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Pensioners living abroad

You will receive a European Health Insurance Card from Kela if all the following criteria are met:

No separate application is needed for the card. The card will be sent to you automatically when Kela has received the information that you have moved abroad or that you have retired.

If you have a European Health Insurance Card and you visit Finland, you will receive the necessary treatment in the Finnish public health care system. You can use the services of any public health care unit. You will be charged a corresponding user fee as that paid by local residents. You can also receive direct reimbursement for medicine purchases as well as for private health care services and emergency care. You can receive reimbursement for medicines that you need while staying in Finland.

If you cannot receive direct reimbursement for instance because the service provider does not have an agreement with Kela, you can claim reimbursement afterwards.

If you travel elsewhere in Europe, you should receive medically necessary treatment by showing the European Health Insurance Card within the local public health care system as well as at private doctor’s surgeries and hospitals affiliated to the public health insurance scheme. You should receive treatment for a user fee that corresponds to the fee paid by local residents. The country where you received treatment charges Kela for the costs that exceed the user fee. Kela pays the costs from state funds.

In your country of residence you should use the local health insurance card. The European Health Insurance Card granted by Kela can be used in Finland as well as in other EU or EEA countries, in Switzerland, Great Britain and in Northern Ireland.

Last modified 22/4/2021