Travel and hospital transports

Yes, if the travel costs exceed the copayment.  If you travel to another EU or EEA country, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or Northern Ireland for treatment without a prior authorisation, Kela will reimburse you for the travel costs corresponding to the costs for travelling to the nearest place of treatment in Finland, where you would have received the necessary treatment. Thus, you cannot receive reimbursement for travel costs up to the destination country but only to the nearest place of treatment in Finland.

If you travel to another EU or EEA country, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or Northern Ireland for treatment with prior authorisation, Kela will reimburse you for the travel costs above the copayment up to the place of treatment in the destination country.

Apply for travel reimbursement within six months of paying for the treatment. If you seek treatment in other countries, you will not be reimbursed for travel costs.

Yes, if it takes place in an EU or EEA country, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or Northern Ireland. Kela will reimburse travel costs up to the nearest local place of treatment if the travel costs exceed the copayment.

If you have to return to Finland due to falling ill, Kela will reimburse you for the return trip from the place of treatment to, for example, the airport and, in Finland, from the airport to the nearest hospital. If you travel directly home, the trip made in Finland will not be reimbursed. Please note that Kela will not reimburse the flight from abroad to Finland.

Kela may reimburse you for overnight accommodation, but only if you have a prior authorisation from Kela. You can get an accommodation allowance for an overnight stay if it is necessary for your treatment. No accommodation allowance is paid for overnight stay in a hospital. If the healthcare staff consider it necessary for you to have an accompanying person with you, Kela may also pay an accommodation allowance for the costs of the accompanying person.

Claim for reimbursement of costs from Kela (Kela)
Read also: Seeking treatment abroad a with prior authorisation

You may be entitled to reimbursement for the travel costs of an accompanying person if the healthcare staff consider it necessary for you to have an accompanying person. Underage children always travel with an accompanying person and do not need a separate assessment of the need for an accompanying person.

Kela will reimburse the accompanying person’s travel costs according to what the trip would have cost if the cheapest means of travel were used. Claim reimbursement for the accompanying person’s costs from Kela.

The European Health Insurance Card does not cover your hospital transfer. If you need a hospital transfer to Finland, you will usually be responsible for the transfer costs yourself. If the transfer is carried out by ambulance, you can receive reimbursement from Kela for part of the trip afterwards. Travel insurance may cover the transfer, so please review the policy and take out travel insurance.

If you need a hospital transfer between Nordic countries, your treatment provider can arrange the transport from one hospital to another on your behalf. In this case, you do not need to pay the transport costs yourself. The transfer is the responsibility of the treatment provider.

In Finland, you will receive transport by ambulance or rescue helicopter for the same price as residents of Finland when you present your European Health Insurance Card to the ambulance personnel.

If you are permanently residing in another Nordic country, you can present an identity card instead of the European Health Insurance Card. If you arrived from the United Kingdom, you can prove your right to treatment with either the European Health Insurance Card issued during the EU membership of the United Kingdom or the Brexit transition period, the Citizens Rights Card or the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).

If you are permanently residing in Australia, the medical care convention between Finland and Australia entitles you to receive reimbursement from Kela retrospectively for the costs of ambulance transport.