Student health care
The Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) provides general, mental and oral health care services for students of universities and other institutions of higher education. You can use student health services if you are studying for a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at a university or other institution of higher education and you have paid your student union membership fee to a student union that is affiliated to the FSHS. Those studying for a Licentiate of Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Medicine degree are also entitled to use the FSHS’s services (www.fshs.fi).
Pay the healthcare fee to Kela if you have registered as attending and you are completing a bachelor’s or a master’s level degree in higher education at a Finnish university. In 2025, the student healthcare fee in higher education is EUR 35.60 per term. The fee is paid to Kela once per term, i.e. twice a year. You are not billed for the fee but are expected to pay it unprompted. The due date of payment is determined based on the date on which you have registered as attending. For the autumn term, the healthcare fee must be paid by 30 September at the latest, provided the student has registered as attending by then. For the spring semester, the healthcare fee must be paid by 31 January at the latest.
The healthcare fee is confirmed on a calendar year basis. However, in autumn you can only pay the fee for the autumn term, because the amount of the fee due for spring term will be decided on November/December.
The healthcare fee can be paid using a payment application in Kela's e-service or as a bank transfer. Instructions for payment of the healthcare fee are available on Kela’s website.
If you have social security coverage in another EU/EEA country or in Switzerland or the United Kingdom, you do not have to pay the healthcare fee. However, you can to use the FSHS’s services. Visit Kela’s website for information about how to proceed if you have social security coverage in another EU/EEA country or in Switzerland or the United Kingdom.
Familiarise yourself also with information about tuberculosis screening for degree students
For information regarding exchange students, please read: Exchange student’s health services and well-being.
Student health meeting
If your ability to study has been reduced due to a health reason, it is a good idea to discuss how your study ability and health can be supported. Student health meeting is an opportunity where a student, FSHS experts and a university representative/t together seek ways to improve the student's situation so that advancing studies is possible.
The goal of the student health consultation is that students can continue their studies despite problems or return to their studies without the risk of a re-emergence of study ability and health condition or a recurrence of sick leave. The meeting combine observations of the parties', find concrete solutions and draw up a plan to promote studies. The student health meeting is usually about an hour long, which takes place at FSHS premises (distance participation possible). In addition to the student, the nurse and, if necessary, the doctor, as well as the university's staff who are best able to consider solutions to the situation, participate in the negotiation. Student health meeting is always arranged in such a way that the confidentiality between the student and the professional is maintained.
If you would like to discuss your study ability and/or request the organisation of a study health meeting, you can contact the person you feel is easiest for you:
- FSHS staff (directly to your own nurse or doctor or send a message via the Self online service),
- Your own degree programme's teaching and guidance staff (e.g. teacher tutor or training specialist),
- University's Joint guidance services (study counsellor or study psychologist).
Contact information for the university's guidance staff can be found in the Student's Guide.
More information on student health meetings on the FSHS website.