Health care and insurance
Student health care
Student health care is available to basic degree or exchange students who are members of the Student Union. This means that its members are entitled to use the services offered by the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS). Consultations with a general practitioner and laboratory tests are free of charge. A small fee is charged for consultations with specialists and for dental treatment. FSHS is open on weekdays, during the daytime. Please note that Student Union membership does not, however, cover any emergency or hospital treatment or treatment during evenings or weekends when the FSHS health centre is closed. Postgraduate students are not entitled to use the services of FSHS.
- Information about health care for students who are not members of the Student Union is available here. Student health care is not available to visiting students as they are ineligible to join the Student Union. Visiting students must use municipal or private health clinics and pay the full price of these services. Visiting students who are not EU/EEA citizens are required to have a valid health insurance for studies in Finland.
Nordic social insurance portal http://www.nordsoc.org offers information about social legislation and benefits for Nordic students.
Health insurance
National health insurance for EU/EEA CITIZENS gives access to medical care at municipal health care centres in Finland. For this you need a European Health Insurance Card (or an equivalent E-111/E-128 form). Students allowed to use the services of FSHS should also bring this card or forms with them. EU/EEA citizens who have the abovementioned card or forms are entitled to the same municipal health care at the same prices as Finnish citizens. It does not mean, however, that health care would be free of charge.
Non-EU/EEA citizens are entitled to municipal health care only if they have a Finnish identity number and a place of domicile in Finland. In order to get these, student should register at the local register office. More information can be found here.
If a student wants all the expenses covered in the case of accident or illness, it is advisable to take a personal insurance. If you are receiving a scholarship paid by the University of Turku (e.g. bilateral agreement, FIRST programme), you must have a certificate of a valid personal health insurance when you enroll in the university. Hospital and doctors' fees are high in Finland and the university is not responsible for such fees.
Non-EU/EEA citizens are required to have a valid health insurance before arrival. Health insurance is required if the studies or student exchange lasts for more than three months. Foreign students must have a health insurance policy that covers the costs of medical care (up to 100,000 Euros). If the duration of studies is at least two years, it is sufficient that the insurance policy covers pharmaceutical costs (up to 30,000 Euros). The health insurance must be in force upon entry into Finland and the policy must be issued by a reliable and financially sound company or institution. Hospital and doctors' fees are high in Finland and the university is not responsible for such fees.
Student Insurance Program (SIP)
The Student Insurance Program (SIP) has been specially designed for people staying abroad on a temporary basis. SIP policy is valid worldwide. It offers two types of insurance solutions for covering illness and healthcare costs. For more information about SIP and insurance subscription, please visit www.utu.fi/en/studying/students/SIP.html