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Benefits for families with children and moving abroad

Notify Kela if you move abroad or live outside Finland, even if only temporarily. Also notify us if you return to Finland. Factors that affect your eligibility to receive benefits from Kela when living abroad include

  • where you move
  • whether you move permanently or temporarily
  • whether you are employed or not.

Maternity grant

If you move abroad temporarily, that is for less than 6 months, you can usually get the maternity grant

There are some exceptions to the six-month rule if you are staying in another EU/EEA country or Switzerland temporarily and on a one-time basis. If you are still permanently resident in Finland, you can get the maternity grant.

You are considered to be moving permanently if you move abroad for good or stay in a country other than an EU/EEA country or Switzerland for longer than six months. In such cases you usually cannot get the maternity grant.

You can also get the maternity grant if you are, for instance, a posted worker, a student or a civil servant. In such cases the stay abroad can last for more than 6 months. A family member may also be entitled to the maternity grant.

Maternity packages cannot be sent to addresses outside Finland. If you live outside Finland and you wish to receive the maternity package, you can authorise someone else to pick up your package from a Matkahuolto office in order for them to send it to you. Please note that you will have to make all necessary arrangements and pay all costs yourself.

Pregnancy allowance and parental allowance

Pregnancy allowance and parental allowance are both daily allowances for parents.

Moving to another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom

You can receive daily allowances for parents from Kela if the stay abroad lasts a maximum of 6 months. In some cases, the stay can be even longer, if it is temporary and happens on a one-time basis. You can also receive daily allowances for parents even if the allowance period starts during your stay abroad. If you work abroad, however, you cannot receive the allowance from Kela.

If you have not worked before the start of the daily allowances for parents and you move abroad permanently, the payment of the benefit will end. This concerns you if you for instance have been on child care leave before the start of the daily allowances for parents.

If you have worked before the start of the daily allowances for parents and you move abroad permanently, Kela will pay the benefit to the end of the ongoing daily allowance period. Payment of the daily allowances for parents can also continue to the end of the ongoing daily allowance period, if you before the start of the daily allowances for parents have received some other daily allowance related to work, such as sickness allowance.

Moving to a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom

You can receive daily allowances for parents from Kela only if your stay abroad lasts a maximum of 6 months. You can receive daily allowances for parents even if the allowance period starts during your stay abroad.

Daily allowances for parents during stays abroad that last longer than 6 months

In general, daily allowances for parents will not be paid if you move abroad for longer than 6 months. However, you may receive daily allowances for parents even if your stay abroad last longer than 6 months, if you are for instance

Paternity allowance

You may receive paternity allowance if the estimated due date of your baby was before 4 September 2022.

Moving to another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom

If you receive paternity allowance in Finland at the time of your move, Kela will continue to pay you the benefit until the end of the allowance period. The allowance payments will continue until the end even if you move abroad permanently. 

If you move abroad before your allowance starts, you can only receive the allowance from Kela if you are staying abroad temporarily. A temporary stay abroad is usually taken to mean a stay that lasts a maximum of 6 months. In some cases, the stay can be even longer, if it is temporary and happens on a one-time basis. If you work abroad, however, you cannot receive paternity allowance from Kela.

Moving to a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom

If you receive paternity allowance in Finland at the time of your move, Kela will continue to pay you the benefit until the end of the allowance period only if your stay abroad lasts a maximum of 6 months.

If you move abroad before your allowance starts, you can only receive the allowance from Kela if your stay abroad is temporary and lasts a maximum of 6 months. If you move abroad permanently, the allowance will not be paid after the move. 

Paternity allowance during stays abroad that last longer than 6 months

In general, paternity allowance will not be paid if you move abroad for longer than 6 months. However, you may receive paternity allowance even if your stay abroad lasts longer than 6 months, if you are for instance

These persons can receive paternity allowance from Kela in almost all countries of the world.

Child benefit

You may receive child benefit for a child who stays abroad temporarily, if the child is permanently resident in Finland. Stays abroad that last for less than 6 months are considered temporary. 

You can receive child benefit even if the child is staying abroad for more than 6 months, if you are or the child’s other parent is, for example, a student or a posted employee or working abroad for the Finnish government. Read more about the social security coverage of family members living abroad.

If you start working in another EU or EEA country or Switzerland, you can only receive child benefit if the child still lives permanently in Finland or the other guardian works in Finland. If there is a right to family benefits in two different countries either due to residence or a guardian’s employment, the family benefits will be coordinated in accordance with EU legislation

Child home care allowance

You may receive child home care allowance if your child stays in a country other than an EU or EEA country or Switzerland for a maximum of 3 months. If the stay lasts more than 3 months, the allowance payments end on the date of the move. 

If the child is staying in an EU or EEA country or Switzerland, you may receive child home care allowance even if the stay abroad lasts more than 3 months. You may be paid the allowance if the child is only temporarily staying abroad or is the family member of, for example, a student or a posted employee or a person working abroad for the Finnish government. The municipal supplement will not be paid outside Finland.

If you start working in another EU or EEA country or Switzerland, you may receive home care allowance only if your child still lives permanently in Finland or the other guardian works in Finland. If there is a right to family benefits in two different countries either due to residence or a guardian’s employment, the family benefits will be coordinated in accordance with EU legislation

Private day care allowance

You may receive private day care allowance if your child stays abroad for a maximum of 3 months and both the care relationship and the care payments continue throughout the stay abroad. If the stay lasts more than 3 months, the allowance payments end on the date of the move. 

Partial and flexible care allowances

Partial care allowance and flexible care allowance are paid only if the child lives in Finland. These benefits will not be paid outside Finland.

Child maintenance allowance

You may receive child maintenance allowance if your child is temporarily staying abroad but is permanently resident in Finland.

If the child moves abroad temporarily, i.e. for less than 6 months, you are usually entitled to the child maintenance allowance. There are some exceptions to the six-month rule if the child is staying in another EU or EEA country or Switzerland temporarily and on a one-time basis. If the child is still permanently resident in Finland, you may receive child maintenance allowance.

The move is considered to be permanent if the child moves abroad for good or stays in a country other than an EU or EEA country or Switzerland for longer than six months. In such a case you cannot receive child maintenance allowance starting from when the child moves abroad.

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Last modified 15/3/2024