Health services in Finland

You are entitled to use public health services in Finland if you have a municipality of residence (kotikunta) in Finland. The right to a municipality of residence depends on the following matters:

• the country from which you have come to Finland
• your reason for coming to Finland (e.g. work, studying)
• whether you are moving to Finland permanently or staying here temporarily
• if you are staying in Finland temporarily, the length of your stay in Finland

If you are unsure whether you have a municipality of residence in Finland, find out at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (Digi- ja väestötietovirasto).

You can find more information on the InfoFinland web page Municipality of residence in Finland.

If you do not have a municipality of residence in Finland or are not covered by Finnish health insurance, you may have the right to health care or reimbursements from Kela on other grounds. You must apply for this right separately.

Ask for more information at Kela’s international situations unit.

• tel. 020 634 0200 (Finnish and English), 020 634 0300 (Swedish)

In an emergency situation, you will be treated in public health care even if you do not have a municipality of residence in Finland or you are not entitled to medical care based on your work. The medical costs can be collected from you afterwards.

If you are not entitled to public health services, you can make an appointment at a private clinic. Private health services are considerably more expensive for the customer than public ones.

Health services in Finland are offered in Finnish and Swedish. Often you can also get along with English. When making an appointment for health services, ask if it is possible to use an interpreter (tulkki) if you cannot speak any of the above-mentioned languages. Read more on the InfoFinland web page Do you need an interpreter?

When you have made an appointment with a doctor it is important to be there on time. If you have made an appointment but cannot keep it, it is very important to cancel it in good time, usually the previous day. If you do not arrive at the clinic and you have not cancelled your appointment, you will be charged a non-attendance fee.

Public health care in Finland is organised by the wellbeing services counties (hyvinvointialue). 

If you fall ill, contact your own health and social services centre (sosiaali- ja terveyskeskus) first. There you can make an appointment with a doctor or nurse.

Different wellbeing services counties may use different names for health and social services centre, such as terveysasema, terveyskeskus or hyvinvointiasema. You can find information about the health services of different localities on the InfoFinland websites for different areas or  the website of your wellbeing services county.

The services of health and social services centres are relatively affordable to clients, as they are funded through tax revenue.

Health and social services centres are usually open from Monday to Friday from 8 am to 4 pm. To make an appointment, it is a good idea to call the health and social services centre in the morning as soon as it opens. You will be given an appointment at short notice if you have a condition that requires urgent care. If you do not need urgent treatment, you will have to wait longer for a doctor’s appointment. When booking your appointment, you will be told how soon you will receive treatment.

The person making your appointment will also evaluate whether you need to see a doctor or a nurse. In Finland, nurses can treat a number of illnesses. If necessary, the nurse will refer you to a doctor. If you have a Kela card, take it along when you go to the health and social services centre.

If you need the services of a specialist, first book an appointment with a general practitioner. When necessary, a health and social services centre doctor will give you a referral to a specialist. Specialists work in some health and social services centres, out-patient clinics and hospitals. Special health care is given at central hospitals and university hospitals.

In Finland, public health service doctors do not make home visits. Some private clinics offer home visits. A private doctor's home visit is, however, expensive.

If you are ill for a long time and you are unable work, you can find more information about Kela’s sickness allowance on the InfoFinland web page Support during illness.

On-call public health services

Health and social services centres are usually closed in the evenings and at weekends. At these times, acute cases are treated at emergency clinics (päivystys).

Emergency clinics are intended for situations in which the patient requires immediate treatment. If your illness does not require immediate treatment, book an appointment at your health and social services centre the next time it is open.

Emergency services are often provided at a hospital and sometimes, in small municipalities, in a neighbouring town. Emergency services for children and the young are often arranged at a separate unit. The Päivystysapu phone service is available almost everywhere in Finland. Its phone number is 116 117.

Ask for more information at your health and social services centre during opening hours or search for more information on the website of your wellbeing services county.

The contact information for private clinics can be found online, for example. It will probably be faster to get an appointment with a private clinic than public health services. Private health services are considerably more expensive for the client than public ones. Different clinics offer different services. Private health services can be used by everyone, including those who do not have a municipality of residence in Finland.

Kela pays a small part of the expenses of private health care and dental care if you are covered by Finnish national health insurance (sairausvakuutus). Sometimes a person who is not covered by Finnish national health insurance may also be entitled to Kela reimbursements. Ask for more information at Kela.

Sometimes Kela’s reimbursement can be deducted directly from the sum you pay at the cash desk. Bring along your Kela card. You can also apply for reimbursement from Kela afterwards.

