Reception centres can provide you with a range of reception services, including healthcare and social services as well as reception allowance.

However, if your residence in Finland is permanent, you may be entitled to financial assistance  from Kela . Kela can consider someone to be living permanently in Finland if:

• a family member (spouse/partner or under-age child) is already living in Finland
• they have lived in Finland previously
• they will work or study in Finland for at least two years.

There may also be an entitlement to Kela benefits for someone who works in Finland and is paid at least EUR 741.75 per month. This must be checked in each particular case. Ukrainians who have not yet received financial assistance from reception centers can request emergency financial assistance from Kela in the form of vouchers to purchase food and necessary prescription medicines.

Information on the provision of social support in Ukrainian and Russian from the government (subsidies from the state for those who have lived for a year).

Reception allowance

If necessary, you can apply for and be granted reception allowance. The possible funds and income you have at your disposal will affect whether you will be granted reception allowance and the amount of the allowance.

You can make an application for reception allowance at your reception centre. You must report in the application all the funds and income that you have at your disposal. You will get more information and advice on how to fill in the application at your reception centre.

The reception allowance is usually paid to a prepaid card. In exceptional cases, it can also be paid in cash. If you have a personal Finnish bank account, the reception allowance can be paid to your bank account.

The reception allowance consists of the basic component and the supplementary reception allowance.

The basic component of the reception allowance is intended for clothing, minor health care costs, expenses on the use of local transport, and telephone costs, for example. The basic component is also intended for food costs if the reception centre does not offer daily meals.

In addition to the basic component, you can apply for supplementary reception allowance for the special needs of you and your family.

Under law, a maximum of 150 euros of your wage income may be excluded from the calculation, meaning that this sum does not reduce the amount of your reception allowance. The rest of your wage income will still affect the amount of the reception allowance.

Under law, a maximum of 50 euros of other income than wage income may also be excluded from the calculation, meaning that this sum does not reduce the amount of your reception allowance. For a family, the corresponding sum is 100 euros. The calculation will regard as expenses the basic component of the reception allowance and your work-related expenses if you have a job.

Monthly reception allowance and spending allowance in 2023

Reception allowance:

• Persons living alone and single parents 348.50 euros (no meals offered/month), 102.15 euros (meals offered by the reception centre/month);
• Other persons over 18 years of age 294.42 euros (no meals offered/month), 84.12 euros (meals offered by the reception centre/month);
• Children living with their family 222.32 euros (no meals offered/month), 66.10 euros (meals offered by the reception centre/month).

Free legal assistance of UA Support for refugees from different countries.

The Social Insurance Institution of Finland pays child support for all children under the age of 17 living permanently in Finland.

Save the Children Finland , SOS Children's Villages (contact details only in Finnish), Vamlas Foundation (for young people with disabilities) are non-governmental bodies which might be able to assist.

There are no special benefits, but pregnant and nursing woman are entitled to receive maternity clinic services.

The Association of Ukrainians in Finland has established the Help Center for Ukrainians in Helsinki. There you can receive counseling, psychological support, clothes, and other assistance, as well as socialise with other Ukrainians. Please check their website here .

Municipalities are responsible for arranging the social and health services that older people require. Informal carers of elderly people may receive support and other assistance from municipalities.

On pages Acting as an informal carer you can read more about becoming an informal carer and the financial support and other available help for informal carers. Municipalities may provide transport services for elderly people with limited means who are not able to use public transport.

Further information is available through the information portal on citizens' services .

Mobility aids, rehabilitation and services helping in independent living are available to people with disabilities. People with hearing and speech difficulties have the right to receive interpretation services. Many of the services are jointly provided by municipalities and non-governmental organisations.

Informal carers of disabled people may receive support and other assistance from municipalities. In the guide As an informal carer for a loved one you can read more about becoming an informal carer and the financial support and other available help for informal carers.

Further information is available through the information portal on citizens' services .

You can join the Association of Ukrainians in Finland, which is organizing humanitarian aid for those in need in Ukraine and coordinates assistance to Ukrainian refugees arriving in Finland. Please find more information on the website of the organization here .

According to the Ministry of Reintegration, Ukrainians who were forced to go abroad due to the war can now send an application for the appointment or renewal of a pension by mail.

An application for the appointment (renewal) of a pension can be sent to any territorial body of the Pension Fund of Ukraine, regardless of the person's place of registration.

Infographics

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