Legislation
In Finland, laws are made by Parliament. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health issues guidelines concerning the enforcement of legislation within social affairs and healthcare and develops the legislation. The Ministry also provides guidelines and recommendations for healthcare professionals. Wellbeing services counties provide detailed instructions concerning the organisation of healthcare services.
The Constitution is the basis for all legislation in Finland. The Constitution guarantees the right to livelihood and care. Care refers to urgent medical care, among other things. The Constitution also contains provisions concerning non-urgent treatment. In order to implement this, public authorities have been obligated to ensure that everyone has access to health and social services. They also have a general obligation to promote the general health of the population.
The right to sufficient social and healthcare services was recorded among the basic rights granted by the Constitution in 1995 together with other financial, social and educational rights. According to the rationale in the Government Proposal concerning the Act, sufficient services are services that provide everyone with the prerequisites of acting as a sovereign member of society.
You can find out more about Finnish legislation in Finlex. The Finlex service is available in Finnish and Swedish. Short English translations of some laws are also available.
The Constitution of Finland 731/1999 (Finlex)
Legislation on healthcare services in Finland
The general acts on public healthcare are the Health Care Act and the Act on Organising Healthcare and Social Welfare Services. There are also specific acts on fees for public health services. In addition, there is specific legislation on private healthcare, healthcare professionals and medicines.
According to the Health Care Act, healthcare activities must be based on scientific evidence and good treatment practices. Activities must be of high quality, safe and appropriately organised.
The obligation to organise healthcare services is laid down in the Act on Organising Healthcare and Social Welfare Services. Wellbeing services counties are responsible for organising health and social services in their area. This responsibility covers the residents of the wellbeing services county. The right of non-residents to receive services organised by the wellbeing services county is regulated separately.
- Act on Organising Healthcare and Social Welfare Services 612/2021 (in Finnish) (Finlex)
- See also the section “Legislation on cross-border healthcare in Finland“
In addition, special acts, such as Communicable Diseases Act 1227/2016 (Finlex), regulate several healthcare services separately.
Legislation on fees for health services
By law, you can be charged a fee for using the health and social services of a wellbeing services county. The fee may be at most equal to the costs incurred by the treatment. The act states which health and social services are free for the client and contains provisions concerning the annual maximum co-payment. Which charges for health and social services are permitted and the amount of those charges are laid down by decree.
Legislation concerning private healthcare
There is specific legislation on private healthcare, including on licensing and supervision.
Legislation on healthcare professionals
The Act on Health Care Professionals aims to ensure the competence of the personnel through licensing and registration requirements and through the supervision of the practising of professions. The professional skill, experience and training of the personnel set the foundation for good care. Healthcare professionals have an obligation to attend supplementary training, since treatment methods and equipment as well as medical expertise require constant updating.
Legislation on medicines
The legislation concerning medicines is intended to guarantee effective, safe, purposeful and economical medication for all who require it.
Legislation on patient rights in Finland
Patient rights are governed by several acts, the most important of which is the Act on the Status and Rights of Patients. The act contains provisions concerning, for example, the patient’s right to information, their self-determination and patient documents. Other legislation on patient rights includes various language acts, the Patient Insurance Act and the Government Decree on the Accessibility of Buildings.
According to the Act on the Status and Rights of Patients, people are entitled to good healthcare and medical care, and to be treated with respect. Good care and respectful treatment consists of, for example, the quality of care, patient safety, equality and the professionalism and competence of the personnel. Discrimination on the basis of gender, age, origin, language, religion, belief, opinion, state of health, handicap or other reason related to the person is prohibited.
Legislation on patient records
Patient documents are primarily intended to support care of the patient. They must contain the information necessary to plan, organise, implement and monitor care. The information to be recorded must be sufficiently comprehensive, clear and understandable. All care decisions and the treatment discussions held with the patient and their next of kin concerning the care should be recorded in the patient documents. The patient documents are important for the legal protection of both the patient and the professionals providing the care, especially if a complaint concerning the treatment is filed or an investigation is otherwise started.
Legislation of the language of care
In Finland, care is provided in the official languages of Finland, which are Finnish and Swedish. Moreover, the Sami people and people arriving from other Nordic countries are entitled to receive treatment in their own language (under certain conditions).
- Asetus Suomen, Islannin, Norjan, Ruotsin ja Tanskan välillä Pohjoismaiden kansalaisten oikeudesta käyttää omaa kieltään muussa pohjoismaassa tehdyn sopimuksen voimaansaattamisesta (Decree on the enactment of the convention between Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden on the right of Nordic nationals to use their mother tongue in other Nordic countries; in Finnish) 11/1987 (Finlex)
- Language Act 423/2003 (Finlex)
- Sámi Language Act 1086/2003 (Finlex)
Legislation on patient injury
You can claim compensation for patient injury related to care provided in Finland from the Patient Insurance Centre. All unfavourable consequences from treatment are not covered; only personal injuries that meet the criteria set out in the Patient Insurance Act are compensated for.
If you have experienced patient injury abroad, you should enquire with the treatment provider or the contact point of the country that provided the treatment about the procedure for claiming compensation for medical malpractice.
