This article provides answers to the most common questions about healthcare services for exchange students abroad. Please read the text carefully and contact us if you have any questions.

What sort of healthcare am I entitled to as an exchange student abroad?

Your right to treatment abroad depends on:

• the country where you study,
• how long you stay in the country and
• whether you work alongside your studies.

For example, in EU and EEA countries, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, you can usually receive treatment using your European Health Insurance Card, whereas in other countries you will often have to pay for your treatment yourself.

Read this article to find out what healthcare you are entitled to when you go to study abroad.

How can I access healthcare as an exchange student within the EU?

As a student, you are generally entitled to medically necessary treatment with a European Health Insurance Card in EU and EEA countries, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

This refers to treatment that cannot wait until your planned return to Finland and also includes, for example, treatment required for a long-term illness.

If, for example, you fall ill, you can usually receive treatment at a local healthcare facility, such as a hospital or a medical centre, by showing your European Health Insurance Card. The card can be used at public healthcare providers and contracted providers.

You only pay the local patient charge for your treatment – in other words, the same price as local residents.

If you are working while studying, this may affect your right to treatment

If you are working abroad or undertaking a paid work placement as part of your studies, this may affect your entitlement to healthcare services in the country where you are studying. Always notify Kela if you work abroad.

If you undertake an unpaid work placement while studying abroad, this will not usually affect your entitlement to healthcare services abroad.

How can I access healthcare as an exchange student outside the EU?

• As a student, you are entitled to healthcare in the country where you are staying in accordance with local legislation.
• Outside the EU, you will usually have to pay all healthcare costs yourself.
• You should take out private health insurance if you are going on an exchange programme outside the EU.

You can ask your educational institution for further information and advice on the country’s health services.

Do I need to notify anyone when I go abroad as an exchange student?

Yes. You must notify Kela and the Digital and Population Data Services Agency when you go abroad as a student.

• Always notify Kela of any stay abroad lasting more than three months.
• Inform Kela if you work while studying.
• Submit a notification of move to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

The Contact Point for Cross-Border Healthcare helps you find the information you need

At the Contact Point for Cross-Border Healthcare, we provide up-to-date information on healthcare services abroad on the EU-healthcare.fi website. The Contact Point for Cross-Border Healthcare is an authority whose task is to provide information on the right to use healthcare services in Finland and other Member States of the European Union.

If necessary, you can contact our customer service team for further information on healthcare for students abroad. Our experts at the Contact Point for Cross-Border Healthcare can guide you to the right information.

Each EU Member State also has its own contact point for cross-border healthcare, which you can contact to request further information about healthcare services in the country where you are studying.

Before you leave, have a look at the content on our website and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime!

Frequently asked questions: healthcare for exchange students in EU countries

• What treatment does the European Health Insurance Card cover? The European Health Insurance Card covers medically necessary treatment, i.e. treatment that a doctor considers you need and which cannot wait until you return home. You cannot receive any type of treatment you may want with the European Health Insurance Card.
• Do exchange students also need to have travel insurance? Travel insurance offers additional protection during your trip. Travel insurance may, for example, cover medical repatriation to Finland, which is not covered by the European Health Insurance Card.
• Are exchange students allowed to use the country’s public health services? Different countries have different healthcare systems. Check the country-specific information in advance to find out how healthcare services are organised in your country of study.

Read these stories about students’ healthcare abroad!

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• How Timo beat the flu in Chile