YTHS - Finnish Student Health Service
YTHS (The Finnish Student Health Service) maintains a health centre in every city with a university and provides health and dental care for students enrolled at universities and other institutions of higher education. YTHS provides students with preventive health care, medical care, mental health care and dental health care. All Master’s degree students enrolled at the University are entitled to use the services of the YTHS, provided that they have paid the health care contribution in connection with the Student Union membership fee.
Contact Information and Opening Hours
YTHS in Vaasa is situated in the city centre:
Address: Hovioikeudenpuistikko 15 C (entrance from Hartmanninkuja)
Tel. +358 (0)46 710 1097 (preventive health care and medical care)
Tel. +358 (0)46 710 1098 (oral health care)
Fax +358 (0)46 710 6967
Open: Monday-Friday 8-14 (there are changes in the opening hours during summer time)
In case of acute illnesses, the nurses of YTHS have an open appointment Mon-Fri at 8.15-11.00. An appointment to see the doctor can be made by the nurse, if necessary.
In case of vaccinations, contraceptive advice and other matters not requiring immediate medical care, please make an appointment beforehand by calling +358 (0)46 710 1097 or visiting the centre during the opening hours.
Appointments to dentist’s can be made by calling +358 (0)46 710 1098 on Mon-Fri at 8.00-12.00.
Fees
YTHS services are either free of charge or reasonably priced. Hospital treatment and maternity clinic are not included in the YTHS services.
All international students coming to Finland are recommended to be covered by a valid medical insurance. For the citizens of non-EU/EEA countries, it is obligatory to take out a private health insurance covering the entire period of stay in Finland. Insurance must be arranged before the arrival in Finland and the insurance certificate is requested when applying for a residence permit.
Citizens of EU and EEA (European Economic Area) countries are covered by the National Health Insurance plan administered by KELA (Social Insurance Institution). It means that anyone carrying a European Health Insurance Card is entitled to receive all the medically necessary care while in another EU/EEA country or in Switzerland. The treatment is provided subject to the legislation and regulations of each country. The citizens of EU and EEA countries will receive the medical care to which a resident of that country would be entitled. The procedure for getting the treatment and any co-payments charged will also be the same as those that apply to local residents.
Note, however, that should you seek treatment from a doctor or hospital not covered by the local system, you will have to pay all necessary costs yourself. Therefore it is strongly recommended that students coming from EU/EEA countries also take a private insurance since private health care is not covered by KELA and the services may be very expensive in Finland.
Acute Illnesses
Acute illnesses requiring immediate medical care can be treated in YTHS during weekdays. The nurses of YTHS have an open appointment on Mon-Fri at 8.15-11.00. Please check in at the reception in order to see the nurse. Remember to take your student card with you. An appointment to see the doctor can be made by the nurse, if necessary. The doctors may also give a referral to a specialist, to laboratory tests or to X-ray.
Should you need immediate medical care outside the opening hours of YTHS in Vaasa, please contact private clinics or the local public health centre, Vaasan terveyskeskus:
Address: Sepänkyläntie 14-16
Tel. +358 (0)6 325 1700
In case of serious illnesses or accidents, please contact the Emergency Room at the Central Hospital of Vaasa, Vaasan keskussairaalan päivystyspoliklinikka:
Address: Hietalahdenkatu 2-4
Tel. +358 (0)6 323 1311
In case of accidents or when you need help urgently, please call the general emergency number 112.
Medical Information
Some general medical information is available also online, for example, at the website of YTHS and MedlinePlus.
Vaccination Requirements
On entry into Finland, there are generally no vaccination requirements. Temporary regulations may sometimes apply to students coming from specific countries. If you are uncertain, please inquire at the Finnish Embassy or Consulate whether you are required to have vaccination or not.
Pharmacies
Medicines are sold only at pharmacies (apteekki). Pharmacies are usually open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Most pharmacies also display a notice by their door giving the address of the nearest pharmacy on night duty, in case you need their services outside the regular opening hours.
Insurance
Each student should obtain an insurance before leaving his/her home country to cover any expenses which might arise in connection with urgent medical attention, emergency hospital treatment, and repatriation for medical reasons or in case of death. Insurances are obtainable at travel agencies or insurance companies. The insurance should cover the whole period of study in Finland.
The following companies among others offer insurances for international students:
International Health Insurance
HCC Medical Insurance Services
International Student Insurance
CareMed International Travel Insurance
Health Insurance under the Aliens Act (301/2004)
Third-country nationals entering Finland for the purposes of studies in an educational institution in Finland are required to have health insurance under the Aliens Act (301/2004).