For more information about the Finnish national health insurance, go to the InfoFinland web page Finnish social security.

If you are covered by health insurance in another Nordic country, you are entitled to essential health care in Finland. You will receive care under the same terms and pay the same amount for the services as Finns do. Bring along an official identity card when using health services.

If you are covered by health insurance in another EU member state, EEA member state, Switzerland or the UK, you are entitled to essential health care in Finland. In order to receive treatment, you must have a European Health Insurance Card. You must obtain a European Health Insurance Card from the country in which you are covered by health insurance.

The European Health Insurance card entitles you to receive treatment if you fall ill or have an accident. You will also receive treatment if your long-term illness requires it. The card also entitles you to receive treatment related to pregnancy and delivery. You will pay the same amount for your treatment as permanent Finnish residents do.

If you have come to Finland to work, you may be entitled to use public health services in Finland. This depends on the duration and type of your contract of employment, as well as on the country from which you have come to Finland.

In Finland, employers have a duty to pay for preventive health care for their employees.

Entrepreneurs can organise occupational health care for themselves, if they wish. In other words, entrepreneurs are not under an obligation to arrange occupational health care for themselves. An entrepreneur is, however, required to organise occupational health care for any employees working for them.

Occupational health care can be arranged at a local health and services centre or a private clinic.

You can find more information on the InfoFinland web page Occupational health care and on the website of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

Seasonal workers

If you come to Finland as a seasonal worker from outside the EU for less than 90 days, you can get the right to medical care in Finland for the duration of the seasonal work. You can apply to Kela as soon as you have a seasonal work certificate from the Finnish Immigration Service or a seasonal work visa from the Finnish diplomatic mission.

Seasonal work can be, for example, agricultural work or work in the tourism sector.

If you meet the conditions, you will receive a certificate from Kela. When you show this certificate, you will receive medical care in public health care for the same price as the residents of Finland.

In Finland, YTHS provides health services to students. If you are studying for a degree at a Finnish university or higher education institute, you have the right to use student health care services. First, you have to pay Kela a health care fee. If you are in Finland on a student exchange, you cannot use the services of YTHS.

The right to use public health services depends on the country from which you are moving to Finland to study.

If you come from another Nordic country to study in Finland, you are entitled to health care here. You will receive care under the same terms and pay the same amount for the services as Finns do. Bring along an official identity card when using health services.

If you come to study in Finland from an EU member state, EEA member state, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, you need to obtain a European Health Insurance Card in your home country before coming to Finland. If you have a European Health Insurance Card, you have a right to medically necessary health care in Finland.

If you come to study in Finland from another country, you will usually need a comprehensive health insurance policy from your home country before you can get a residence permit for Finland. If the estimated duration of your studies is no less than two years, you will usually be granted a municipality of residence in Finland and will thus be covered by municipal health services. In that case, your insurance only needs to cover medicinal expenses. If you are unsure whether you have the right to a municipality of residence in Finland, check the matter at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

You can find more information on municipality of residence on the InfoFinland page Municipality of residence in Finland.

The website of the Finnish Immigration Service (Maahanmuuttovirasto) provides additional information about residence permits for studies and national health insurance, which you will need for the permit.

If you have come to Finland as a quota refugee, you have a municipality of residence in Finland and are entitled to use public health services.

If you are an asylum seeker and your application has not been processed yet, you cannot register as a resident of a municipality at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, nor use public health services. Ask for more information at your reception centre.

If you have obtained a residence permit on the basis of a need for temporary protection, health services are provided through the reception centre.

If you have acquired a residence permit on the basis of a need for protection and are given the right to a municipality of residence in Finland, you are entitled to use the health services of your wellbeing services county.

You can find more information about the right to a municipality of residence in Finland on the InfoFinland web page Municipality of residence in Finland.

If you are in Finland without a residence permit, you are entitled to necessary treatment in public health care. However, you usually have to pay the costs of treatment yourself if you do not have a municipality of residence in Finland. In some municipalities, you only pay the patient fee for treatment. 

Undocumented children can use the same health services as other children. Read more on the InfoFinland page Children’s health.

If you are in Finland without a residence permit, you can get medical assistance and advice from the Global Clinic. Global Clinic operates in the following cities:

• Helsinki
• Turku
• Joensuu
• Tampere
• Lahti

You can call or send an e-mail to the Clinic. A nurse or a doctor will answer the call. You will find the contact information on the Global Clinic website.

The services of the Global Clinic are free of charge. The Global Clinic will not report its customers to the police or other authorities. The location and opening hours of the clinic are not listed publicly.

Read more on the page Medication.