The Finnish social security system is an extensive system of public healthcare, sick reimbursements, benefits, pensions and state allowances. The system is managed by Kela, the Finnish social security institution.
To be able to enjoy extensive social services you need to either live in Finland permanently or have an open-ended or minimum of 2-year fixed working contract. When working your salary must be at least 696.60€ per month.
Permanent residents in Finland are entitled to basic pension cover, sickness insurance benefits and family benefits. You are generally entitled to these benefits from the moment you register yourself with KELA. Some benefits are only available to those who have lived in Finland for a certain amount of time.
For details about what kind of benefits you are entitled to and for information about how to apply for your KELA card, you should visit either the KELA office in your local municipality or the KELA website .
Work-based benefits
Work-based social security covers earnings-related pensions, unemployment security and insurance against accidents and illnesses at work.
Employers must organise pension cover for their employees, either by taking out insurance with a pension company or by establishing a pension fund. Employees pay a percentage of their salary as a contribution.
If your earnings-related pension is very small, you may qualify for a national pension paid for by KELA. You can check whether or not you are eligible by asking for an assessment from your pension company, the Finnish Centre for Pensions or at this website .
You are eligible for a basic unemployment fund from KELA if you have never belonged to a pension fund, have not been a member of a pension fund for a long enough period of time or are no longer entitled to an earnings-related allowance.
Trade unions provide additional unemployment funds to their members according to the salary they were earning when they were working. In most cases, this allowance is higher than that offered by KELA. You are generally entitled to these allowances for up to two years provided you have met certain criteria. You should look into unemployment schemes to join as soon as you find a job.
If you do not qualify for any of the unemployment benefits above, you should register yourself as an unemployed jobseeker at the employment office at your local municipality as soon as possible. They will then provide you with information about whether you are eligible for a ‘Labour Market Subsidy’. This is generally for those who are entering the labour market for the first time or have no relevant working experience, though it can also be available to those who have exceeded their unemployment allowance from previous benefit schemes.
Social security for the self-employed
To obtain social security coverage as a self-employed person in Finland, your stay in Finland must be considered permanent. In other words, you must intend to stay and work as a self-employed person for 4 months or more.
Additionally, under the Self-Employed Persons' Pensions Act (YEL), you need to arrange pension insurance . There are a number of different pension insurance funds you can arrange your insurance with.