Insurance Cover Provided by Metropolia
Metropolia University of Applied Sciences has four types of insurances for its students
- a statutory student accident insurance for all currently enrolled students studying for a degree at Metropolia (required by Finnish law)
- a student's group accident insurance for those currently enrolled students who are included in the Finnish residence-based social security system (KELA)
- a travel insurance for those currently enrolled degree students who are included in the Finnish residence-based social security system (KELA)
- an internship liability insurance
The first three insurances are provided by Protector Försäkring Insurance Company and the last (internship liability insurance) is provided by Pohjola Insurance Company.
Please note that this insurance does not cover exchange students on exchange at Metropolia. Insurance requirements for exchange students.
Statutory Student Accident Insurance
The accident insurance required by law in Finland covers all currently enrolled students studying for a degree at Metropolia. The insurance covers accidents that happen when the student participates in situations of practical training with a work-like risk, as part of studies included in his/her curriculum (i.e. practical work during a course, a work placement in Finland or abroad, or whilst doing the Bachelor’s or Master’s Thesis). The insurance coverage is valid in Finland and abroad and on immediate outbound or returning travels between apartment and internship location or between internship location and another learning institution. The compensation is defined according to the accident insurance law.
The insurance does not cover theory lessons, recesses, physical education lessons, eating or regular travels between home and learning institution.
The injured can receive medical care from the local hospital/doctor. The compensability of the initial visit requires that it is a compensable accident. In the case of stinging injuries caused by teaching situations, FSHS (Finnish Student Health Service) or public healthcare is recommended). Contact the student health service to obtain a referral for blood samples and more instructions on what to do.
Student's Group Accident Insurance
The insurance is valid for:
- all enrolled Metropolia students who are included in the residence-based Finnish social security system (KELA), including students studying for a Bachelor's or Master's degree, open university students, students taking part in studies for immigrants and in-service training students
- everywhere in the world in activities (for example, theory lessons, physical education hours, lunch breaks at school) and immediate travels that are related to the curriculum.
The insurance amounts are as follows:
- damage expenses, 5 000 e
- permanent damage compensation, 10 000 e
- death compensation, 5 000 e
Travel Insurance
The insurance is valid for:
- all enrolled Metropolia students who are included in the residence-based Finnish social security system (KELA), studying both in Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes and in daytime and evening studies
- 24/7 in all study-related trips, student exchanges and work placements related to the curriculum
- everywhere in the world without time limit
- in case of student exchanges and work placements, the policy is valid also for a total of 14 days before and after the exchange/work placement period, as long as the student travels to the actual destination country first (e.g. country of the receiving institution or work placement)
NB: The insurance does not cover certain sports or high-risk activities.
The insurance cover is as follows:
- medical care expenses from travel sickness and accidents: unlimited
- medical impediment from travel accident: 20 000 e
- death from travel accident: 20 000 e
- luggage and travel equipment: 1 000 e
- travel liability: 85 000 e (retention: 150 e)
- lawyer expenses related to travel: 8 500 e (retention: 15 % of expenses, min. 150 e)
- repatriation
In case of an accident the student can seek treatment from public or private health care.
In most cases the student has to pay the costs of treatment and examination first oneself and then submit the insurance notification. After the insurance notification done, the insurance company will make the decision about paying out the compensation. This applies also in case of other claims (not related to medical care).
Internship Liability Insurance
Primarily the company providing the internship is responsible for the damages caused by the intern during the internship same way as for the employees. Students and interns are considered parallel to the company’s or the institution’s staff to which they are under surveillance.
Internship liability insurance is secondary safety instrument.The insurance compensates for the sudden and unpredictable property damage caused by the student that is caused directly because of the student’s actions. The compensation is not possible to claim based on other insurances. This insurance covers also covers the students careless personal damage caused to third parties.
For further information on insurance cover provided by Metropolia :
- contact opiskelijavakuutukset [at] metropolia.fi (opiskelijavakuutukset[at]metropolia[dot]fi)
- for enrolled students, more detailed information available in OMA intranet
Insurance Requirements for Degree Students
All foreign students (who are not EU citizens or citizens of Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland) who come to Finland for the purposes of studying are required to have a health insurance, if the studies endure longer than three months.
You need to attach details of a comprehensive health insurance cover to your residence permit application. Comprehensive insurance cover means insurance which includes the types of treatment and costs that are covered by municipal health care services and the health insurance system.
Having a valid health insurance cover with a reliable and solvent company or institution is obligatory for obtaining a residence permit. You must have insurance cover when applying for a residence permit as without it, a residence permit cannot be granted. In principle, a residence permit cannot be issued for a period exceeding the period of the insurance cover. For up-to-date and more detailed information on insurances see the Finnish Immigration Services website.
Home municipality (domicile)
A Finnish municipality of residence (domicile) is registered for a foreigner, who has moved to Finland and has plans on staying here permanently, and has a residence permit for at least one year. The basic data on foreigners residing in Finland are entered in the Population Information System. Registered information includes name, date of birth, nationality, familial relationships and address.
Home municipality is important in relation to municipal health care in Finland as those with registered domicile are entitled to have municipal health care.
Local Register Offices (Maistraatti) provide more information on home municipality.
For more information on immigration regulations see the Finnish Immigration Services
Insurance Requirements for Exchange Students
Metropolia's travel and accident insurance does not cover exchange students. Thus, it is important that you check your travel and health insurance before leaving your home country.
The insurance is compulsory for all students regardless of the period of stay, and it must cover expenses and transportation to the home country in case of an emergency and/or repatriation, including liability insurance. The insurance must cover you during your stay in Finland and also during your travel to and from Finland.
Students from the EU / EEA countries
Students from the EU / EEA countries are entitled to necessary medical treatment in public health services in Finland, if they are covered by health insurance in their own country. A European Health Insurance Card is needed. The card ensures that you will get the same access to public sector health care as the local residents (e.g. a doctor, a pharmacy, a hospital or a health care centre), covering mainly emergency treatment in the event of an illness or injury, and other medically necessary treatment. Any costs you incur outside the system you will have to pay on your own.
Note that the European Health Insurance Card is not valid during your travels to and from Finland and during any excursions to a third country outside the EU. Therefore, citizens of the EU and EEA countries must also have a private insurance in addition to the European Health Insurance Card.
Students from outside the EU / EEA
Students from outside the EU / EEA must have private insurance to cover the duration of the visa / residence permit and the Schengen area before they enter Finland.
See more details on the required insurance coverage:
- residence permit: Finnish Immigration Service
- Schengen visa: Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.
The health insurance must be obtained prior to applying for a residence permit. The insurance must be valid for the whole duration of studies. It is a precondition for obtaining a residence permit that the student has a valid health insurance cover with a reliable and solvent company or institution for the whole stay in Finland. Insurance policies that meet these requirements are available in international insurance companies.
Students from the UK should apply for health care cover abroad (GHIC)
Do make sure the insurance is valid in other countries as well if you are planning to travel outside of Finland during your exchange.
