Using health services in Finland

Your entitlement to medically necessary treatment or to use all of the public health care services is based, among other things, on the country where you are covered by health insurance and on what grounds you are residing in Finland. Private health care services are available to all.

Public health care services in Finland

You will always receive urgent medical care in Finland’s public health care.

You may also be entitled to medically necessary treatment or to all public health care services based on Finnish national legislation, EU legislation or international conventions. The following factors among other things affect your right to use public health care services:

• are you permanently living in Finland and do you have a municipality of residence in Finland
• the country where you are covered by health insurance
• grounds for residing in Finland (e.g. holiday, studies, work, retirement)
• whether you have suddenly fallen ill during your temporary stay in Finland or sought treatment in Finland.

Public health care accepts the European Health Insurance Card and prior authorisation that entitle you to receive care at the same price as local residents. Read more about the public health care system in Finland here.

Private health care services in Finland

Everyone can use private health care services in Finland. Usually, to receive reimbursement from Kela for the costs of private health care, you must be covered by health insurance in Finland. Also, Kela may separately confirm your right to receive reimbursement for medical care even if you are not covered by Finnish health insurance. These circumstances are described in more detail under sections Falling ill in Finland and Moving to Finland.

If you fall ill in Finland and use private health care services, you will not receive treatment with the client fee by presenting the European Health Insurance Card. Also, you will not receive treatment in private health care with the client fee, if you travel to Finland to receive treatment with a prior authorisation. Under circumstances such as this, you will have to pay treatment costs yourself but you can claim reimbursements from Kela retrospectively. Alternatively, you can claim reimbursements from your own health insurance institution.

Read more about the private health care system in Finland.