When you are about to retire, claim your pension with the appropriate application form (separate for each pension benefit). As a rule, claim your pension around one month before you want to retire.
Use the same form when you claim one of the following pensions from both the earnings-related and the national pension (Kela) system: old-age pension, disability pension or survivors’ pension. Use one and the same form even if you have worked both in the private and public sector.
Read the benefit-specific instructions before claiming your pension.
Claim your pension online
You can claim your pension online. Most pension providers offer an online pension claim service (some also in English). You can start filling out your claim directly from the site with the benefit-specific instructions.
Use a form if you cannot claim online
If your own pension provider does not offer an online claim service (or not in English), you can fill out a paper form or print out a form that you have filled out online.
If you work in the private sector or are self-employed, you can hand in your claim to any pension provider, the Finnish Centre for Pensions, a Mela insurance agent or a Kela office. If you work in the public sector, that is, for a local government, the State, Kela or the Evangelical-Lutheran Church, claim your earnings-related pension from Keva.
Working or residing abroad lengthens the claim handling process
Claim a pension from abroad with the same form as you claim your Finnish pension. State which country you are claiming the pension from. Fill out Appendix U (with information on your work and living abroad) and attach it to your claim. The information on time you have spent working or living abroad is needed even if you don’t claim a pension from abroad yet.
If you have resided or worked abroad, claim your pension approximately 6–9 months before you wish the pension payments to begin.
If you apply for a pension from abroad as well as from Finland, processing the claim for the Finnish pension takes longer than usual since your pension provider needs information on your work abroad, that is, on your insurance periods, in order to calculate your pension. The Finnish Centre for Pensions will request the information from the foreign pension authority. This also applies when you claim only a pension from Finland but have worked abroad.
Your own pension provider pays your pension and answers your questions
As a rule, the pension decision is issued by the pension provider in which the majority of your earnings have been insured in the last two calendar years. The same pension provider will pay out your pension and answer any questions you may have about the pension decision.
New tax card for your pension
You need a new tax card for your pension since the tax rate for pensions is different from that for wages. Once you have been issued a pension decision, apply for a new tax card from the Tax Administration. If you are retired and work, you need a separate tax card for your wages.
Read more about how your pension will be paid and taxed
Your pension card proves that you have been granted a statutory earnings-related pension. As a rule, your pension provider will attach your pension card to your pension decision. Your pension card gives you discounts for services or products from many companies.
You can appeal your pension decision. Appeal instructions are enclosed with the pension decision. You must submit the appeal in writing and sign it.
You can write the appeal in you own words, as long as you state clearly that it is an appeal to the Pension Appeal Court. In addition, you must clearly state what part of the decision you are unhappy about, how you would like to to have that part changed, and the grounds for requesting the change.
The Pension Appeal Court handles appeals submitted within the private and the public sector.
You have to submit your written appeal to the pension Appeal Court within 30 days of receiving your pension decision. You are considered to have received the decision seven days from the date on which it was posted.
The Appeal Court will forward your appeal to the pension provider that has issued your pension decision.
If your pension provider agrees with your appeal, it can correct its decision. If you and your pension provider cannot reach an agreement, your appeal will be forwarded to the Pension Appeal Court for processing.
You can appeal the decision of the Pension Appeal Court to the Insurance Court. Its decision is final.
If your appeal concerns a pension decision that you have received from abroad, you must send your appeal to the country that issues the decision. For more details, see the instructions that were attached to your pension decision from abroad.