Finnish Healthcare & Benefits
Healthcare & Benefits
- Kela(Kansaneläkelaitos) - the Social Insurance Institution of Finland.
- YTHS(Yylioppilaiden terveydenhoitosätiö) - Student Healthcare
Kela
Kela (Kansaneläkelaitos) is the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. If DVV provides you with legal identity, Kela manages your health, financial aid and social insurance throughout your stay.
For an international student, interaction with Kela is mandatory, even though foreign students have a special status in the system. Here is everything you need to know:
1. Mandatory Health Fee (YTHS / FSHS)
All bachelor's or master's students enrolled at a Finnish university (who have registered as attending) are required by law to pay the health fee directly to Kela.
- Service provided: This fee finances the Finnish Student Health Service (YTHS/FSHS), which provides you with almost free general medical, dental and psychological care during your studies.
- Current cost: The fee is EUR 35.35 per semester (EUR 70.70 per year).
- Critical rule: Kela does NOT send an invoice. You have to pay this fee on your own initiative online via the OmaKela portal or by bank transfer. If you miss the deadlines (usually 15 March for the spring semester and 15 November for the autumn semester), Kela automatically applies a late payment penalty. [8, 13, 14, 15, 16]
- Exception: You do not pay the fee if you have active social insurance in another EU/EEA state (you have a valid EHIC card), but you must send a copy of the card to Kela.
2. Eligibility for Financial Aid (State Money)
Finland offers massive support to its own students (study allowances, rent assistance). However, as a newly arrived foreign student, the general rule is that you are NOT entitled to financial benefits from Kela (such as housing assistance - asumistuki). The state considers your stay to be temporary, exclusively for studies.
When can you still receive money from Kela?
- If you work during your studies: If you get a job in Finland and earn at least EUR 800.02 per month, you become socially insured based on your work. From that moment on, you can apply for certain benefits (such as paid sick leave).
- If you move permanently: If after a while Kela considers that your main purpose in Finland has changed (you have married a Finnish citizen or have a stable long-term employment contract), you can acquire full rights to all social benefits.
3. Kela card (Kela-kortti)
If you are an international student enrolled in a full-time program lasting at least 2 years, you are usually entitled to a health card [Kela-kortti](https://www.kela.fi/moving-to-finland).
- This plastic card proves that you are covered by the national health insurance in Finland.
- You present it at the pharmacy to receive reimbursed medicines directly at the pharmacy or at public hospitals to pay only the basic fee (client fee).
How do you interact with Kela?
All services are managed through the secure online portal OmaKela. You can log in to it only after you have completed the previous steps in the guide: obtained the code from DVV and opened a Finnish bank account for secure digital authentication.
YTHS
YTHS (Ylioppilaiden terveydenhoitosäätiö) — known in English as FSHS (Finnish Student Health Service) — is the University Student Health Foundation in Finland. It operates as an exclusive medical system, specifically designed to take care of students during their university years.
Here’s everything you need to know about YTHS to complete your survival guide in Finland:
1. Who is entitled to use YTHS?
You have access to YTHS services if you are enrolled at a Finnish university (research or applied sciences - AMK) for a Bachelor's or Master's degree program.
- Condition: You must register at the university as an active (attending) student for the semester and pay the mandatory health fee to Kela.
- Note for PhD/Erasmus students: PhD students are not eligible for YTHS. International exchange students (Erasmus) can only use YTHS services if their university has a specific agreement and they have paid the fee.
2. What services are included? (Almost everything is FREE)
Once you have paid the half-yearly fee to Kela (approx. 35-36 EUR), most visits and treatments at YTHS are 100% free. The services are divided into three main categories:
- General & Medical Health: Consultations with family doctors, nurses, laboratory tests, x-rays and referrals to specialists.
- Mental Health: Psychological counseling, short-term therapy, support groups to combat session stress, anxiety or social isolation.
- Oral Health (Dentistry): Regular dental check-ups, hygienization (removal of tartar) and basic fillings. Attention: The first dental consultation is free, but for certain complex procedures (e.g. root canals or extractions) there may be small fixed co-payments, much cheaper than at private clinics.
3. How Self-Service Works (Self Portal)
YTHS operates digitally through the online platform called Self.
1. Login: You log in to the Self portal on the official website yths.fi using your Finnish bank credentials (secure login).
2. Initial Assessment (Need for Treatment Assessment): You cannot book an appointment directly. You first need to go through an assessment. You either fill out an online form with your symptoms in the Self portal, or call their hotline. A nurse will assess your case and, if necessary, make an appointment with a doctor or dentist.
3. Cancelling appointments (Strict Rule): If you have an appointment and cannot show up, you must cancel it at least 24 hours in advance. If you forget or are late, YTHS will send you a “peruutusmaksu” (no-show fee) of approximately EUR 40 by mail.
4. Where can you find YTHS clinics?
YTHS has its own clinics in all major university cities (Helsinki, Tampere, Turku, Oulu, Jyväskylä, Pori, etc.). In smaller cities where they do not have their own buildings, YTHS collaborates with local partner clinics so that every student has access to care close to campus.
- High School (Lukio) & Vocational Students: If you are attending a vocational college (ammatillinen oppilaitos), please check your specific school's student portal, as healthcare services are provided directly by your educational institution or the local public health center, not by YTHS.