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Social security for civil servants, diplomats and personnel at diplomatic missions

The category of civil servants includes employees of the state or municipal government and other public-sector employees.

Civil servants who work in an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom are entitled to benefits while working abroad. Civil servants working under an employment contract must have been covered by the social security system already before the employment starts. You will receive an A1 certificate on your status from the Finnish Centre for Pensions. The employer files a notification with Kela.

Example

Mira has been hired in Finland as acting head of the Finnish Embassy in Madrid in Spain. Mira is entitled to social security coverage in Finland the entire time she is posted abroad. Diplomats working for the Finnish government are entitled to the social security benefits provided by Kela during the entirety of their postings abroad.

Diplomats and personnel at foreign diplomatic missions

The category of diplomatic staff includes persons posted to a Finnish diplomatic mission abroad. If you work for the Finnish government in another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom and you are part of the posted personnel, you will always be entitled to social security coverage in Finland without any time limits.

Locally hired personnel at a Finnish diplomatic mission in an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom are covered by the social security system of the country of employment.

You will always be covered by the Finnish social security system for the whole posting if you work:

  • in a country other than an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom
  • as an employee of the Finnish Government
  • as a person posted to a diplomatic mission abroad.

It is not relevant if you were covered by the Finnish social security system before the start of your employment or not.

Persons hired locally at diplomatic missions abroad and other workers employed by the Finnish government are covered by the Finnish social security system only if they were covered by the system already before their employment started.