Travel and transport

The amount of Kela reimbursement paid for travel and transport is affected by the vehicle the customers use, the category of persons they are included in and the extent of their right to treatment in Finland. When the user of health services comes from abroad, Kela reimburses to the transport organiser travel costs incurred in Finland in certain situations. Kela also reimburses hospital transports between the Nordic countries. In general, patients pay the travel costs themselves in cross-border situations and apply to Kela for reimbursement retrospectively. Further information on travel allowances paid by Kela can be found on Kela’s website in Finnish.

By presenting the European Health Insurance Card, patients from abroad receive transport by ambulance or rescue helicopter and pay only the deductible. Patients who do not have the European Health Insurance Card or a temporary substitute certificate are generally personally liable for the costs of any medical transport. Patients from EU/EEA countries, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Australia or Canadian Quebec may apply for reimbursement for travel costs from Kela retrospectively.

Kela reimburses some of the costs of transfer transport in Finland of patients from abroad who are in public health care and registered in a treatment facility.

Kela may also reimburse transfer transport costs to another Nordic country. If the transfer transport requires an air ambulance, the treatment provider must contact Kela’s Centre for International Affairs before organising the flight.

Kela reimburses the wellbeing services county maintaining the health care some of the transport costs of a transferred patient when public health care obtained the treatment from abroad as an outsourced service and paid the transport costs. If the patient was not registered and they paid for their own travel costs in the outsourced service situation, the patient may apply for reimbursement from Kela in accordance with the Health Insurance Act.