Social aid recipients need to inform Kela if travel abroad for 7+ days

The Social Insurance Institution-Kela on Friday warned the benefit recipients of facing consequence regarding Kela benefits, if they travel abroad without informing the authority.

Even a short stay abroad will affect social assistance, the last-resort of assistance for the low- income people and asked the benefit recipients to inform Kela, if they stay abroad for more than 7 days, said Kela in a press release on Friday.

Recipients can get social assistance (toimeentulotuki) only for their expenses in Finland and they cannot get social assistance for any expenses to pay abroad.

Kela, however, said that short trips abroad will usually not affect right to Kela benefits, and the recipients do not need to tell Kela about the trips but leaving Finland for a longer time may have an impact.

If recipients of other Kela benefits plan to stay in another country for more than 3 months, they need to tell Kela about the trip when leave Finland.

Kela assesses every recipient´s situation on a case-by-case basis.

For example, Kela will take into account the duration of the stay abroad and which country they are going to in its assessment.

If the recipients stay abroad temporarily for less than 6 months, they can usually continue to get benefits that Kela granted to them before leaving Finland. They can also apply for new benefits from Kela during their stay abroad if necessary.

However, recipients´ stay abroad can have different effects based on what benefits they get.

The benefit recipients also need to inform Kela, if they start any kind of employment in another EU or EEA country, Switzerland or the United Kingdom and stay outside Finland on a regular basis and spend most of time outside Finland (for example 1–6 months at a time).

Kela said that it is important that the benefit recipients tell Kela about their trips abroad and other changes in a timely manner so that Kela can pay the benefits correctly and they do not have to pay them back.

Recipients right to housing allowance will end, if they are away from their home for 3 months or more.

The four-party alliance government led by Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party-NCP) has taken various moves to tighten social benefits.

Earlier in May, 2025 the government took the initiative to tighten social assistance.

In April 2024, the government cut unemployment, housing, other benefits.