Reimbursement of travel costs if you suddenly become ill abroad

If you require medically necessary treatment while temporarily residing in another EU or EEA country, United Kingdom or in Switzerland, you can receive reimbursement for treatment-related travel costs from Kela retrospectively. Costs may be reimbursed from your place of residence to the nearest place of treatment where the required examination and treatment would have been available. You must pay the deductible yourself.


If you have become ill or have required treatment on account of pregnancy or childbirth in another EU or EEA country, United Kingdom or in Switzerland, your costs of travel will be reimbursed to the nearest place of treatment within the country in question. In addition to Kela, the country where you are staying may also reimburse your trip up to the deductible if you have the European Health Insurance Card and the country’s law facilitates reimbursement for travel costs. You can enquire from the health insurance institution of the country where you are staying.

If you require follow-up treatment immediately after returning to Finland, your travel costs in Finland will be reimbursed from the airport, harbour or country border to the nearest place of treatment where the necessary examination or treatment would have been available.

If you have become suddenly ill while abroad, you will not receive reimbursement for your travel costs to Finland. Travel costs incurred in a country other than an EU or EEA country, United Kingdom or Switzerland will not be reimbursed.

You can claim reimbursement for travel costs incurred abroad from Kela.

Return trip from another Nordic country

You can receive reimbursement for the additional costs of your return trip if you become ill in another Nordic country and you need to use a more expensive means of transport for your return trip than was originally intended.

The health insurance institution in the country you are staying will cover the additional costs of your trip home if you have become ill in another Nordic country and received medical care there. Reimbursements will be paid if a doctor’s certificate verifies that you require a more expensive means of travel for your return trip than was originally planned or if you incur additional costs due to the illness. For example, if you are unable to change a ticket order and have to purchase a new ticket, you can receive reimbursement.

The costs of a more expensive means of travel caused by the illness will also be reimbursed if, instead of returning home, you travel straight to public health care in Finland.

Please contact the health insurance institute in the country you are staying before your trip home in order to determine how the reimbursement can be applied for. You can also claim reimbursement from Kela retrospectively.

Trips at the border of Norway and Sweden

If you reside on the border regions of Finland and Sweden or Finland and Norway and you require medically necessary treatment, you can be admitted to a border hospital in Sweden or Norway.

Kela will reimburse your travel costs retrospectively according to a means of travel that is considered necessary.