To get a Finnish residence permit for studies, you must hold private health insurance or prove existing cover through an accepted state card. The policy must cover medical and pharmaceutical expenses, carry an excess of no more than €300, and meet minimum limits set by the duration of your course. Having a valid Kela card, European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), or UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) completely replaces the private policy requirement.
Who has to show private health insurance for a Finnish permit, and who does not
A student must personally cover the cost of falling ill in Finland, and must take out private insurance covering medical and drug expenses to get a residence permit. The insurance a student needs depends on how long the studies in Finland last. However, a student who has a Kela card, an EHIC, or a UK GHIC does not need to take out insurance. The residence permit application must include a certificate of insurance, or a copy of the Kela card, EHIC, or GHIC. You can read more about overall study permit conditions in our guide to studying in Finland.
Certain other permit categories have specific insurance obligations:
- Au pairs: An au pair must have private health and accident insurance covering all medical and pharmaceutical expenses in Finland without restrictions, valid for the whole stay. Occupational accident insurance alone is not sufficient. Details are covered in our guide to working as an au pair in Finland.
- Working-holiday applicants: Health insurance for the entire stay is a required attachment only for working-holiday applicants who are citizens of Canada, Japan, or New Zealand. Applicants from New Zealand and Japan need insurance covering illness and hospital care, valid for the entire stay. Canadian working-holiday applicants need insurance covering hospital care and the return home, valid for the entire stay.
General grounds for moving are outlined in our overview of residence permit conditions.
The amounts — under two years of study versus two years or more
The required policy limit depends directly on the length of your studies:
- Studies lasting less than two years: The insurance must cover sickness- and accident-related medical expenses up to at least €120,000.
- Studies lasting two years or more: The insurance must cover medical expenses up to at least €40,000.
The shorter the studies, the more extensive the cover required; an exchange student needs more comprehensive insurance than a degree student. An exchange student's insurance must cover sickness- and accident-related medical expenses up to at least €120,000 and be valid for the whole stay. For all student policies, the insurance excess (omavastuu, the deductible) may not be more than €300.
Validity rules and policy requirements
The Finnish Immigration Service (Maahanmuuttovirasto, Migri) sets timing and validity conditions according to its official insurance guidelines:
- The insurance must be valid when the student arrives in Finland.
- For a stay of less than a year, the insurance must be valid for the entire stay.
- If studies take longer than a year, the insurance must be valid without a break for at least one year.
- The policy can have no restrictions on its validity, so ordinary travel insurance valid only for trips of up to 90 days is not accepted.
- If the permit is granted for longer than the policy runs (for example a five-year permit with a one-year policy), the student must renew the insurance.
- An exchange student's insurance must also be valid for travel in Finland or the Schengen area after the studies end.
Migri warns students not to cancel the insurance; otherwise they are responsible for any costs themselves. When submitting proof, the policy document must show at least the insured's personal details, the period of validity, the geographical area, the coverage, the insured amounts, and the excess, or state clearly that there is no excess. Migri assesses each insurance policy and its terms individually when processing the application.
Where students buy a policy that Migri accepts
From outside Finland, a student can insure with a company in the home country or ask an international insurer for suitable cover. Migri names ACS, Aon Student Insurance, International Student Insurance, and Swisscare (ESI Finland plan) as examples of insurers offering student contracts that meet the permit requirements.
Using an EHIC, a UK GHIC or a Kela card instead of private insurance
If you hold a Kela card, EHIC, or UK GHIC, you do not need private insurance, provided the card remains valid after you move to Finland. An EHIC must be valid for the whole stay in Finland.
With an EHIC, EU law gives access to healthcare at the same cost and under the same conditions as people living permanently in Finland. The EHIC covers sudden illness and accidents, care for a chronic illness, and necessary treatment during pregnancy and childbirth. Note that according to Kela's medical care entitlement rules, Finnish healthcare providers accept only a physical EHIC, not a digital card.
Extending a student permit in Finland
Insurance covering medical and pharmaceutical expenses is also a requirement for an extended permit for studies, and a certificate of insurance must be attached to the extension application. A student extending a permit who has a Kela card, EHIC, or GHIC does not need other insurance.
The same amounts apply at extension: studies of two years or more require at least €40,000 of medical cover, while studies under two years require at least €120,000.
Family members of students
Family members of higher-education degree students get an A (continuous) permit, and can get a municipality of residence (kotikunta) by applying to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (Digi- ja väestötietovirasto, DVV). Family members of other students get a B (temporary) permit; they can get a municipality of residence, but with more prerequisites than with an A permit.
A student's family member who has a municipality of residence can use public healthcare services. Furthermore, if a non-EU student comes for at least two years and Kela considers them to live in Finland permanently, an accompanying family member can usually get Kela benefits, including reimbursement of private healthcare and prescription medicines.
When Kela and public healthcare take over
Anyone who needs a Migri residence permit to stay or work in Finland must have it before qualifying for Kela benefits. Registration steps upon arrival are detailed in our guide to first steps after moving to Finland.
A student from outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland, and the UK who comes to study for two years or more can, as a rule, get a Kela card. Such a student can receive certain Kela benefits, such as sickness allowance, parental daily allowances, and reimbursement of private healthcare and prescription medicines. However, such a student cannot get student financial aid, the housing supplement for students, or general housing allowance. An exchange student from outside the EU/EEA, Switzerland, and the UK pays their own medical costs and cannot get reimbursement from Kela.
A student from another EU/EEA country, Switzerland, or the UK is, as a rule, treated as staying temporarily whatever the length of studies, cannot get Kela benefits, and keeps social security cover in the home country. An EU/EEA, Swiss, or UK student gets necessary medical care with an EHIC from the home country, or the UK equivalent, and should order it before coming. If an EU/EEA, Swiss, or UK student starts working, they can apply to Kela for the right to medical care in the public system at the client fee (asiakasmaksu). Any student who works in Finland can get certain Kela benefits on the basis of the work if the wage is at least €800.02 a month.
The Kela card does not affect the right to use public healthcare; that right rests on being registered with DVV as a resident of a Finnish municipality:
- With a municipality of residence in Finland, a student has the right to the medical care they need in the public system at the price of a client fee.
- Without a municipality of residence, a non-EU student has the right only to emergency medical care, and can be billed for it afterwards.
- Migri tells degree students staying two years or more to apply for a home municipality at the local registry office after arriving, to be entitled to public healthcare.
- The Kela card cannot be used if a required residence permit is not extended or is cancelled.
