Pregnancy and childbirth in Finland

If you come from an EU or EEA country, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or Australia, you will receive the necessary care required by pregnancy and childbirth during your temporary stay in Finland. If you come from another country, you are entitled to urgent medical care in Finland during your stay. You are also free to come to Finland to give birth. In this case, you are usually responsible for the costs of treatment.


In Finland, pregnancies are monitored at child health clinics which are part of the basic health care arranged by the wellbeing services counties. Private service providers may also offer services related to pregnancy monitoring.

1. You have a municipality of residence in Finland

If you have a municipality of residence in Finland, you are always entitled to child health clinic services and delivery for the client fee of the wellbeing services county.

2. Coming to Finland temporarily, on holiday for example

If you come from another EU or EEA country, Switzerland, the United Kingdom or Australia, you will receive the care required by pregnancy and childbirth in public health care. The doctor will assess the type of treatment you require, while taking into account the duration of your residence in Finland. If you come from an EU or EEA country, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, you will receive treatment for the same client fee as the residents of Finland when you present your European Health Insurance Card to the treatment provider. Residents of the United Kingdom or Northern Ireland can also prove their right to treatment with the European Health Insurance Card issued during the Brexit transition period, the Citizens Rights Card or the Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). If you come from Australia, present your passport. The prerequisite is that you have not arrived in Finland for the sole purpose of giving birth.

If you come from some other country, you are entitled to urgent medical care related to childbirth or pregnancy. You will be responsible for the treatment costs yourself.

3. Coming to Finland to give birth from another EU or EEA country, the United Kingdom or from Switzerland

If you are covered by health insurance in another EU country, you can freely come to Finland to give birth. If the purpose of your visit to Finland is to receive treatment for childbirth, you will be responsible for the costs of the treatment. You will receive treatment on the same grounds as the residents of Finland. You can apply for reimbursement retrospectively from the health insurance institute that covers the costs of your medical care. It will cover costs according to the legislation in its country.

If you come from another EU or EEA country, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, you may also apply for a prior authorisation. for childbirth from your own health insurance institution. If the prior authorisation is granted, you will pay the same client fee for the treatment as locals. Agree with the treatment provider in advance, if you wish to come to Finland to give birth.

4. Coming from outside the EU countries and wanting to give birth in Finland

If you come to Finland from outside of the EU, EEA or Switzerland and want you want to give birth in Finland, you will usually be responsible for the costs of treatment. The costs of treatment for childbirth can also be charged to one’s private insurance. Public health care can also offer treatment for childbirth for persons arriving from outside the EU for the purpose of giving birth, if it has available capacity.

In Finland, deliveries take place in hospitals

Hospitals manage deliveries in Finland. The hospital may be public or private.

You can contact the child health clinics and hospitals directly in order to receive information concerning access to treatment and pricing. Contact information for the public maternity hospitals is available on this website.