Students' wellbeing services
Student healthcare
Lead paragraph
The wellbeing of our students is our top priority at Haaga-Helia. As a degree student, you are entitled to use the services of the Finnish Student Health Service. Please read more information about student healthcare and health insurance below.
Finnish Student Health Service
Starting in 2021, students who study for a bachelor’s or a master’s level degree in a university of applied sciences are entitled to use the services of the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS, Finnish abbreviation YTHS).
This includes also double-degree students. Higher education students must pay the healthcare fee unprompted to Kela (Social Insurance Institution of Finland).
Students do not have to pay the healthcare fee if they have social security coverage from another EU/EEA country, from Switzerland or from Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Despite not paying the fee, they may use the services of the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS).
Other incoming exchange students, open university students, and non-degree contract-based students are not eligible for FSHS services, so they do not have to pay a healthcare fee.
Services provided by FSHS in a nutshell:
- Non-urgent medical care during office hours
- Preventive oral health measures
- Study-related health examinations, certificates and statements
- Health guidance and check-ups
- Laboratory and imaging services
More detailed information on services on the FSHS website
Those entitled to use FSHS services:
You can use FSHS services if you are studying for a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at the university of applied sciences and you have registered as an attending student.
Those not entitled to use FSHS services:
- Students at open universities of applied sciences,
- Students studying on other than degree courses in higher education (e.g. complementary training, specialization studies or separate study modules),
- Commissioned education students
- International exchange students not completing a degree in Finland
When you have exchange studies or internships abroad
- FSHS cannot conduct remote consultations with students who are on student exchange or have an internship abroad due to the act on patient insurance.
More detailed information can be found at:
Health insurance
The right to use Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) does not exempt you from having to take out health insurance (non-EU/EEA citizens) or obtaining a European Health Insurance Card (EU/EEA citizens). It is important you have good health insurance that is valid for the entire duration of your studies and it is one of the obligatory documents when applying for a residence permit.
Important to note
Please note that Haaga-Helia does not insure students or take responsibility for students' medical expenses in case of illness or emergency. Students who have an EU/EEA nationality are entitled to public healthcare services with European Health Insurance Card. Students who have a non-EU/EEA nationality, should use the private clinics and have insurance to cover their healthcare expenses. In addition, all degree students are entitled to use the services of the Finnish Student Health Service (only non-urgent medical care).
If you are using prescribed medicine, please make sure that you have the prescriptions with you when entering Finland and when visiting a doctor to avoid any possible problems, because some drugs which are legal in your home country can be considered illegal in other countries.
