Interest in the European Health Insurance Card at a travel fair

At the end of January, the Kela and Choosehealthcare.fi online services attended the Matka 2017 Nordic Travel Fair at the Helsinki Fair Centre. Our stand was very busy as more than 1,000 visitors ordered the European Health Insurance Card during their visit to the fair. Thanks are also due to all those who participated in the questionnaire and prize draw concerning our online service.

During the fair, we also collected popular destinations on the map of the world at our stand. Based on these markings, the most popular holiday destinations are in Europe, but pins also accumulated at further locations ranging from Australia to Spitzbergen.

This year, the Nordic Travel Fair attracted a total of more than 70,000 visitors to the Helsinki Fair Centre.

What is the European Health Insurance Card and why is it needed?

With the European Health Insurance Card, you can receive treatment in EU countries if, for example, you fall ill or are involved in an accident while on holiday. The card is free of charge and in Finland it is issued by Kela. You can quickly and conveniently order the card online at Kela e-services or by calling the telephone number 020 692 203 Mon–Fri 8am–5pm. You can log into the service with your online banking credentials or mobile authentication. 1.7 million Finns have already acquired the European Health Insurance Card.

Health information for travellers

Did you know that, at the Choosehealthcare.fi website, you can find much information useful for travellers? You can browse information about health services in more than 50 countries, which is helpful both when travelling and when planning your trip. The website provides guidance in a diverse range of healthcare-related questions and situations, for example, what to do if you fall ill when travelling abroad and if you want to travel outside Finland for treatment. If necessary, you can ask more about cross-border healthcare using the feedback form  on our website.