Know Your Rights
In Finland, health care is based on public services. You may go to any health center or wellbeing center in the municipality where you are staying. Primary health care deals with general health problems, while specialized medical care treats illnesses or injuries that fall under medical specialties.
You have the right to urgent and necessary health care and to basic subsistence. Urgent care includes, for example, emergency services as well as first aid and intensive care. The need for necessary care is always assessed by a health-care professional, but it includes at least monitoring and treatment of chronic illnesses, the renewal of certain
regular medications, vaccinations, certain laboratory tests, and followup visits after emergency treatment. In addition, pregnant women receive maternity clinic follow-up during pregnancy as well as delivery services. Children have the right to all the same
health services as residents of the wellbeing services counties.
Healthcare personnel are bound by confidentiality. A doctor, nurse, or other professional is not allowed to report you to the authorities because of your residence status.
The client must pay a service fee for nurse and doctor appointments, maternity clinic services, dental care, and emergency visits. If you are without means, inform the professional, and the invoice can be withheld.
You do not need a Kela card. If you do not have a personal identity code, remember to ask the professional for a temporary identity code and write it down, as you will need it later when using health services. You may have several temporary identity codes,
because each patient information system must create a separate code for you. Also ask for your prescriptions and patient instructions as paper printouts.
Seek care in good time — it is your right!
Health Care and Social Services
In case of an emergency, call the emergency number 112. Calls are free. Emergency calls are answered at all hours all year round.
If you call the emergency number, do the following:
- State what happened and where you are.
- Answer the questions and follow the instructions given to you.
- Wait for help to arrive.
- Don’t hang up the phone until you are given permission to do so.
On weekdays between 8:00 and 16:00, you can go to the emergency services of any health center without an appointment. If you become acutely ill in the evening, at night, on a holiday, or during the weekend, seek care at a hospital emergency room. In an urgent situation, help is provided regardless of the municipality where you live or stay.
You do not need an appointment. First, call the emergency helpline 116117 (a free service).
Hospital On-Call Services
Joint emergency departments:
Tyks, T-hospital
Savitehtaankatu 1, 20540 Turku
Open every day, around the clock
Tyks, Salo hospital
Sairaalantie 9, 24130 Salo
Open Mon-Sun 8:00-22:00
Tyks, Loimaa hospital
Seppälänkatu 15, 32200 Loimaa
Open Mon-Sun 10:00-20:00
Tyks, Vakka-Suomi hospital
Terveystie 2, 23500 Uusikaupunki
Open Mon-Sun 10:00-20:00
Other emergency departments:
Savitehtaankatu 5, 20540 Turku
Main entrance 22, 2. floor section H, elevators A
Open every day, around the clock
The paediatric and adolescent emergency department treats children and adolescents under the age of 16 who require urgent care, around the clock. Assessment of your need for treatment by phone: +358 2313 1420
Tyks Lighthouse Hospital,
Savitehtaankatu 5, 20540 Turku
elevators B, 3rd floor, on the left
Open every day, around the clock
The pregnancy and labor emergency department treats only women coming in to give birth, but also pregnant women with over 20+0 weeks of pregnancy, who have sudden pregnancy-related problems, as well as mothers up to four weeks after labor. Those coming to give birth do not need to notify the hospital in advance.
You can contact the pregnancy and labor emergency department by phone: +358 2313 1000
Emergency appointments during office hours: Mon-Thu 8:00-16:00 and Fri 8:00-15:30.
The emergency clinic is intended for patients who need urgent treatment. The urgency of the need for treatment is assessed by phone, and an appointment is booked if necessary.
