Sick leave rules in Finland at a glance
Statutory rules for Finland, checked against official government guidance on 15 October 2026.
| Tell your employer | Tell your supervisor yourself as soon as you know |
|---|---|
| Self certification | At the employer's discretion |
| Doctor's certificate needed from | Set by the employer: day 1 or day 4; Kela needs an A certificate |
| Certificate deadline | Kela claim within 2 months of becoming unable to work |
| Waiting days | Day of onset plus 9 working days |
| Employer pays | Full pay to the 9th working day, after 1 month of service |
| State sickness benefit | Kela sickness allowance, at least €31.99 a working day |
| Maximum duration | 300 working days |
| Last checked |
Who pays sick pay in Finland?
In Finland, employer pay: full pay to the 9th working day, after 1 month of service. State sickness benefit: Kela sickness allowance, at least €31.99 a working day.
- Waiting daysDay of onset plus 9 working days
- EmployerFull pay to the 9th working day, after 1 month of service
- State sickness benefitKela sickness allowance, at least €31.99 a working day
- Sickness benefit
- Kela sickness allowance
- Official body
- Kela
- Certificate
- A certificate
Work out your own figures with the sick pay calculator.
When do you need a doctor's note in Finland?
In Finland, a doctor's certificate is needed: set by the employer: day 1 or day 4; Kela needs an A certificate.
Self certification. At the employer's discretion
Certificate deadline. Kela claim within 2 months of becoming unable to work
Telling your employer. Tell your supervisor yourself as soon as you know
Check your own dates with the "do I need a note" tool, or see how to get a doctor's note in Finland.
Worked example: 10 days off sick in Finland
How a 10 day absence runs in Finland, step by step. No money is worked out here.
| When | What happens | The rule |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Tell your employer | Tell your supervisor yourself as soon as you know |
| During the absence | Waiting days | Day of onset plus 9 working days |
| During the absence | Employer | Full pay to the 9th working day, after 1 month of service |
| During the absence | State sickness benefit | Kela sickness allowance, at least €31.99 a working day |
Maximum duration: 300 working days
For your own figures, use the sick pay calculator. It reads the same checked data as this page.
What is different about sick leave in Finland?
In Finland your employer decides whether you can self certify, and whether you need a certificate from day 1 or day 4.
Kela needs an A certificate, and you claim Kela sickness allowance within 2 months of becoming unable to work.
What if you work in Finland but live in another country?
If you work in Finland and live in another country, you are usually covered by the social security system where you work, so the rules on this page apply.
Report sick by the rule in Finland (tell your supervisor yourself as soon as you know), and send any certificate to the body that pays you (Kela).
If your doctor is in another country, ask the paying body (Kela) which format it accepts.
More on working in one country and living in another. Related tool: Fit to fly readiness checklist
Frequently asked questions
The rule for telling your employer in Finland: tell your supervisor yourself as soon as you know.
The certificate deadline in Finland: Kela claim within 2 months of becoming unable to work.
Waiting days in Finland: day of onset plus 9 working days.
The maximum duration of sick pay in Finland: 300 working days.
Self certification in Finland: at the employer's discretion.
Sick leave rules in neighbouring countries
Compare Finland with Sweden and Estonia, or see all 42 countries side by side.
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