) to your device and fill it in after saving it. Print out the completed form and send it and the supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.

More information about housing allowance for pensioners.

You can get rehabilitation subsidy (kuntoutustuki) or a disability pension (työkyvyttömyyseläke) if you have a medical condition or disability that reduces your ability to work in the long term and you are currently unfit for work. Rehabilitation subsidy is a fixed-term disability pension. Kela can usually grant you rehabilitation subsidy or a disability pension only after you have been paid sickness allowance (sairauspäiväraha) for about one year.

You may have the right to rehabilitation subsidy or a disability pension from Kela if you meet all of the following criteria:

• you are 18–64
• you have a medical condition or a disability that prevents you from working in a job that ensures a reasonable income (EUR 990.90 per month)
• you have a medical statement issued by a doctor saying that you are unfit for work and a treatment or rehabilitation plan
• you are living in Finland on a permanent basis
• you have lived in Finland for at least 3 years
• you are not paid an earnings-related pension (työeläke) or your earnings-related pension is small.

How to apply for rehabilitation subsidy or a disability pension

1. Apply for rehabilitation subsidy or a disability pension in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish) if you have not accumulated any earnings-related pension or your earnings-related pension is small. You can apply for an earnings-related pension with the same application if you have accumulated even a small amount of earnings-related pension.

   • Information on rehabilitation subsidies and disability pensions paid by authorised pension providers is available on their websites. If you do not know which authorised pension provider you are covered by, visit the työelake.fi website for more information.
2. Take photographs of the supporting documents and send them in OmaKela. Submit the following with your application:

   • a medical statement dated within the past 6 months that a doctor has issued to you for applying for rehabilitation subsidy or a disability pension and other documentation on your health
   • a treatment or rehabilitation plan issued by a care provider. The plan can be included in the medical statement or submitted as a separate document
   • Appendix TM Mela 1801 (in Finnish) (PDF) if you are a farmer
   • Appendix U ETK/Kela 7110e (PDF) if you have lived or worked in other countries as well.

If you are applying for the continued payment of your rehabilitation subsidy, submit a new medical statement issued by a doctor to Kela. You do not have to submit a new application because Kela will determine if the payment of your rehabilitation subsidy can continue on the basis of the medical statement.

Visit OmaKela to see if your application has been decided, how much you will get and when your benefit will be paid. You can also see reminders to submit any missing supporting documents.

If you cannot use OmaKela, mail your application to Kela. Save the application form for a disability pension ETK/Kela 7002e (PDF) to your device and fill it in after saving it. Print out the completed form and send it and the supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA. Please note that we will start processing your application faster if you submit it in OmaKela.

More information about the disability pension and rehabilitation subsidy.

Survivors’ pensions (perhe-eläke) give financial security to a widow, widower or a child if a partner or parent dies. These pensions can be paid either as a spouse’s pension (leskeneläke) or an orphan’s pension (lapseneläke). You can get a spouse’s pension from Kela if your partner dies and you are under 65. The spouse’s pension will give you financial security after your partner’s death.

You can get a spouse’s pension if all the following criteria are met:

• you are living in Finland on a permanent basis
• you have lived in Finland for at least 3 years
• your partner lived in Finland or had some other connection to Finland
• you were married or in a registered partnership or you lived together without marrying and you had a child under 18 together
• you got together with your partner before they turned 65 and you were together for a long enough time.

If Kela grants you a spouse’s pension, you will first get a starting pension (alkueläke) for a maximum of 6 months. After that, you may get a continuing pension (jatkoeläke). The amount of the continuing pension depends on your income and family circumstances. Pensions you get from other countries may reduce the amount of spouse’s pension you can get.

If you have children, remember to check if they have the right to an orphan’s pension. If your child is under 17, you can also apply for a single-parent supplement to the child benefit (lapsilisä) Kela pays for the child.

How to apply for a spouse’s pension

1. Apply for a spouse’s pension paid by Kela by filling out the form Spouse’s pension ETK/Kela 7004e (PDF). You can use the same application to apply for a spouse’s pension paid by an authorised pension provider. Alternatively, you can apply for a spouse’s pension by visiting the e-service of your partner’s authorised pension provider. You can check your partner’s authorised pension provider by contacting the Finnish Centre for Pensions .

   • Save the blank form to your device. Do not fill in the form directly in the browser because some of the information may not be saved that way.
   • Open the form with Adobe Reader and fill it in.
   • Save the completed application to your device. Note that the application must be in PDF format.
   • If you have or your partner has lived or worked outside Finland, you must also fill in the form Appendix U – Residence and employment abroad ETK/Kela 7110e (PDF).
   • If your income is low, you can apply for an additional amount to your continuing pension by filling in the form Additional amount of the surviving spouse’s pension EV 277e (PDF). The additional amount cannot be granted until the payment of the starting pension has ended. Do not apply for the additional amount until towards the end of the payment period for the starting pension.
2. Send your application in the OmaKela e-service:

   • Log in to OmaKela and select Tee hakemus (File an application).
   • Select Eläkkeet (Pensions) and Perhe-eläke (Survivors’ pensions).
   • If you send your application in OmaKela, you do not need to sign it.
   • If you have supporting documents, send them via OmaKela after you have submitted your application. If they are paper documents, you can photograph them.

Visit OmaKela to see if your application has been decided, how much you will get and when your benefit will be paid. The decision notice will also be sent to you by mail to your home address.

If you cannot use OmaKela, mail your application to Kela. Save the application form Spouse’s pension ETK/KELA 7004e (PDF) to your device and fill it in after saving it. Print out the completed form and send it and the supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.

More information about the spouse’s pension

More information about the orphan’s pension

When you apply for a pension from Kela, you must submit documentation on all pensions you get from other countries together with your application. You can also submit other documents that can help Kela make a decision on your application.

Documentation on foreign pensions

If you get a pension from Ukraine or some other country that is not Finland, you must submit reliable documentation about it to Kela. You can submit, for example, the following with your application:

• a copy of your pension decision
• a copy of a payment notice that concerns your pension
• some other documentation issued to you by the entity that pays the pension to you.

If you do not have any official documentation on your foreign pension(s), you can submit other documents you may have or your own written statement in the matter.

Appendix U

Appendix U is a form that you must submit together with your pension application. Appendix U gives Kela information on whether and when you have worked, lived or studied in other countries.

We need this form to check if you qualify for pensions from Finland and other countries and to calculate how much pension Kela can pay you. Please fill in and submit an Appendix U even if you have not worked in other countries.

Yes, they can. If it is difficult for you to use Kela’s services, a family member or a friend can help you apply for a pension. Acting on behalf of another person works differently depending on if you are an adult aged 18 or over or if the application concerns a child under 18.

Your family member or friend can fill in and submit an application on your behalf if you give them permission to do so. The permission can be

• a power of attorney (valtakirja) that your family member or friend can use to manage your affairs by phone, by mail or by visiting a service point
• a Suomi.fi mandate that allows your family member or friend to act on your behalf in the OmaKela e-service.

If you cannot apply for Kela benefits on your own due to illness or for some other reason, in the case of some benefits it is possible for a family member or another person who is taking care of you to act on your behalf without a separate power of attorney.

How to authorise another person to act on your behalf with a power of attorney (PDF in Ukrainian)
How to authorise another person to act on your behalf with a power of attorney (PDF in Russian)
More information about acting on someone else’s behalf