Legislation on the accessibility of buildings
In Finland, accessibility in construction is governed by the Government Decree on the Accessibility of Buildings.
Legislation on cross-border healthcare in Finland
The legislation on cross-border healthcare in Finland covers the right of foreigners to receive treatment in Finland, reimbursement of the costs of treatment received abroad, seeking treatment abroad and the European prescription.
Legislation on right to medical care
Your rights to medical care in Finland or abroad are based on Finnish national legislation, EU legislation or international social security agreements. Legislation contains specific provisions concerning the scope of the right to treatment under different circumstances and the invoicing and reimbursement of the costs of treatment.
- Act on Cross-Border Health Care 1201/2013 (Finlex)
- Act on Organising Healthcare and Social Welfare Services 612/2021 (in Finnish) (Finlex)
- Laki vastavuoroisesta sairaan- ja terveydenhoidosta rajaseudulla (Act on Reciprocal Provision of Medical and Health Care in the Border Are; in Finnish) 307/1961 (EDILEX)
- Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the coordination of social security systems (EUR-Lex)
- Regulation (EC) No 987/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down the procedure for implementing Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems (EUR-Lex)
- Directive 2011/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare (EUR-Lex)
- Nordic Convention on Social Security 55/2014 (in Finnish) (Finlex)
- Sopimus Suomen ja Australian välillä sairaanhoidon antamisesta tilapäisen oleskelun aikana (Agreement between Finland and Australia on the provision of medical care during temporary residence; in Finnish) 61/1993 (Finlex)
- Suomen ja Israelin välinen sosiaaliturvasopimus (Social security agreement between Finland and Israel; in Finnish) 90/1999 (Finlex)
- Suomen ja Quebecin sosiaaliturvasopimusjärjestely (Social security agreement between Finland and Quebec; in Finnish) 6/1988 (Finlex)
- Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community 2019/C 384 I/01 (EUR-Lex)
- Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part (EUR-Lex)
- Directive (EU) 2021/1883 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purpose of highly qualified employment, and repealing Council Directive 2009/50/EC (EUR-Lex) (EU Blue Card Directive)
- Directive (EU) 2024/1233 of the European Parliament and of the Council on a single application procedure for a single permit for third-country nationals to reside and work in the territory of a Member State and on a common set of rights for third-country workers legally residing in a Member State (recast) (EUR-Lex) (Single Permit Directive)
- Directive 2014/66/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals in the framework of an intra-corporate transfer (EUR-Lex) (ICT Directive)
- Directive 2014/36/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions of entry and stay of third-country nationals for the purpose of employment as seasonal workers (EUR-Lex) (Seasonal Workers Directive
- Directive (EU) 2016/801 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the conditions of entry and residence of third-country nationals for the purposes of research, studies, training, voluntary service, pupil exchange schemes or educational projects and au pairing (recast) (EUR-Lex) (Students and Researchers Directive)
Legislation on cross-border healthcare reimbursement
Your right to reimbursement for medical care in Finland or abroad is based on Finnish national legislation, EU legislation or international social security agreements.
- Act on Cross-Border Health Care 1201/2013 (Finlex)
- Health Insurance Act 1224/2004 (Finlex)
- Act on Organising Healthcare and Social Welfare Services 612/2021 (in Finnish) (Finlex)
- Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the coordination of social security systems (EUR-Lex)
- Regulation (EC) No 987/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down the procedure for implementing Regulation (EC) No 883/2004 on the coordination of social security systems (EUR-Lex)
- Pohjoismainen sosiaaliturvasopimus (Nordic Convention on Social Security; in Finnish) 136/2004 (Finlex)
- Valtioneuvoston asetus rajat ylittävään terveydenhuoltoon liittyvien kustannusten hallinnoinnista (Government Decree on the management of costs related to cross-border healthcare; in Finnish) 65/2014 (Finlex)
- Valtioneuvoston asetus rajat ylittävän terveydenhuollon kustannusten hallinnoinnista annetun valtioneuvoston asetuksen muuttamisesta (Government Decree amending the Government Decree on the management of costs related to cross-border healthcare; in Finnish) 356/2023 (Finlex)
Legislation referring to medicines
The Patient Directive requires the EU countries to accept prescriptions from other member states. The Finnish Medicines Act contains provisions on the mutual acceptance of prescriptions. The Commission implementing directive contains provisions concerning information that the prescription must contain in order for it to be fulfilled in another member state.
- Medicines Act 395/1987 (Finlex)
- Laki sähköisestä lääkemääräyksestä (Act on Electronic Prescriptions; in Finnish) 61/2007 (Finlex)
- Directive 2011/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare (EUR-Lex)
- Commission Implementing Directive 2012/52/EU laying down measures to facilitate the recognition of medical prescriptions issued in another Member State Text with EEA relevance(EUR-Lex)
Legislation on appeals in Finland
The appellate authority and the applicable legislation depend on the matter in respect of which you are seeking an appeal. Always contact the decision-maker separately in order to determine the procedures related to the appeal process.