Public sector has its own pension act

Keva administers public sector pensions. If you work for one of Keva’s member corporations (including a municipality, a federation of municipalities, a health and social services county), the State, the Evangelical-Lutheran Church, Kela and the Bank of Finland, your pension accrues under the Public Sector Pensions Act (JuEL).

You are covered by the Public Sector Pensions Act if you are an employee or civil servant of a public employer, such as

  • a municipality, a federation of municipalities, a health and social services county or a federation of health and social services counties,
  • the State, including the military forces,
  • a parish, a federation of parishes, a cathedral chapter or the National Ecclesiastical Board of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church,
  • the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela), or
  • the Bank of Finland (as of 1 January 2021).

Under certain conditions, limited companies, foundations, associations or cooperatives owned by the municipalities may also be member corporations of Keva. If you work for one of them, you are also covered by the Public Sector Pensions Act.

The same applies if you are in an employment relationship with Parliament or if you are the Parliamentary Ombudsman or the Deputy Parliamentary Ombudsman. If you work for the Orthodox Church of Finland, you are covered either by the Public Sector Pensions Act or the Employees Pensions Act.

If you are a private care-provider, family care-giver or in a position of trust or working on the basis of a consultation and commission agreement, you are also covered by the Public Sector Pensions Act even when you are not in an employment or a service relationship but you accrue pension for your work. You are also covered by the Public Sector Pensions Act if you work based on a consultation and commission agreement but are not self-employed.

If you are a member of Parliament or serve the regional government of Åland, you are covered by separate pension acts, as is the President of Finland.

Keva also handles your pensions under special pension acts if you are, for example, the spouse of a diplomat, received a grant for artists before 2009, or are a foreigner hired abroad to work at a Finnish embassy or consulate.

As a public sector employee, your pension contributions are determined in the same way as in the private sector. In 2024, your contribution is 7.15 per cent, except if you are aged between 53 and 62 years, in which case your pension contribution is 8.65 per cent.

Contact Keva for more information on municipal and State pension insurance and pensions