Skip to Content
Temporary protection

Health and social services 

After you have been granted a residence permit on the basis of temporary protection, you are entitled to the same healthcare services as those permanently resident in Finland. Your reception centre is responsible for providing you with healthcare services.

You are entitled to essential social services. Your reception centre will assess your service needs and arrange the services for you.

When you have a municipality of residence

If you get a municipality of residence, you will no longer be a client of the reception system. Instead, you will become a resident of the municipality where you live and a client of a wellbeing services county. A wellbeing services county arranges public healthcare, social welfare and rescue services to all residents in the region it serves.

You are entitled to the same level of healthcare as any other residents of your municipality. The wellbeing services county is responsible for providing you with healthcare services.

You will have access to a considerably wider range of social welfare services. In case of illness or disability, for example, you can get home-help services to support you with living at home.

If you need someone to talk to

Help and support:

  • MIELI Crisis Helpline in English: +358 9 2525 0116
  • MIELI Crisis Helpline in Finnish (open 24/7): +358 9 2525 0111

The MIELI Crisis Helpline provides crisis assistance and support in Finnish, in English, in Swedish, in Ukrainian, and in Russian. Read more on the website of MIELI ry.

The MIELI Crisis Centre Helsinki offers short-term crisis counselling and guidance in crisis situations. For more information, see: MIELI Crisis Centre Helsinki - MIELI ry.

If you are a client of a reception centre, contact an employee of your reception centre or the reception centre nurse. If you have been granted a municipality of residence, contact your local health centre. If you go to school or are studying, you can contact the school psychologist, the school social worker or the school nurse.

In urgent situations, call 112 (the emergency number in Finland).

Read more