Health care and Housing

Health care

FSHS - Finnish Student Health Service

As a TYY member, you have the right to Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS or in Finnish YTHS, Ylioppilaiden terveydenhoitosäätiö) both here in Turku and at FSHS locations in other university cities. With a valid Finnish student card you can use the services of FSHS. The health services provided are general practitioners and specialists, dental care, nursing care and physiotherapy as well as x-ray and laboratory work. FSHS also provides assistance in managing yourself during your studies. FSHS mental health services include mental health counselling, psychotherapy and psychiatric care. You can make an appointment for counselling when you can talk to a health care professional about your situation and possible follow-up treatment will be assessed.

FSHS only offers basic medical services and does not cover instances if you get into an accident or have to be admitted to hospital. Citizens outside the EU/EEA area are required to have valid health insurance during their studies in Finland. EU and EEA citizens should have an EU insurance card or carry another type of insurance in case of emergencies.

You can find the Turku FSHS at Kirkkotie 13, between the campus and Student Village. The appointments must be made in advance, either by phone (046 710 1050 for doctors' appointments,  046 710 1047 for dentists') or by visiting the FSHS desk, at ground floor. More information about FSHS.

If you want to find out more about adult health, illness, mental health or dental care, please visit the heath Issues page on the FSHS website.

Municipal health care services

Students who have Turku as their place of residence (kotikunta) have the right to municipal health care. Because FSHS is only open during the week, patients must turn to municipal health services in emergencies on weekends. 

There are also other types of health care that FSHS does not provide, such as hospital care and some specialist services. Your home address and postal code will determine your municipal health centre. 

Weekday emergency services in the Turku area are available from 8.00 to 15.30 at the health centre according to your address. During all other times, emergency services are available at On-Call Service at the Health Centre (Kunnallissairaalantie 20).

More information on municipal services and contact information your health care centre can be found here.

When ill

If you have the right to State financial aid (opintotuki), that is you have status A residency in Finalnd, it is not worth it to use your monthly study grants for illness – students also have the right to sick leave. You can get a sickness allowance (sairauspäiväraha) and general housing support (yleinen asumistuki) for the time you are on sick leave. However, if you know for certain, that your illness will last for no more than two months, you can still receive financial aid. This kind of short-term illness and the interruption of studies due to it will not prevent financial aid. You may however have to explain your illness when the Financial Aid Board follows up on the progression of your studies. It is extremely important that you visit your doctor in time and save your doctor’s note.

If you think that your illness will last more than two months, a sickness allowance will be a more appropriate form of support for your livelihood. Sickness allowance and general housing support can be granted as soon as financial has been suspended. During the time you receive a sickness allowance, you may not accumulate any studies. You can suspend your financial aid from the beginning of the month following the start of your inability to work either through the online services of Kela or with an OTm form for change in living circumstances (olosuhdemuutosilmoitus, in Finnish only) found, for example, at Kela and on its website. You can suspend your financial aid either for a fixed term or until further notice. Both financial aid suspension and the sickness allowance application can be done one time at the Kela office where you can get assistance in filling out the form and in other matters.