Detailed guide: Healthcare for UK nationals living in Finland

This information is about living in Finland. There’s different guidance about visiting Finland.

If you’re registered as a resident in Finland you can access state healthcare. You have to pay for state healthcare.

UK nationals usually access the Finnish healthcare system in one of these ways:

• registering as a resident and getting a ‘Kela’ card
• using a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) for temporary stays
• registering a UK-issued S1 form with the Finnish state healthcare system

Healthcare if you live and work in Finland

Anyone who is registered as a resident in Finland can register for state healthcare with Kela.

This is the same if you’re employed, self-employed or not working.

You’ll need to pay for healthcare services and treatment.

Your dependants will have the same access to healthcare.

You may be entitled to a Finnish EHIC for travel, including visits to the UK.

You may also have the right to apply for a UK S1 if you start drawing a UK State Pension.

How to register

First, register for residency. You need to fill in an online form and then book an appointment at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

Register online for a Kela card.

When you’ve got your residency and have an address in Finland, you need to register your residency with your local municipality.

Your municipality will automatically assign you a GP that’s closest to your address.

Show your Kela card when you visit a doctor, receive medical care or buy medicine.

How much you’ll pay

You’ll need to pay for any services or treatment you receive.

GP appointments cost around 20 euros.

The cost of dentist appointments varies and is around 10 to 15 euros. There are separate charges for dental procedures such as fillings and x-rays.

Hospital fees are as follows:

• inpatient care: 23 to 50 euros a day
• outpatient care: 42 euros
• day surgery: 137 euros

You need to pay the first 50 euros towards your medicines each year. For anything over this, you can ask for reimbursement from Kela. You can usually do this in the pharmacy.

If your UK employer has sent you to Finland temporarily (‘posted workers’)

A posted worker, also known as a ‘detached worker’, is someone employed or self-employed in the UK, but temporarily sent to a European Economic Area (EEA) country.

UK posted workers can access healthcare in Finland using an EHIC, GHIC or S1 form.

HMRC has a helpline for National Insurance enquiries from non-UK residents. This can answer questions about posted worker status and explain which documents you will need to get healthcare while posted.

UK-funded healthcare: using an S1 form in Finland

There’s different guidance if you have an S1 as a posted worker.

You may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK if you’re a Finnish resident and receive a UK State Pension.

You may also be entitled to an S1 form if you’re a frontier worker (someone who works in one state and lives in another). You must contact HMRC National Insurance enquiries to find out if you’re eligible.

If you started living in Finland before 1 January 2021, you may also be entitled to an S1 if you receive some other ‘exportable benefits’.

Once you have an S1 form, you must register it on the Finnish system.

This will mean you and your dependants will be entitled to healthcare in Finland on the same basis as a Finnish citizen.

You’ll also get:

Dependants and family members may be classified differently in Finland than the UK.

Check with the local authorities when you register your S1 form.

How to get an S1 form

If you have a UK State Pension, you must request an application form by phone from NHS Overseas Healthcare Services.

How to use an S1 form in Finland

You must register your S1 form with Kela.

Once registered, you’ll be given a Kela card. This will mean you’re entitled to healthcare on the same basis as a Finnish citizen.

Studying in Finland

You can use an EHIC or GHIC to get medically necessary healthcare until the end of your study period.

If you’re going to study in Finland for more than a year, you should apply for a Kela card. This gives you the same access to state healthcare as a Finnish national.

Getting treatment in the UK

Some former UK residents do not have to pay for NHS treatment when visiting England. This includes UK nationals who started living in the EU before 1 January 2021.

Read more about healthcare when you no longer live in the UK.

If you return to live in the UK you’ll be able to use the NHS like any other UK resident.

Read more about using the NHS when you return to live in the UK.

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