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Ministerial portfolios and deputising At its first plenary session, the Government decides on the division of responsibilities between ministers, for ministries with more than one minister. Ministers are of equal status within the ministry. Each m...

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo visited Kyiv on 28 May 2025. Finland supports Ukraine On 24 February 2022, Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine in breach of the UN Charter and international law. Finland strongly condemns Russia’s military actions in...

22.4.2026 | Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government has agreed on the General Government Fiscal Plan for 2027–2030. Both the global economy and Finland’s finances are facing challenges. In its spending limits session, the Government focused on new targeted measures to strengthen people’s confidence in the future and improve the conditions for growth and employment.

22.12.2025 | The timing and content of health checks at child health clinics and schools, and in student healthcare and oral healthcare will be regulated in future by government decree. Upper secondary level student health checks and preliminary health examinations for compulsory military service will be combined, and an electronic health questionnaire will be introduced.

26.6.2026 | EU ministers will convene for a meeting of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council in Luxembourg on 29 June. State Secretary Laura Rissanen will represent Finland at the meeting.

22.9.2025 | The Government proposes to update legislation on children and young people’s health checks. Under the proposal, the timing and content of health checks in child health clinics, school and student healthcare, and oral healthcare would in future be regulated in a government decree instead of an act. The health check in student healthcare at upper secondary level would be combined with the pre-conscription health examination, and an electronic health questionnaire would be introduced. 

8.8.2025 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health proposes appropriations of EUR 14.8 billion for the Ministry and its branch of government for 2026. This is about EUR 475 million less than in the 2025 Budget. The funding of wellbeing services counties is not included in the appropriations for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and its branch of government. Instead, it falls under the main title of the Ministry of Finance.

2.9.2025 | The Government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has reached a decision on its budget proposal for 2026. The Government’s decisions aim to support economic growth, which is picking up. Supporting economic growth and continuing responsible fiscal management is necessary to ensure the security of people in Finland and safeguard their access to important services going forward.

22.9.2025 | The Finnish Government proposes EUR 14.8 billion in appropriations for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and its branch of government for 2026. This is about EUR 0.5 billion less than in the 2025 Budget.

27.11.2025 | The Government has issued a decree which determines the amount of the healthcare fee, the late payment fee and the fee for an unattended appointment charged from higher education students in 2026.

15.1.2026 | Today the Government decided in its plenary session to submit to Parliament the Government Report on the Application of Language Legislation in 2025. The report provides important monitoring data on the current state of Finland’s national languages and other indigenous languages and on the realisation of linguistic rights.

15.1.2026 | The changes to be made to social assistance will, for example, strengthen the obligations of recipients to apply for full-time work and primary benefits. The overall reform of social assistance aims to clarify the role of social assistance as a last-resort and temporary form of assistance, prevent social exclusion among young people and strengthen general government finances.

19.1.2026 | The International Monetary Fund (IMF) published its annual report on the Finnish economy on Monday 19 January. According to the IMF, efforts to strengthen public finances will have to continue for several years.

23.11.2023 | The healthcare fee for students in higher education will be EUR 73.60 and the late-payment fee EUR 5 in 2024. The fee charged for an unattended appointment will be EUR 56.70, i.e. the same as in other health and social services.

9.10.2023 | The Government proposes amendments to the Act on Student Healthcare for Higher Education Students and the Act on the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. The Student Healthcare Act would be harmonised with the relevant EU Regulation in respect of reimbursements regarding students from certain European countries, and the provisions of the Act on the financial process would be specified.

23.4.2025 | Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government has agreed on the General Government Fiscal Plan for 2026–2029. The decisions focus on reinforcing the conditions for economic growth and enhancing the security of Finland and the Finnish people. At the same time, the Government will ensure that public finances are sustainable. The growth package will be financed responsibly through measures to increase general government revenue and reduce expenditure.

21.5.2025 | The employment rate of registered nurses and practical nurses is high, with more than 90 per cent of graduates finding work in the social welfare and health care sector. Unemployed nurses cannot be relied on to respond to the future labour shortage in the sector. People who have sought employment in other sectors represent the most significant resource of unutilised workforce. Some relief can also be provided by pensioners for whom working is increasingly common.

23.9.2024 | The Finnish Government proposes about EUR 15.2 billion in appropriations for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and its administrative branch for 2025. This is about EUR 1.1 billion less than in 2024.

22.9.2025 | The Government proposes a comprehensive reform of social assistance. The changes to be made would, for example, strengthen the obligations of recipients to apply for full-time work and primary benefits. The aim is to clarify the role of social assistance as a last-resort and temporary form of assistance, prevent social exclusion among young people and strengthen general government finances.

28.8.2024 | The number of applications increased slightly from the previous year while the processing times for permits shortened significantly. In the first part of 2024, 15,959 people applied for the first permit, compared with 15,493 persons during the same time last year.