Healthcare services for students
Read about the healthcare services available to degree and exchange students.
Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS)
You can use the FSHS healthcare services if you are completing a bachelor’s or a master’s degree and have registered as attending. Please note you have to pay a student healthcare fee, if you have registered as attending.
Student healthcare fee in higher education
The student healthcare fee is mandatory for all Uniarts students who are completing a bachelor’s or a master’s degree and have registered as attending. You pay the healthcare fee personally directly to Kela. Please see the semestrial deadlines and instructions on the Kela web pages.
If you have social security coverage from another EU/EEA country or from Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you do not have to pay the healthcare fee. However, you can still use the FSHS services. Please send a picture of your valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) to Kela well in advance of the due date for the fee. See more instructions on Kela’s website.
You must pay the healthcare fee if you come to Finland from a country outside the EU area to complete a degree here even if you have taken out private health insurance for the residence permit. Private health insurance taken out for the residence permit does not mean that you have social security coverage in the EU area.
Health services during exchange studies abroad
Even if you are going for an exchange abroad, you must register as attending and also pay the student healthcare fee. If you visit Finland during the study abroad, you can use FSHS services. FSHS does not offer remote appointments during a student’s exchange period or traineeship abroad.
The Eu-healthcare.fi website gives information about students’ health services when staying abroad, e.g. during exchange studies.
Municipal health services
If you need to receive care during hours when the FSHS is closed, go to your local health centre.
Call the medical helpline 116 117 if you need advice and guidance in health problems that are urgent but not cases of emergency. On the medical helpline, registered nurses from the acute healthcare services in your region will assess whether you need emergency care services or urgent care service.