Take care of these things before booking an appointment with an online doctor abroad
15.9.2026
Online medical services make everyday life easier, and an online medical clinic abroad may attract patients by offering specialist expertise, appointments available at short notice, or service in your own language. However, using a foreign online doctor’s services differs from the Finnish services in a few important ways, which you should know in advance.
This article will give you a comprehensive overview of what you should keep in mind before booking an appointment with an online clinic abroad.
Remote care does not make it “Finnish”
Even if you were to consult a doctor via video link from your home, an online medical consultation with a doctor abroad constitutes treatment abroad. The rules governing treatment are determined by where the clinic or doctor is based – not by where you live.
In other words, even if you do not travel abroad for treatment, using the services of a clinic located abroad is equivalent to a situation where you would travel to another country specifically to receive treatment.
This affects things such as:
- whether you can claim reimbursement for the cost of treatment from Kela,
- how patient insurance works and
- how you deal with compensation claims if a medical error or patient injury occurs.
Can you claim reimbursement for the cost of treatment?
In some situations, yes, but it is not automatic.
You can claim reimbursement for your treatment from Kela, if:
- the online clinic operates in an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the UK
- the treatment is the kind you would receive in Finland through the public health service and
- you have a referral for the treatment if such a referral would also be required for the same treatment within the Finnish healthcare system.
Kela does not reimburse the costs of treatment if the treatment provider operates outside the EU. The same applies to treatments that are not covered by the Finnish healthcare system.
In practice, you must first pay for the treatment yourself and apply for possible reimbursement from Kela afterwards. If you wish, you can also apply for prior authorisation to receive the treatment from Kela.
How does patient insurance work?
Finnish patient insurance does not cover treatment received abroad, and therefore does not cover treatment provided by an online clinic located abroad either. This also applies to remote consultations, even if you are in your home in Finland at the time of the consultation.
In practice, this means that the Finnish patient insurance scheme will not cover any compensation if you suffer a patient injury as a result of remote treatment provided by an online clinic located abroad.
- You will therefore need to settle the patient injury with the country in which the clinic operates.
- You cannot apply for compensation from Finland for a patient injury of this kind.
It is therefore a good idea to check in advance whether the clinic has patient insurance and how it works in practice.
Who should you contact if you suffer a patient injury and need treatment in Finland?
Contact your local health centre or, if necessary, the emergency response centre if you require urgent medical attention.
You are entitled to receive treatment in Finland, even if you require medical care as a result of medical malpractice committed by a clinic abroad. In Finland, a doctor will assess your situation and decide what sort of treatment you will receive.
- However, reimbursements for a treatment-related complication or malpractice must be settled with the foreign clinic that treated you.
- In the event of a patient injury, the legislation of the country providing the treatment is always followed.
- Each EU country has some kind of patient insurance system.
Ensure your safety before booking an appointment with an online doctor
A reputable online clinic located abroad will answer these questions openly:
- In which country is the clinic based?
- Does the clinic have the necessary licences to provide healthcare services?
- Is there patient insurance in place?
- Which country’s authorities regulate the clinic’s operations?
If you cannot find the answers easily, it is best to be cautious.
Make a conscious choice
An online medical clinic based abroad may be a good option in some situations. The most important thing is that you know in advance what you are getting yourself into and what you are responsible for.
All EU countries have their own contact point for cross-border health care, which shares information on the country’s health care practices and, if necessary, steers you to the right authority. The contact points offer information on, for example, the country’s patient insurance system and how the quality of treatment is being monitored.
Once you have the basics figured out, it is easier to decide whether an online medical clinic based abroad is right for you.
Frequently asked questions
- Is it possible to claim reimbursement from Kela for an online consultation with a doctor based abroad? It might be possible. You may be eligible for reimbursement if the online doctor is based in an EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you would also receive the same treatment within the Finnish public healthcare system, and you have a referral (if necessary).
- Does Finnish patient insurance cover medical malpractice by a foreign online clinic? No, it does not. Finnish patient insurance does not cover treatment provided abroad or a remote consultation with a party based abroad. Any damages will be dealt with under the legal system of the country in which the online clinic operates.
- How can you tell if an online doctor based abroad is safe? Before booking an appointment, check in which country the online clinic operates, whether it holds a licence to practise and has patient insurance, and whether the doctor is authorised to practise medicine.