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European Health Insurance Card

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You are entitled to a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) granted by Kela, if you are covered for health insurance in Finland or if Finland is responsible for your medical care costs. The card is available free of charge.

If you have a European Health Insurance Card, you should receive medically necessary treatment when you travel or stay temporarily in another EU or EEA country, in Switzerland, Great Britain or in Northern Ireland. Medically necessary treatment means treatment that cannot wait until you return home.

You may need such treatment in case of acute illness or if you have an accident. You can also receive treatment if the treatment is related to pregnancy and childbirth or to a chronic illness. Treatment is provided according to the procedures in the country where you stay. The doctor treating you decides on the kind of treatment that you will receive.

Travelling in the Nordic countries

You will not need a European Health Insurance Card in the Nordic countries. You are entitled to medically necessary treatment when you show a Finnish passport or ID card.

You can use the European Health Insurance Card in the EU or EEA countries, in Switzerland, Great Britain or in Northern Ireland in the public health care system and at private doctor’s surgeries and hospitals affiliated to the public health insurance scheme.

When you show the European Health Insurance Card to the treatment provider, you should receive treatment to the same cost as the country’s inhabitants. In this case, you pay a user fee that corresponds to the fee paid by local residents and the country where you received treatment charges Kela for the rest of the costs. Kela pays the costs from state funds.

If the treatment provider does not accept the card, you will have to pay the costs for the treatment yourself. However, you can claim reimbursement for the costs from Kela afterwards.

If the mother has a European Health Insurance Card and her new-born child does not have a card, the child can receive medically necessary treatment for a user fee that corresponds to the fee paid by local residents only as regards treatment necessary during childbirth or immediately afterwards (e.g. intensive care for premature babies). As regards other treatment, the child must have its own European Health Insurance Card or a certificate provisionally replacing the card.

Are you moving or going to work abroad?

If you are moving or going to work abroad, you should well in advance contact Kela to check whether you will remain covered for health insurance in Finland after the move or whether Finland will still be responsible for the medical care costs.

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Last modified 11/1/2024