Healthcare fee for students in higher education decreased – a quarter of students do not pay the fee by the due date

The healthcare fee for students in higher education has been confirmed for 2026. The total fee is EUR 70.70, or EUR 35.35 for each term, which is slightly lower than last year. Last year, the rate of the student healthcare fee was EUR 35.60 per term.

Students can pay the fee in the OmaKela e-service as from the beginning of the year. Students can pay the fee for both the spring and the autumn at the same time. The due date for the spring term healthcare fee is 15 March for students who register as attending by 31 January.

“Students should pay the healthcare fee right at the beginning of the year in order to be sure to pay it on time. Students who know that they will be attending during the autumn term as well can pay the fee for the entire year in one go,” says Mari Jaakkola, Legal Counsel at Kela’s Overpayment Recovery Centre.

The Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) provides student healthcare services for higher education students in Finland. Higher education students can use the extensive services of the FSHS, and they need not pay any separate per-visit charges. Students must pay the healthcare fee even if they do not use the services of the FSHS or they use occupational health services.

Number of students who have paid the fee on time has decreased in recent years

An increasing percentage of students do not remember to pay the healthcare fee by the due date. For instance in autumn 2025, approximately a quarter of students did not pay the fee by the due date. Students who are required to pay the fee will receive a letter from Kela before the due date with a reminder to pay the fee and instructions on how to pay it.

Students who do not pay the fee by the due date will receive a payment reminder from Kela. They will also be charged a fixed late-payment fee of EUR 5. According to Jaakkola, the most common reason for unpaid healthcare fees is that the student simply forgets to pay.

“Students often have a lot going on in their lives and it is quite understandable that paying the healthcare fee is not the first thing on their minds. In addition to the reminder from Kela, the student can put a reminder in their calendar about the upcoming due date, or ideally pay the fee immediately,” Jaakkola advises.

Students enrolled in higher education who are studying towards a degree and who have registered as attending must pay a student healthcare fee to Kela. The healthcare fee is used to finance healthcare services for higher education students. The state finances 77 percent of the costs of the healthcare services offered to higher education students and the remaining 23 percent are financed through the healthcare fee.

Students do not have to pay the healthcare fee if they have social security coverage in another EU or EEA country, Switzerland, Great Britain, Northern Ireland or the EU.

Additional information for customers

• Healthcare fee for students in higher education
• Finnish Student Health Service (yths.fi)