For new students
Are you starting your studies? As a new degree student in higher education you are welcome to use our services at the FSHS. We are here to support your health and well-being throughout your studies.
We provide primary-level general and mental health services, oral health services and look after well-being in student communities nationwide.
On this page, we have collected useful information about using our services.
Page content
- Register as present for the semester
- When you want to contact us
- Local services across Finland
- Familiarize yourself with our Self online service
- Pay the healthcare fee to Kela
- Reschedule or cancel your appointment in time
- You will be able to answer the HealthStart questionnaire within your first academic year
- Familiarize yourself with our group activities
- Join our student events
- Check out the Health Information section on our website
- Follow news on our website and our social media channels
- Watch our video presentation 2024–2025 for new students
Register as present for the semester
You can use our services if you’re studying towards a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a higher education institution in Finland and you have registered as an attending student for the semester. The right to use services is valid according to each attended semester and it starts earliest on the first day of each semester. The autumn semester runs from 1 August to 31 December and the spring semester from 1 January to 31 July.
Please note that the information regarding your enrollment will be transferred to us from your higher education institution with a delay of approximately 1-3 days.
International exchange students not completing a degree at a Finnish higher education institution are not entitled to use FSHS services.
Read more about who can use FSHS services.
When you want to contact us
When you need us, you can call one of our nationwide service numbers or contact us via the Self online service by either using its chat feature or by completing a service form suitable for your symptoms.
A healthcare professional will contact you to assess your need for treatment and its level of urgency. Depending on your needs, you may be referred to our remote services, local services, or be given self-care instructions.
Please note that due to data protection we cannot answer treatment-related questions by e-mail or via social media channels.
We will inform you about possible exceptions in service times or disruptions in our service lines on our website.
A video tip: the short animation Using FSHS services (2022)
Local services across Finland
Our local services are available in nearly all study towns nationwide. We provide services at either our own service units or via a partner unit.
Your primary service unit is the one in the town where you’re studying. Service units operated by partners are only for students studying in these towns.
Appointments for all FSHS services and partners’ service units are always made at the FSHS through our assessment of the need for treatment.
Familiarize yourself with our Self online service
We’re providing more and more services remotely. Most of these services can be found in the Self online service. Start using Self as soon as you begin your studies!
In Self you can for example reschedule or cancel your appointments, manage your personal information or complete health and service forms. You can also use Self to access remote appointments.
- Read more about the Self online service
- You can log in to Self at yths.fi/en/self
A video tip: the short animation The Self online service (2022)
- Watch the short animation The Self online service (dreambroker.com, 44 seconds)
- Alt text for the video
Pay the healthcare fee to Kela
The healthcare fee for students in higher education that students pay to Kela covers all FSHS services. Please remember that you must pay the health care fee to Kela for each semester unprompted. Kela does not send a bill for the fee.
Any more specific questions about the healthcare fee should always be addressed directly to Kela, which is the authority responsible for collecting the fee.
We at the FSHS do not charge fees for appointments or our other services (except a fee for unattented appointments that you haven’t cancelled in time).
If your social security is covered by another EU/EEA country, Switzerland, Great Britain or Northern Ireland (instead of Finland), you may not have to pay the healthcare fee. In this case, be prepared to show a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) when you use FSHS services. You need to present the card before each remote appointment or local appointment. Please check instructions for presenting your card on our website. Also deliver a copy of the card to Kela according to Kela’s own instructions.
You can also read useful Kela tips here:
Reschedule or cancel your appointment in time
If you cannot make it to your appointment, please remember to reschedule or cancel it no later than 24 hours prior to the appointment in the Self online service or by calling our phone service. This way you avoid paying the fee for unattended appointments.
The fee for unattended appointments concerns all appointments and examinations, both at FSHS´s own service units and our partner service units. It also applies, for example, to remote appointments, laboratory visits and vaccination visits.
- Check the instructions for rescheduling or canceling an appointment
- The fee for unattended appointment
You will be able to answer the HealthStart questionnaire within your first academic year
The health examination for first-year students begins with the HealthStart questionnaire in our Self online service. After completing the questionnaire you’ll receive an assessment on the state of your health. If necessary, based on your answers, you will be referred for an in-person or remote consultation. You may also get useful health promotion tips.
If you have begun studiyng towards your first degree at a higher education institution, the HealthStart questionnaire will appear in the Self online service within your first academic year. If you update your contact information in Self immediately after the semester has started, you will get a personal invitation to complete HealthStart by SMS. We will also inform you on our news channels when the questionnaire is available to you.
A video tip: the short animation HealthStart (2022)
Familiarize yourself with our group activities
During the semesters, we arrange various preventive and treatment groups, both remotely and at our service units. In a group you can get support for your health and life management.
You can discuss attending a group with your nurse or doctor. For some groups you can register yourself.
Most of the groups are held in Finnish, but there are also plans for some individual groups held in Swedish or English.
Join our student events
We carry out study community work together with students, institutions of higher education and student associations. You’ll meet us at various student events online and on campuses during the academic year.
