How to apply for a certificate of coverage by Finnish social security (e.g. A1)

A certificate on coverage by Finnish social security for the period of working in another EU or social security agreement country is issued by the Finnish Centre for Pensions. The certificate should be applied for well ahead of the work abroad starting.

The application form can be filled in and printed out over the link below. Exemption is also applied for using the below certificate application forms. The form is available from the Finnish Centre for Pensions and the offices of the Social Insurance Institution (Kela). The employer may also electronically apply for a certificate for an employee.

These forms are in pdf format.

Application for certificate / employees and civil servants (ETK 2146)
Application for certificate / self-employed persons and independent professionals (ETK 2147)
Application for certificate (in Finnish) / grant recipients (ETK 2159)

If the posting takes place to Australia, Chile, Israel, Canada or Quebec, the below social security agreement form should also be filled in. The forms behind the links are in pdf format.

Australia FI/AUS 1, (ETK 2223)
Chile FI/CL 1, (ETK 2220)
Israel FIN/ISR 1, (ETK 2216)
Canada FI/CAN 1, (ETK 2192)
Quebec FI/Q 1, (ETK 2156)

Granting of a certificate

If the criteria are met and the employee, clerical employee, self-employed person or grant recipient is covered by Finnish legislation on social security while working in another EU country, the Finnish Centre for Pensions issues an A1 certificate.

A person posted to an agreement country receives a certificate from the Finnish Centre for Pensions on the basis of the bilateral agreement.

While the certificate is valid social insurance contributions are not levied in the country of employment. Instead they are only paid to Finland.

The Finnish Centre for Pensions informs the Social Insurance Institution about the certificate, and the Social Insurance Institution sends without separate application a European Health Insurance Card to persons who are insured for health benefits in Finland during their stay in another EU country. The card entitles to care under the statutory healthcare system of the country of stay and compensation for the care in the other EU country. Thus the employee, clerical employee, self-employed person or grant recipient does not have to file a separate application with the Social Insurance Institution.

Posting to a country with no agreement

If the employee is posted to a country with which Finland has not concluded a social security agreement (e.g. Russia as well as the Asian states and most South American countries), coverage by the Finnish residence-based social security is applied for with the Social Insurance Institution (Kela ). Further information is available in the section Posting to a non-agreement country .

The family members' coverage by the Finnish social security is determined by the Social Insurance Institution (Kela ).


http://www.etk.fi/Page.aspx?Section=41939&Item=16518 01.08.2010 09:09