Right to medical care to remain largely unchanged also with the new Brexit agreement
8.2.2021
On 24 December 2020, the United Kingdom and the EU concluded a new trade and cooperation agreement containing provisions on the determination of social security for people moving across borders as of 1 January 2021. With the agreement, the right to medical care remains largely unchanged, and the UK is treated in the same way as an EU country in this regard. An exception to this is seeking treatment, which is now only possible with prior authorisation.
If you move between Finland and the United Kingdom after 1 January 2021, your right to treatment is determined in the same way as before. With the new agreement, the UK is largely treated in the same way as an EU country in terms of the right to medical care. This means that if you are temporarily residing in the UK, you can prove your right to treatment with a European Health Insurance Card issued by Finland or a temporary replacement certificate. A passport is currently not accepted as a certificate of right to treatment if the treatment has been provided on or after 1 January 2021. If you have had to pay the costs of medically necessary treatment received in the UK yourself, you can apply for retroactive reimbursement from either the UK or Kela.
If you temporarily arrive in Finland from the UK, you can prove your right to treatment in Finland with
- a European Health Insurance Card issued by the UK
- a certificate temporarily replacing the European Health Insurance Card
- a card similar to the European Health Insurance Card issued by the UK to persons covered by the Brexit withdrawal agreement.
With each of the above cards, you will receive medically necessary treatment in public health care at the client fee rate during your temporary stay in Finland. With the card, Kela will also reimburse you for the costs of treatment provided in private health care, medicines prescribed by a physician and trips made due to the treatment of an illness.
Seeking treatment between the UK and Finland only possible with prior authorisation
If you want to travel to the UK for treatment without prior authorisation after 1 January 2021, the UK is not legally obliged to treat you. Find out from the treatment provider whether you will be accepted for treatment and how much the treatment will cost. Please note that Kela will not reimburse any costs incurred from treatment if you have specifically travelled to the UK to use health care services. Instead, you can still seek treatment in the UK if you have prior authorisation from Kela. More information on seeking treatment with prior authorisation can be found on our page Seeking treatment abroad with a prior authorisation.
Similarly, if you come from the UK to Finland after 1 January 2021 to use Finnish health care services, Finland is not obliged to treat you. You are therefore solely responsible for all of the costs of your treatment. Instead, you can still seek treatment in Finland with prior authorisation from the UK. More information on seeking treatment in Finland with prior authorisation can be found on our page Seeking treatment in Finland with a prior authorisation.
The Kela website provides the most up-to-date information on the practical effects of Brexit on medical care.