Disability pension in Finland
Matters related to reduced working capacity and applying for disability pension often require thorough investigations and medical certificates. If you are employed, consult your occupational healthcare service.
Rehabilitation is always the preferred option, and in connection with applications for disability pension earnings-related pension providers always check whether the applicant is entitled to rehabilitation. Read more on the page Rehabilitation in Finland.
Can you get disability pension in Finland?
In Finland you can get disability pension in accordance with the earnings-related pension acts and the National Pensions Act.
Disability pension under the earnings-related pension acts
You can get disability pension under the earnings-related pension acts if you have earned entitlement to earnings-related pension and your working capacity is reduced due to illness or injury for at least a year. Disability pension can be granted to persons aged 17 or over who have not reached the minimum old-age pension retirement age for their age group. Disability pension can be granted until further notice or as rehabilitation subsidy for a fixed period. Disability pension under the earnings-related pension acts can also be granted on a partial basis depending on the extent to which your working capacity is reduced.
Disability pension under the earnings-related pension acts consists of the pension you have earned before your retirement on a disability pension and a projected pension component. The projected pension component means that pension accrues from your actual period of employment and also from a projected period from the year when disability pension starts to the minimum old-age pension retirement age for your age group. Read more on the page Työeläke.fi.
Disability pension under the National Pensions Act
You can get disability pension under the National Pensions Act if you meet all the following requirements:
- An illness, defect or injury prevents you from being able to work to secure a reasonable income
- You are aged between 16 and 64 years
- Your other pensions and payments are below the income limit defined by Kela
- You have lived in Finland for at least the period required by law, i.e. three years from when you reached the age of 16. You can, however, also accrue the waiting period if you are covered by social security in another EU or EEA country or Switzerland before moving to Finland. The period of residence requirement does not apply to young persons incapacitated for work if they have previously received Kela’s disability subsidy for the under-16s or if your incapacity for work began while living in Finland before you reached the age of 19.
How to apply
There are different ways of applying for disability pension depending on whether you live in Finland or another Nordic country.
If you live in Finland, you can apply for disability pension from Kela or your pension provider. If you have previously worked in another Nordic country, you can apply for the disability pension of the other country at the same time as you apply for disability pension from Finland.
If you apply for disability pension from two or more Nordic countries, you should bear in mind that the conditions for granting disability pension may vary by country.
If you live in another Nordic country and you have previously worked in Finland, you can apply for Finnish disability pension at the same time as you apply for disability pension from your country of residence. Read more on how apply on the page on disability pension in your country of residence.
More information
Please fill in our contact form if you have any questions or if you have encountered an obstacle in another Nordic country.
NB! If you have questions regarding the processing of a specific case or application, or other personal matters, please contact the relevant authority directly.
