Country-by-country guide

Information on how to receive necessary medical treatment in Finland is available from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health website or from Kunnat.net -Social and health services or from the local offices of Kansaneläkelaitos/Folkpensionsanstalten. 

In case you find yourself in an emergency during your stay in Finland, dial 112. You might want to save the number in your phone. 

Doctors

You can contact a municipal health centre, where healthcare professionals will assess the need for medical care according to national instructions and treatment practices. You’ll have to present a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) and either a passport or other travel documents to receive treatment at the same costs as a resident. Some medical services are free of charge by law, but health centres may charge for other services. This varies from one municipality to another. For a visit to a doctor (including laboratory and X-ray services), the health centre usually charges €13.70 to 27.40. If you are under the age of 18 treatment is free of charge. You can also contact private GPs, in which case you will have to pay the full fee. Also read the section on How to get reimbursements in Finland.

Dentist

If you need dental  treatment during your stay because of illness or accident then you should contact a local health centre. You’ll have to present a valid EHIC and either passport or other travel documents to receive treatment at the same costs as a resident there would be charged. The health centre will charge you the relevant co-payments (cost sharing by the patient) according to a fixed scale of charges (usually less than €80). If you are under the age of 18 dental treatment is free of charge. It should be noted that not all health centres maintain a 24-hour dental service.

You can also contact private dentists, in which case you’ll have to pay the full fee. Also read the section on How to get reimbursements in Finland.

Medicines

You can go to any pharmacy with your prescription. The full price of the medicine must be paid at the pharmacy. The pharmacists should issue a receipt for all prescription charges, which then can be used to claim your refund. Find out more in the section How to get reimbursements in Finland.

Hospital treatment

To be admitted to a hospital you will need a referral from a doctor. However, in emergencies you can contact a hospital directly. You’ll have to present a valid EHIC and either a passport or other travel documents to receive treatment at the same costs as a resident. The charge for hospital inpatient treatment is €32.50 a day. If you are under the age of 18, you don’t need to pay the daily charge for more than seven days within a calendar year. The charge for hospital outpatient care is €27.40 a visit. The charge for day surgery is €89.90.

If you’re admitted into a private hospital you must pay all costs but a reimbursement can be claimed from a local office of Kela/FPA. It should be noted that no reimbursement is awarded in respect of the basic daily charge. Find out more in the section How to get reimbursements in Finland.

If a doctor refers you to a private clinic for examinations such as laboratory tests or X-rays, you’ll have to pay all fees upfront but should be given a receipt. If you have made payments directly to the doctor or dentist (i.e. not to a bank account), then you should also be given a receipt that sets out all services charged for.

If you want to claim reimbursements, you’ll have to file a fee statement and include all your receipts. Complete and sign the application on the reverse side of the doctor's statement of fees. This includes your permanent address, the date and your bank details (name of the bank, its address, the SWIFT code and your account number including IBAN/BIC).

You need to present all relevant documents, including receipts, your EHIC and  passport to a local Kela/FPA office. Information about KELA/FPA offices can be found in the local phone book or on the Kela website.

It is also possible to send the documents along with a copy of your EHIC by post to the Kela/FPA office.

Kela/FPA will pay a reimbursement according to the following rules. (The applicable tariffs can be found on Kela’s website under the section Sickness.)

• Up to 60% of a private doctor's fee up to a specified limit is reimbursed. Please note that doctors' fees are not controlled and therefore the actual fee charged tends to exceed the maximum reimbursable fee.
• Up to 60% of a private dentist’s fee up to a specified limit is reimbursed. Again, dentist's fees are not controlled and therefore the actual fee charged tends to exceed the maximum reimbursable fee. No reimbursement is provided in respect of ortho and prosthodontic treatment.
• In the case of examination and treatment services obtained from a private health care provider, 75% of the costs up to the maximum specified limit excepting the patient's co-payment (€13.46) are reimbursed. As with doctor's fees, the actual examination and treatment charges usually exceed the specified maximum charges used to calculate the reimbursement.
• Prescription charges are reimbursed either in part, or sometimes in full. The majority of drugs are reimbursed by 42%, which is the basic rate for prescribed drugs. A number of listed drugs qualify for 72% reimbursement rate or 100% of the costs exceeding €3 for each drug. (Those are drugs prescribed for severe and long-term illnesses.) If the drug belongs to Finland’s reference price system, the reimbursement price for the drug is the reference price. You’ll have to pay the excess of the reference price. If your own costs for reimbursable drugs during one calendar year exceed €672.70, the excess of €1.50 per drug is reimbursed. No reimbursements are available for non-prescription medicines or for certain pharmaceuticals withdrawn from the reimbursement scheme.
• Travel costs incurred while seeking treatment (from the nearest provider) are reimbursed. If an ambulance has been used, a medical certificate proving the need for its use must be presented. Your co-payment is €9.25 for each one way trip. Costs above that figure are reimbursed.

Kela/FPA will pay the reimbursement into your bank account.

Reimbursement must be claimed within six months of the original expenditure.

No reimbursement is awarded for the co-payments charged by public health care providers. 

Certain treatments must be pre-arranged before arriving in Finland.

If you need dialysis or oxygen therapy during your stay in Finland, you or your healthcare provider must arrange the treatment with a relevant hospital before coming to Finland. Hospital contact information is available in the section Sairaanhoitopiirien ja niihin kuuluvien sairaaloiden yhteystiedot on the kunnat.net website (not in English). Most but not all hospitals on the list provide oxygen therapy and dialysis. If the hospital does not provide such services then it should be able to inform you where treatment is available.

If you are receiving a UK state retirement pension, or are in receipt of a long-term incapacity benefit, you may be entitled to state-funded healthcare paid for by the UK. With most countries, cover under this provision is provided by applying for a Form S1 from the Department for Work and Pensions. However, due to the nature of the agreement between the UK and Finland, you will not need to apply for a Form S1.

However, if you move to Finland to live but not work and do not receive a UK benefit, you may be eligible for up to two-and-a-half years of state-funded healthcare cover, paid for by the UK. With most countries, cover under this provision is provided by applying for a Form S1 from the Department for Work and Pensions. However, due to the nature of the agreement between the UK and Finland, you will not need to apply for a Form S1.

In both cases, you will need to contact your local KELA office for advice.

You should also read the moving abroad section on this site, which will give you general information about accessing healthcare while living abroad.

How to register with a GP

No information available.

You will need to contact your local KELA office for advice on access to healthcare.

However, you should also read the moving abroad section on this site, which will give you general information about accessing healthcare while working abroad.

UK citizens registered in another European Economic Area (EEA) country are not automatically eligible for free treatment in the UK. You should also visit the Planned treatment abroad section for detailed information.