Finland

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) entitles you to medically necessary treatment whilst staying temporarily in Finland.

Medically necessary treatment refers to treatment that cannot wait for your return home.

You can receive medically necessary treatment, for example, for:

• a sudden illness
• an accident
• pregnancy and childbirth
• a chronic illness

The need for treatment must arise during your stay. The European Health Insurance Card must be presented as a physical card; digital cards are not accepted in Finland.

You will receive medically necessary treatment in the same way and for the same customer fee as residents of Finland when you present a European Health Insurance Card at the hospital or health centre.

In public healthcare, you can demonstrate your right to medically necessary treatment by presenting an official identity card or passport. Your permanent place of residence must be in another Nordic country.

If you have arrived from the United Kingdom and are staying in Finland temporarily, you can prove your right to medically necessary treatment with any of the following cards:

• A European Health Insurance Card issued during the United Kingdom’s EU membership or the Brexit transition period
• A Citizens’ Rights Card
• A Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC)

If you permanently reside in Australia, you are entitled to receive medically necessary treatment within public healthcare during your temporary stay in Finland. You will receive treatment in public healthcare at the same customer fees as Finnish residents by presenting your passport. Your permanent address must be in Australia.

You can also use Finland’s private healthcare services, and Kela will reimburse a proportion of the costs of medically necessary treatment.

You are entitled to emergency treatment in Finland’s public healthcare system. You are liable for the full cost of the treatment. You can also use private healthcare services at your own expense.

If you are in need of a doctor, contact a local health centre. Health centres are usually open Mon–Fri from 8.00 to 16.00. Present your European Health Insurance Card and ID at the appointment. Health centres also have nurses who can treat wounds or prescribe medicine in less severe cases. Health centres also have nurses who are able to treat a wide range of conditions and prescribe certain medicines.

When the health centre is closed, urgent care is provided at emergency care units in large health centres and hospitals. Emergency care units provide care in situations where treatment cannot be postponed without aggravating the illness or injury. If you are not sure whether your situation requires a visit to an emergency care unit, you can call the Medical Helpline at 116117. The emergency service is available free of charge throughout Finland, except in the Åland Islands.

In an emergency, always call the emergency number 112.

In the private healthcare sector, you can book an appointment with a general practitioner or a specialist directly. Private doctors and dentists set their own prices. When using private healthcare services, you pay for your treatment during your appointment.

If you need dental treatment during your stay because of an accident or illness, contact a local health centre. You will need to present a valid European Health Insurance Card to receive treatment at the same cost as a resident. You can also use private dental care at your own expense.

You can buy medicines at pharmacies (apteekki). In Finland, medical prescriptions are electronic – doctors do not issue paper prescriptions. If you have a paper prescription from another EU or EEA country or Switzerland, take your prescription to any pharmacy. You must pay the full price for the medicine. A prescription issued in another EU or EEA country or Switzerland may also be electronic. Currently, electornic prescriptions issued in Estonia, Croatia, Portugal, Poland, Czechia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Spain can be used to purchase medicines at Finnish pharmacies.

At the pharmacy, you may be asked to show your European Health Insurance Card. Once you have paid for your medicines, you will be given a receipt. You pay the full price for your medicines.

You can search for pharmacies with the help of search engines, such as Google. Enter “apteekki” (“pharmacy”) and the name of the relevant city in the search field. Other pharmacy contact details can also be found on the apteekkihaku (“pharmacy directory”) service of the Association of Finnish Pharmacies. In addition to this, the website of the Association of Finnish Pharmacies provides a wealth of other information on pharmacies and medicines (in Finnish).

You can search for medicines available in Finland using Kela’s Medicinal Products Database.

Read more about medicinal treatment and prescriptions in Finland.

If you are covered by health insurance in another EU or EEA country, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland and have paid for the costs of medically necessary treatment in Finland’s private healthcare, you can apply for reimbursement from your own health insurance institution or from Kela. You can also apply for reimbursement for medicine and travel costs related to medically necessary treatment you have received in private or public healthcare. Kela reimburses these costs in the same manner as for residents of Finland.

Kela does not reimburse costs paid for treatment in Finland’s public healthcare. If you have paid the full costs of your treatment in Finland’s public healthcare despite presenting your European Health Insurance Card, you can ask the hospital or health centre to correct the invoice. Alternatively, you can apply for reimbursement from your health insurance institution.

For other reimbursement-related issues, such as if you have sought treatment in Finland on your own initiative or come from outside the EU/EEA area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, ask your health insurance institution for more information.

If it is not an emergency, you can only access specialised medical care with a doctor’s referral. In an emergency, you can also go directly to a public hospital´s emergency department.

• The referral can be provided by a health centre doctor or a private healthcare physician if they deem that you require treatment provided in the specialised medical care system. In the case of non-emergency care, you can, together with your doctor, choose the hospital to which the referral will be sent.
• A referral written in another EU country can be accepted if it includes the information needed to assess your treatment requirements. The referral should be written in Finnish or Swedish. The treatment provider may also accept a referral written in another language. If you seek treatment in Finland from another EU country, send the referral directly to the treatment provider. You are responsible for any translation costs.
• Based on the referral, a professional will assess your need for care and whether you will be admitted to specialised medical care. Specialised medical care must assess your need for care within three weeks of receipt of the referral.

Show your European Health Insurance Card and ID at the hospital. If you come from outside the EU, EEA, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, show your passport or other valid ID.

Private hospitals do not accept the European Health Insurance Card. If you have received medically necessary treatment in a private hospital, you can apply for reimbursement from the health insurance institution of your country of residence or Kela.

If your condition requires an ambulance, call 112. If you have a European Health Insurance Card, present it to the ambulance personnel. You will pay a deductible of EUR 25. If you do not have a European Health Insurance Card, you must pay the full cost of the transport. Transfers between hospitals are usually free of charge.

In Finland, healthcare operations are supervised by the Finnish Supervisory Agency. The supervisory authority for the pharmaceutical sector is Fimea. In addition, healthcare organisations are obligated to supervise their own operations.

According to the Finnish Health Care Act, services provided by the healthcare system must be of high quality, safe, and appropriately organised. Every health centre and hospital must draw up a plan for quality management and the implementation of patient safety. This includes a system through which the healthcare unit reports and follows up on incidents occurring during treatment.

You can claim compensation for treatment injuries related to care provided in Finland from the Patient Insurance Centre.

Read more about the supervision of healthcare in Finland.

In Finland, public healthcare services are provided by the wellbeing services counties. An exception to this is Helsinki, where the services are provided by the City of Helsinki. A wellbeing services county can provide services independently or in collaboration with other wellbeing services counties. It can also procure services from private companies or organisations. Healthcare services are divided into primary healthcare and specialised healthcare.

Healthcare services are also provided by private companies, independent professional practitioners, and organisations.

Employers are responsible for the preventive healthcare of their employees within the framework of occupational healthcare. Medical treatment can also be provided as part of occupational healthcare. Student welfare services for university students are provided by the Finnish Student Health Service (YTHS, FSHS).

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health steers healthcare in collaboration with its subordinate agencies and institutions. Public healthcare services are funded by tax revenue and client fees charged for services.