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Social security and benefits

If you or your spouse work in Finland or you have moved here permanently, you may be entitled to social security benefits in Finland.

The Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) is the organisation that manages basic social security benefits for people living in Finland in different life situations. Kela will assess whether you are entitled to benefits. You may also receive benefits from Kela.

At International House Helsinki (IHH), you can use Kela’s remote service to get advice on benefits, entitlements, and applications. You can also get help filling in applications from specialists. Please note that there is no walk-in service desk from Kela at IHH.

Who can get social security in Finland?

In Finland, the purpose of social security is to provide people with sufficient livelihood in different situations in life. You may need financial support, for example, if you fall ill or have a child. You may be entitled to support if you work or live permanently in Finland.

As a general rule, if you live permanently in Finland, you can receive Kela benefits. The law defines what is meant by permanent residence. Working in Finland may also give you a right to Kela benefits.

You must notify Kela of your move to Finland when you apply for benefits or for a Kela card (Kela-kortti). You can do this by calling Kela or using Kela’s remote service at IHH.

To learn more about related topics like public healthcare in Finland or Kela cards, read the questions section.

Kela

Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, administers social security benefits for people living and working in Finland at different stages of their lives.

At IHH, Kela services are available only via remote service. You can use this service to get advice on benefits and entitlements and to fill in applications with the help of specialists.

Are you unclear if you are entitled to benefits in Finland?

To be entitled to benefits in Finland, you must be covered by the Finnish social security system.

If you do not know whether you are covered by Finland’s social security system or that of your country of origin, contact the Finnish Centre for Pensions (ETK).

How to use Kela’s remote service at IHH

At the IHH service point, you can use Kela’s remote service without an appointment every weekday from 09.00–15.00.

To use Kela’s remote service at the IHH service point:

  • Go to the IHH service point and use the queue ticket machine
  • Select International House Helsinki and then Kela remote service
  • Take your queue ticket from the machine. It will show your queue number
  • Watch the nearby screens. When your number appears, go to the service room shown next to it

Kela’s remote service at IHH serves customers without an appointment. 

You can use Kela’s remote service at IHH without an appointment.

Please note!

You cannot submit your completed applications to Kela at IHH.

To submit your applications to Kela, you can mail them and any necessary documents to: Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.

For help with all Kela benefits and services, you can also contact Kela by phone in English.

After submitting your application, Kela will send you a written decision. When your application has been processed, you will receive the decision in OmaKela e-service (in Finnish or Swedish, requires strong identification) or by post.

Contact

If you need help understanding Kela’s forms, you can also get support through Helsinki-info with IHH’s General Information and Guidance service.

  • Contact Kela’s remote service at IHH

    You do not need an appointment to visit Kela’s remote service at International House Helsinki.

    For further guidance about Kela’s services, please visit Kela’s website.

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    Opening hours

    • Monday - Friday 09.00 – 15.00

Questions

You can use all healthcare services in your local area at the same cost as other residents if you have a home municipality in Finland or a certificate from Kela confirming your right to healthcare in Finland.

If you are entitled to health insurance benefits in Finland, you will get a Kela card and you can get partial reimbursement for private healthcare costs, prescription medicines, and travel expenses related to medical treatment.

Please note that you don’t need Kela card to access public health care services.

All permanent residents of Finland are issued a personal health insurance card aka Kela card. If you move to Finland from another country or if you start working in Finland, Kela can assess whether you will be covered by the Finnish social security coverage. For this, please submit the Moving to Finland form  at Kela desk at IHH.  You can also submit an application for a Kela card at the same time.

Kela card cannot be used as proof of identity. With your Kela card, you will be reimbursed for your expenses at many private clinics and for prescription drugs at pharmacies. Then, you only have to pay the deductible.

No. The right to use public health services depends on whether you have a municipality of residence in Finland. If you are unsure if you have been assigned a municipality of residence, please contact DVV.

It is the responsibility of the home municipality to arrange the necessary health services for all its residents. The Kela card is, however, very commonly asked for when checking in for any health service due to an easy-to-read bar code.

Private health services can be used by everyone, including those who do not have a municipality of residence  in Finland or a Kela card.

There are no social security numbers in Finland. A Finnish Personal Identity Code is sometimes wrongly referred to as a social security number in everyday language.

A Finnish Personal Identity Code can be issued either by the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri), once a residence permit has been granted or by Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV).

 

It is recommendable to visit Kela’s website, where you can find more detailed information about the various life situations in which a individual may be entitled to benefits.

You can visit the Kela desk the IHH to discuss and submit applications. Kela’s service desk does not require an appointment time to be booked beforehand.

Some benefits available from Kela are subject to tax while others are tax-exempt. The basis of taxation depends on the benefit in question. Withholding percentage may be affected, for example, by whether the individual is employed and what is the tax rate on their salary income.

More detailed information on taxation of benefits can be found on Kela’s website. Benefits and wages are taxed differently and there is a separate tax card for social security benefits. Tax card calculated for the benefit is transmitted electronically directly from the Tax Administration to Kela upon request.

Useful links

Kela

Social security in Finland

Coming to Finland

Moving to Finland

Notification of moving to Finland

Application forms

Benefit calculators (in Finnish and Swedish)

Kela card