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Power of attorney

You can issue a power of attorney to authorise someone to manage your Kela-related affairs by phone, by mail or by visiting a customer service point.

What is the holder of a power of attorney empowered to do?

You decide what actions someone with your power of attorney can take. You can empower them to manage all of your benefit-related affairs or only a certain benefit or specific issue. For example, you can authorise them to apply for a specific benefit.

A separate power of attorney is always required to change your bank account details.

A power of attorney can also be used to file an appeal on someone’s behalf. If the power of attorney is issued on a Kela form, it must include text indicating that the power of attorney is for handling an appeal. However, a power of attorney is not needed if the other person has previously had a power of attorney for the same purpose.

A power of attorney may state that the holder can have access to essential confidential information.

Acting on behalf of another adult in the OmaKela e-service

It is possible to use the OmaKela e-service to handle the affairs of another person, but there are some limitations. Please note that our e-service is only available in Finnish and Swedish. In the OmaKela e-service, customers must grant a so-called Suomi.fi mandate to the person they wish to authorise. The mandate is called Sosiaaliturvan etuusasioiden hoitaminen (Handling of matters related to social security benefits). 

Read more about acting on someone else’s behalf in OmaKela.

Suomi.fi e-Authorizations cannot be used to manage another person’s affairs by phone, by mail or by visiting a customer service point.

How to draw up a power of attorney

You can draw up a power of attorney

Any power of attorney you draw up in your own words must include the following:

  • sufficient details identifying both the person granting the power of attorney and the person(s) authorised
  • details on what the power of attorney covers
  • information about whether the authorised person may be given confidential information about the person granting the authorisation (the authorisation can be for access to benefit-related, financial or health information)
  • period of validity (e.g. for a specified period or indefinitely)
  • signature and printed name of the person granting the authorisation; place and date.

How to provide the power of attorney to Kela

You can provide the power of attorney to Kela in the OmaKela e-service or by mail, or you can hand it in at a customer service point.

Using OmaKela to provide the power of attorney:

  • Fill in the form Power of attorney – Handling of matters related to Kela benefits VAL 3e (PDF) or write the power of attorney in your own words.
  • Store it on your device.
  • Send the form using the attachment function.
    • Select Lähetä liite - Muut Kela-asiat - Muut liitteet and Valtakirja (in Finnish) or Skicka bilagor - Övriga FPA-ärenden - Övriga bilagor and Fullmakt (in Swedish).  Attach the form and click Lähetä (in Finnish) or Sänd (in Swedish).
    • You can also scan or photograph the form and send it as an attachment through the attachment function.

You do not have to sign the power of attorney if you logged in to OmaKela with your own credentials. However, another person cannot send a power of attorney on your behalf in the OmaKela e-service.

Read more

Last modified 22/2/2024