1. Introductory note
The Council of the European Union adopted on 13 December 2004 Directive 2004/114/EC on the conditions of admission of third-country nationals for the purposes of studies, pupil exchange, unremunerated training or voluntary service (later Directive). The Directive includes provisions on the conditions of admission of third-country nationals to the territory of the Member States for a period exceeding three months for the purposes of studies, unremunerated training or voluntary service, and on the procedures for admitting third-country nationals to the territory of the Member States for those purposes. Finland implemented only the parts of the Directive that deal with students (studies and student exchange). The condition requiring health insurance will ensure that third-country nationals entering Finland for the purposes of studies are covered for costs of medical treatment.
2. Scope of application
In Finland, the Directive applies to third-country nationals. Under the Aliens Act, third-country national means any person who is not a citizen of the European Union or a citizen of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland.
3. Definitions
A temporary residence permit under the Aliens Act (301/2004) may be issued for the purposes of studies in an educational institution in Finland. An educational institution means all institutions after comprehensive school, for example higher education, vocational and adult education institutions. In Finland, all students referred to in the Aliens Act who are third-country nationals (later foreign nationals) are in practice required to have health insurance.
4. Health insurance as a requirement for issuing a temporary residence permit
A foreign national who has been accepted into an educational institution in Finland as a student may be issued with a temporary residence permit for the purposes of studies leading to a degree or vocational qualification or, on reasonable grounds, for the purposes of other studies. Issuing a temporary residence permit requires that the foreign national has valid insurance with a solvent and reliable company or institution covering medical treatment. If the estimated duration of studies is at least two years, it is sufficient for the insurance to cover the costs for medicines.
5. Content of health insurance
A condition for issuing a residence permit for the purposes of studies is that the foreign national has health insurance in respect of all risks normally covered for Finland’s own nationals. Because foreign students do not qualify for the Finnish health insurance system or for municipal health care services, the foreign nationals entering Finland for the purposes of studies are required to have some other comprehensive health insurance. In Finland, such insurance means insurance covering treatment and costs that are covered by municipal health care services and the health insurance system.
In the municipal health care system, this refers mainly to costs incurred for medical examination and treatment at a health centre or hospital. In the health insurance system, this refers to costs eligible for compensation for medical treatment under health insurance.
Issuing a residence permit requires that the applicant has secure means of support. A student may thus be considered to be able to cover such minor costs incurred for health care or medical treatment that his or her health insurance does not cover.
a) Health insurance for third-country nationals studying in Finland for less than two years
A foreign national who enters Finland to study here for less than two years does not usually get a home municipality in Finland, and therefore is not entitled to municipal health care services. Consequently, the student must have private insurance which covers costs of medical treatment up to 100,000 euros (cost level in 2007).
b) Sickness insurance for third-country nationals studying in Finland for at least two years
A foreign national who enters Finland to study here for at least two years usually gets a home municipality in Finland and is therefore entitled to municipal health care services; the student must, however, have private insurance covering, primarily, costs of medicines. In practice these insurances also cover doctor’s fees and costs of treatment and examination, which conforms to the practice under the Finnish health insurance system. Private insurances must therefore cover costs of medical treatment for up to 30,000 euros (cost level in 2007).
6. Taking out insurance abroad
A foreign student applying for a residence permit must have insurance, because insurance is a condition for being issued with a residence permit. The authorities cannot issue a permit unless the person filing an application produces evidence that he or she has taken out insurance.
Foreign countries offer a range of insurances, varying in price and content and covering costs of medical treatment in Finland. Prices for insurances that are valid for a year vary from a few hundred euros to over one thousand euros. The insurances available are usually travel insurances.
Some countries cannot necessarily provide insurances covering the costs up to 100,000 euros. Insurances described above are not available at all in some countries. However, international insurance companies offer insurances providing relatively good coverage for a year at a time at a cost of about 1,000 euros. At present, a foreign student cannot acquire private insurance in Finland covering the treatment and costs that in Finland are part of municipal health care services and regarded as costs for medical treatment covered by public health insurance.
Foreign students studying in Finland must take out insurance with a solvent and reliable company regardless of whether they aim to study here less than or at least two years.
7. Period of validity of the insurance
The insurance must be valid for the period the foreign student studies at an educational institution in Finland. The period of validity of the residence permit is bound by that of the insurance, and the authorities cannot issue a residence permit for a period exceeding the period of validity of the insurance.
8. Information on the estimated duration of studies
Information on the estimated duration of studies must be included in or attached to the letter of acceptance that the Finnish educational institutions send to the foreign nationals accepted to study at the institution. This information is necessary for the authorities examining the students’ residence permit applications. It is also needed to determine the home municipality of the foreign student.
9. Entry into force of the Act
The Act comes into force on 1 September 2007.
10. Further information
For further information on issues related to the health insurance of foreign students, please contact Finnish missions abroad, the Finnish Immigration Service or the local police.
