Child support and child maintenance allowance in Finland

Child support refers to the financial support paid by the other parent to contribute to the child's maintenance. Parents can agree on child support informally between themselves. However, if the child has two parents who are liable for maintenance, you can only get child maintenance allowance from Kela if child support has been confirmed by a maintenance agreement or a court decision.

In international situations, the legislation is applied of the country where the child entitled to child support or maintenance lives. If a child living in Finland does not receive child support from either parent, Kela may pay child support to ensure the child's livelihood.

A child's right to receive maintenance from his or her parents ends when he or she reaches the age of 18. Even after this, parents may still be required to contribute to the costs of their child's education if this is considered reasonable.

Child support is a sum of money that a non-custodial parent pays periodically to contribute to the costs of raising his or her child. A parent may be obliged to pay child support if he or she does not otherwise provide for the child's maintenance, the child does not live permanently with him or her, or the child lives alternately with him or her and the other parent or guardian.

The amount of child support is calculated based on the child’s individual maintenance needs. The amount of child support and the method of payment are confirmed either by agreement between the parents assisted by the municipal social welfare office or in a court order. Read more on the website of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.

If one of the parents lives in another Nordic country

The parent paying child support is required to pay child support regardless of what country the child lives in. The maintenance obligation therefore does not end even if the child and the parent liable for maintenance live in different countries.

Child support arrears are also collected from parents living in another country. The Ministry of Justice acts as the central authority in Finland for handling cross-border maintenance matters.

If the person responsible for maintenance fails to do so, the parent living with the child may apply for support in accordance with the regulations of their country of residence.

Child maintenance allowance helps to safeguard the child’s maintenance in situations where the child does not receive maintenance from both parents. There is a right to maintenance if the parent liable for maintenance does not pay the confirmed child support. There is also a right to maintenance if child support has not been confirmed to be paid due to the parent liable being unable to provide maintenance or if, due to the parent liable being unable to provide maintenance, the confirmed amount of child support is lower than the amount of child maintenance allowance. You can also get child maintenance allowance can if the child does not have another parent liable for maintenance. Kela is responsible for enforcement of child maintenance allowance.

Payment of Kela child maintenance allowance requires that the child is permanently resident in Finland.

How do you apply for child maintenance allowance?

Child maintenance allowance is claimed from Kela and can be applied for by the child’s parent or other person caring for the child. If the child is 15 years of age or older and lives independently, they can apply for the allowance themselves.

How much allowance can you get?

Child maintenance allowance is paid either in full or at a reduced rate.

Child maintenance allowance is paid in full if child support has been confirmed to be at least as much as full child maintenance allowance and the parent liable is not paying the child support.

If the amount of child support has been confirmed to be lower than the full amount of child maintenance allowance due to the financial situation of the parent liable for maintenance, the amount of the allowance paid is the difference between full child maintenance allowance and the amount of child support.

Where child maintenance allowance is paid on the basis of neglected payment of child support and the confirmed amount of child support is lower than the full amount of child maintenance allowance for a reason other than the inability to pay of the parent liable, the amount of the allowance paid is only the confirmed amount of child support.

If the paternity of a child born outside of wedlock has not been confirmed and the child does not have two parents liable for maintenance, if an adoptive parent has adopted a child alone or if child support could not be confirmed at the same time as confirmation of parentage, the child maintenance allowance is paid in full.

How long is child maintenance allowance paid for?

Child maintenance allowance is paid up to the time when the child reaches the age of 18. The allowance may end earlier if maintenance liability ends or if the other liability criteria are no longer met.

Child maintenance allowance is paid for the duration of the child support agreement confirmed by the child welfare officer or a court decision. If the maintenance agreement or judgment is for a fixed term, a new agreement must be drawn up in order for maintenance allowance payments to continue. 

Payment of child maintenance allowance will cease if the child lives with the parent liable for maintenance, if the child moves permanently abroad, or if the parent liable for maintenance dies. Child maintenance allowance is also not paid if the child has sufficient income to be considered self-sufficient. 

If one of the parents lives in or moves to another Nordic country

A child is entitled to maintenance from both parents, meaning that liability to pay maintenance does not end even if the parent liable for maintenance moves to another Nordic country.

If a parent liable for maintenance who lives abroad does not pay the confirmed child support, Kela may grant child maintenance allowance and recover the unpaid child support from the parent liable for maintenance living abroad.

If child maintenance allowance has already been granted and the parent liable for maintenance has moved to another Nordic country, this does not affect payment of child maintenance allowance in Finland if the child is still permanently resident in Finland.

If the child moves to another Nordic country

In Finland, payment of child maintenance allowance requires that the child lives permanently in Finland.

Child maintenance allowance can be paid temporarily, for a maximum of 6 months, for a child residing in another country if the child is still considered to be permanently resident in Finland. The six-month time limit is not absolute if the child’s stay in another Nordic country is on a one-off and temporary basis. Child maintenance allowance can be paid if he/she still lives permanently in Finland.

If a child moves permanently to another Nordic country, the right to child maintenance allowance ends with the move away from Finland. Read about the rules in the other countries below.