Summer and Kela
How does summer affect Kela’s benefits and services? Read on for a list of things to remember if you want to contact us or access our services during the summer.
Summer opening hours of Kela service points
Some Kela service points have different opening hours during the summer. The summer opening hours will be phased in starting from June. Regular opening hours will resume by 30 September 2025 at the latest.
Check the up-to-date opening hours of our service points
No changes in our phone service during the summer
During the summer, customer service is available by phone in English from 9.00 to 15.00 on weekdays (Monday to Friday). If you want phone service in Finnish or Swedish, it is available from 9.00 to 16.00 on weekdays. We provide the same services to our customers over the phone as we do at Kela service points.
Kela’s customer service number for speakers of Skolt Sámi at 020 634 4795 answers calls from 9.00 to 11.00 on Thursdays (closed from 2 to 13 June and from 14 July to 1 August 2025). The customer service number for speakers of Northern Sámi is closed for the time being. Sámi-speaking customers can also send a contact request by email to saame@kela.fi.
You can confirm your identity in advance in OmaKela before you call one of our customer service numbers. If you do that, we can help you more quickly because the Kela specialist who answers your call can see your information immediately. However, you can call Kela without confirming your identity in advance. If you call us without confirming your identity in OmaKela, our specialist will verify your identity in some other way during the call.
Call requests for customer service by phone in Finnish, Swedish or English can be submitted in OmaKela. You can submit a call request for the same day, if it is a weekday, or for the next weekday. One of our specialists will call you within 30 minutes of the call time you have selected.
Check Kela's phone service numbers on our website
Summer opening hours for the Centre for Interpreting Services for the Disabled
During the summer, the Centre for Interpreting Services for the Disabled serves customers from 7.30 to 20.00 on weekdays (Monday to Friday). The Centre also serves customers from 8.00 to 15.00 on Saturdays in June and August, but not in July when the Centre is open only on weekdays.
The remote service is open from 9.00 to 13.00 between 23 June and 1 August.
On Thursday, 19 June, the Centre for Interpreting Services and the remote service are open until 16.00. Both are closed on Friday and Saturday, 20–21 June, due to Midsummer.
Were you granted a place of study? Apply for interpreter services for students in time.
Check the opening hours of the Centre for Interpreting Services for the Disabled
Our e-service is available whenever you need it
You can use the majority of Kela’s services and contact us online. For example, you can use the OmaKela e-service to apply for benefits, check decisions, view payment dates for benefits and send supporting documents or messages to Kela.
Log in to the OmaKela e-service (in Finnish and Swedish)
In addition, you can also visit our Facebook and Instagram for up-to-date information on Kela’s services and benefits in the summer.
Joint service points
If you cannot use our e-service or call us and your closest Kela service point is closed, you have a number of other options that will help you access Kela’s services. Many towns and cities have joint service points that are operated by several authorities, and they provide advice on Kela-related matters on a general level.
You can also get help and advice on Kela-related matters at a One-Stop Guidance Centre (Ohjaamo), a Lähitori service centre or a general service centre.
In addition, many towns and cities provide access to Kela’s remote service, which you can use to talk to a Kela employee via a video connection. We provide the same services via the remote service as we do at Kela service points.
You can use our services even if you plan to travel during the summer. Check our list of six handy tips for a carefree summer with all your Kela-related matters in order.
- Use the OmaKela e-service or give us a call. You can also do it while you are travelling.
- Register your phone number with us so we can also reach you wherever you are. You can do this in the OmaKela e-service on the page Update your personal data (Päivitä omia tietojasi).
- If you have forgotten to send us a supporting document, the processing of your application may be delayed. However, in that case we will contact you either by sending you a message on the OmaKela e-service or by phone.
- You can check the average processing times and the payment dates for your application on our website. You can check the status of your own application in the OmaKela e-service.
- If you want to visit a service point, check the opening hours on our website first. The opening hours of the service points may change for the summer season, while some service points shut for the summer entirely.
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Get your Kela affairs in order before the holidays if you can. There is often a backlog in the processing of applications at the end of July and August, when the holidays are coming to an end.
You can opt out of paper mail at any time and get letters and other communications from Kela electronically. If you do so, you get access to decisions issued by Kela more quickly without having to wait for Kela to send you a paper copy.
Kela processes applications as usual during the summer. However, sometimes we get so many applications that it takes us longer to process them.
In addition, some applications will always be processed more quickly than the average, while others will take longer.
Check our average processing times for different applications
We may also take longer to process your application if you do not provide all the information or supporting documents we need. Kela will call you or send you a message in the OmaKela e-service if we need more information or supporting documents.
You can check the status of your application easily in OmaKela. You can also use OmaKela to send us messages or to submit supporting documents electronically.
If you cannot send your supporting documents to us in OmaKela, you can send paper copies of them to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.
New students
Are you starting higher education studies? Congratulations on your admission! Remember to apply for Kela benefits in time. We may take longer than usual to process applications for student financial aid in the summer because we get so many of them.
If you start a new course of study in higher education in autumn, you can apply for the student housing supplement after you have accepted your offer of admission and know where you will be living during your studies.
However, you should first apply for student financial aid in the OmaKela e-service. You can apply for the student housing supplement after you have signed your lease or right-of-occupancy agreement. Remember to also pay the healthcare fee for students in higher education.
Higher education studies usually start in late August or early September. This means that you can get student financial aid and the housing supplement for students from 1 September 2025 onwards.
Read our tips for new students.
Returning students
Remember to check that your affairs with Kela are in order before you go back to school. Now is a good time to figure out if there is anything you need to do before you dive back into your studies.
Read our tips for students in upper secondary school and vocational education.
Read our tips for students in higher education.
Did you know that the housing benefits available for students will change at the beginning of the autumn term? Starting from this autumn, students can get the housing supplement for students. It is only paid for months of active study, just like other student financial aid. You can be paid general housing allowance until 31 July 2025 if you qualify for it.
Apply for the housing supplement in the OmaKela e-service well before the autumn term starts.
How will the upcoming changes to housing benefits affect students in higher education?
Check how much income you got from your summer job at the beginning of the autumn term. If you have already exceeded your annual income limit, you can pay back some or all of your student financial aid by the end of April in the following year at the latest. We do not recommend cancelling your financial aid for the last months of 2025 because if you do so, you will not be paid the student housing supplement either. If you want to raise your annual income limit, we recommend that you pay back student financial aid you were paid in the first half of 2025.
How do I successfully combine student benefits with other income?
Are you worried about your finances in the summer? We have put together some tips for students on how to successfully navigate through the summer months.