Examples of situations requiring urgent treatment:
- Severe pain in the teeth or oral region
- Local swelling and infections
- Problems after dental procedures, such as pain, wound reopening, or bleeding that does not stop
- Injuries to the face or jaws, e.g., a tooth knocked out by an accident, a severely fractured tooth, or a permanent tooth that is very loose
- A chipped front tooth that cause an aesthetic problem
- A large tooth fracture causing symptoms, or an unfinished root canal treatment
- Jaw joint or chewing muscle problems accompanied by severe pain or numbness
- A fixed orthodontic appliance, bridge, or crown that is partially loose or at risk of detaching and causing irritation
- Painful changes in the oral mucosa or prolonged ulcers
- A sudden change in tooth mobility
Check the contact details of the nearest emergency clinic on the website (Visit an external site. The link opens in a new tab.).
Health Centers and Child Health Clinics
All Turku health centers and the Immigrant Health Services provide non-urgent and, when needed, urgent care for undocumented people. Urgent care can be provided at any health center you choose to visit. If you do not have a personal identity code, it is easiest to handle matters in person. Otherwise, you may contact Immigrant Health Services by phone if your language skills are sufficient (Finnish, Swedish, English):
+35840 486 3661 (Mon-Thu 8:15-15:00, Fri 8:15-14:00)
You can find all health centers in the Wellbeing Service County of Southwest Finland on the website (Visit an external site. The link opens in a new tab.).
Pregnant women have the right to maternity clinic services, and children under school age have the right to child health clinic services. You can find all maternity and child health clinic services in the Wellbeing Services County of Southwest Finland on the website (Visit an external site. The link opens in a new tab.) (pregnant women, children and families).
Other Social and Health Services
If you suspect you have contracted a sexually transmitted disease, call your health center. If you need advice related to sexually transmitted diseases or their prevention, call your health center or the sexually transmitted disease clinic’s advisory number.
Outpatient clinic for sexually transmitted diseases:
Telephone counselling is available Mon-Thu 13:00-15:00 and Fri 13:00-14:00.
Call the number +358 2313 2635
Global Clinic provides multidisciplinary support and health counselling for undocumented individuals. It also helps with access to care. The clinic is staffed by volunteer health-care professionals. You can receive help confidentially and free of charge, and you are not required to reveal your identity. If you wish to contact Global Clinic, call +35840 618 4554 or send an email to globalclinicturku@gmail.com. More information can be found on the website (Visit an external site. The link opens in a new tab.).
Social and crisis emergency services provide urgent or necessary assistance in acute crisis situations. They help people of all ages around the clock.
The service handles, for example, urgent child welfare matters, provides psychosocial support in accident and crisis situations, and is responsible for urgent social services outside office hours.
Examples of urgent situations:
- an acute concern about the situation, conditions, or safety of a child or family
- an acute concern about an adult’s or elderly person’s ability to cope at home
- a situation involving domestic violence
- a need for immediate crisis support in a traumatic situation (e.g., accident, sudden death of a loved one, violent incidents, severe injury or illness, fire)
The phone number for the social and crisis emergency services is +3582 262 6003. The number is available around the clock.
If you need emergency or crisis accommodation, call the social and crisis emergency services of Southwest Finland at +3582 262 6003 (available around the clock).
Other Advisory and Support Services
Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:00-12:00. Hämeenkatu 20, 20500 Turku.
Diaconal services are intended for everyone, regardless of religion, nationality, language, residence status, etc. Diaconal assistance may include counselling and support discussions, guidance and advice, food and clothing aid, financial assistance, or peer support in groups.
Contact: Minna Iljanka, minna.iljanka@evl.fi, +35840 341 7291, services for undocumented people and other particularly vulnerable migrants (asylum seekers, international students with families, victims of human trafficking and labour exploitation)
The advice service is intended for undocumented people and those who encounter them. The advice service provides support and guidance on accessing healthcare services and treatment facilities. Call or send a message (text message or WhatsApp, including voice messages) Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to
044 744 9932. You can also send us an email: health.advice@lsv.fi
Follow our advice page on Facebook: Health Advice for Undocumented Migrants (Visit an external site. The link opens in a new tab.)
We publish up-to-date information there on healthcare for undocumented migrants and third sector services. You can also send us a message via Messenger. We will respond to messages as soon as possible.
Guide as a Downloadable PDF File
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