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Medical treatment in Finland

If you are a resident of a Finnish municipality (i.e., you have a place of domicile in Finland), you are entitled to all necessary treatment in the Finnish public healthcare system. You will be charged the same user fee as local residents. Even if you do not have a place of domicile in Finland, you may still be entitled to treatment in the Finnish public healthcare system for a user fee.

Reimbursements for treatment in Finland

Kela does not provide reimbursement for the costs of treatment obtained in the Finnish public healthcare system. Reimbursement is payable for private healthcare services, medicine purchases and travel costs in connection with medical treatment.

If you are covered for health insurance in Finland, you can receive direct reimbursement by presenting the Kela card. If the service provider does not have an agreement on direct reimbursement with Kela or if you for some other reason pay the costs yourself, you can claim reimbursement from Kela afterwards.

You can also receive reimbursement from Kela if you are covered for health insurance in another EU or EEA country, Switzerland, Great Britain, Northern Ireland or Australia. Reimbursement is paid for the costs for medically necessary treatment. This means treatment that cannot wait until you return home. Reimbursement is also paid for treatment in connection with a chronic illness, pregnancy or childbirth. Direct reimbursement is only possible for the costs for emergency treatment if you have a European Health Insurance Card. For other costs, you can claim reimbursement from Kela afterwards.

Claiming reimbursement for medical care expenses

Claim reimbursement from Kela:

You must claim reimbursement within 6 months from the date of paying the costs. You can submit the claim to Kela or mail it to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA. Reimbursement for travel expenses can also be claimed online if you have Finnish online banking codes or a mobile ID.

In addition to the claim you should submit a copy of the European Health Insurance Card granted by your home country. If you live in another Nordic country and you are covered for health insurance there, you can submit a copy of the European Health Insurance Card, your passport or another ID. If you live in Great Britain or in Northern Ireland and you are covered for health insurance there, you can submit a copy of the European Health Insurance Card, “Citizens Rights” –card or GHIC-card. If you are resident and covered for health insurance in Australia, you should submit a copy of your passport.

You should report your move to Finland in the OmaKela e-service if

  • you are applying for benefits for the first time after your move to Finland and your right to benefits from Kela has not yet been determined.
  • you have not been awarded the benefit and your circumstances change, you can apply for the benefit again. A change in circumstances can be for instance more working hours or higher pay, following which you meet the minimum entitlement criteria.
  • please note that our e-service is only available in Finnish and Swedish.

You can also complete and submit the form Moving to Finland Y 77e (PDF).

If you receive a benefit from Kela and you are moving abroad, please read more about the payment of benefits when moving abroad.

Information on healthcare services in Finland

The website Choosehealthcare.fi provides information about healthcare services in Finland. The information is intended as help for you if you need treatment for an acute illness while travelling in Finland. The information is also useful if you wish to seek treatment in Finland.

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Last modified 23/2/2024