- Event calendar
- Read more about the study community work
- At some point during your studies, you may also be interested in these:
Check out the Health Information section on our website
You will find useful health information and tips to promote your well-being in the Health information section on our website.
The Health information section has, among other things, a search engine to access our Health information resource. It contains a large number of articles on different aspects of a student’s health.
A video tip: the short animation Health information online (2022)
- Watch the short animation Health information online (dreambroker.com, 50 seconds)
- Alt text for the video
Follow news on our website and our social media channels
We regurlarly publish news and information bulletins with current information at yths.fi/en/news. Start also following us on Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn and YouTube.
Watch our video presentation for new students
You can enlarge the viewing window to full screen and enable subtitles from the settings. The video duration is 5 minutes and 24 seconds. Watching the embedded video on our website requires you to have accepted all cookies on our website.
If you wish, you can also watch the video on our YouTube channel via this link. The video has spoken text, but there are also some texts embedded in the images. You can read the alternative texts for the images from the accordion box below the video.
Alt texts for the pictures in the presentation video (click to open)
Slide 1: The slide shows FSHS’s logo and the text: “Welcome to FSHS services.”
Slide 2: The picture shows students on campus and the text: “Congratulations on your study place!”
During this slide, the following text is read in the captioned video: “Hi student, welcome to use FSHS services! Congratulations on your study place! You have the right to use our services if you are studying towards a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a higher education institution in Finland and you have registered as an attending student for the semester.”
Slide 3: The picture shows students and FSHS’s employees gathered around FSHS´s stand table. The picture has the text: “Our services: General and mental health services, oral health services, health promotion, promoting the well-being of higher education communities.”
During this slide, the following text is read in the captioned video: “We provide you with oral health and general and mental health services. We also work with issues concerning well-being in the study communities and health promotion. We provide services both as digital remote services and as local services at either our own or our partners’ service units.”
Slide 4: The picture shows a student with a computer. The picture has the text: “Via the Self online service, you can easily manage varioius matters online.More information: yths.fi/en/self-info“
During this slide, the following text is read in the captioned video: “First, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with our Self online service. Via Self you can easily manage various matters online. In the Self online service you can, for example, view your booked appointments. You can also reschedule or cancel your appointments, use chat, update your personal information, and complete various health and service forms. You can also use Self to access remote appointments. Log in to Self via the FSHS website with your online banking ID or mobile ID. Strong identification guarantees that your information is safe with us. Check out more detailed instructions on how to use Self on our website.”
Slide 5: The picture shows a FSHS’s employee with a computer and a headset. The picture has the text: “Contact the assessment of the need for treatment team by completing service forms in the Self online service, via SelfChat or by phone. Read more: yths.fi/contactfshs“
During this slide, the following text is read in the captioned video: “Before you can be referred to any FSHS service or partner service unit, your need for treatment will be assessed by the FSHS. You can contact us by completing a service form in the Self online service, using SelfChat or by calling us. A healthcare professional will assess your need for treatment and its level of urgency. Depending on your needs, you may be referred to our remote services or local services. You may also receive self-care instructions.”
Slide 6: The picture shows a smiling student with a computer and a coffee cup. The picture has the text: After completing the HealthStart questionnaire, you’ll receive feedback on the state of your health. More information: yths.fi/healthstart“
During this slide, the following text is read in the captioned video: “The health examination for first-year students begins with the HealthStart questionnaire. After completing the questionnaire, you’ll receive an assessment on the state of your health. Based on your answers, you will receive a local or remote appointment time if deemed necessary. You may also receive useful health promotion tips. The HealthStart questionnaire will be available to you within your first academic year in the Self online service. Up-to-date contact information in Self guarantees that you will get a personal invitation by SMS. Read more about the health questionnaire on fshs.fi.”
Slide 7: The picture shows students and employees interacting in a class room. The picture has the text: ”In our groups you can get support for your health and life management. More information: yths.fi/groups“
During this slide, the following text is read in the captioned video: “During the semesters, we arrange preventive and treatment groups, both remotely and at our service units.In a group you can get support for your health and life management. Check the group schedules and instructions for applying to groups on our website.”
Slide 8: A group of students is sitting by the river looking happy. The picture has the text: “Join our student events: yths.fi/events“
During this slide, the following text is read in the captioned video: “We carry out study community work together with students, higher education institutions and student associations. You’ll meet us at various student events both online and on campuses during the academic year. Please follow the event calendar on our website and come to our events to learn about various health promotion tips!”
Slide 9: A physiotherapist instructs another person in resistance band exercises. The picture has the text: “Pay the healthcare fee for students in higher education to Kela unprompted– according to Kela’s instructions. Please note the exceptions to the fee, if you have social security coverage from another EU/EEA country, Switzerland, Great Britain or Northern Ireland.”
There is also this link in the picture: kela.fi/healthcare-fee
During this slide, the following text is read in the captioned video:
“The healthcare fee for students in higher education that students pay to Kela covers all FSHS services. Please remember that you must pay the fee for each semester unprompted. Always check out Kela’s website for more detailed information about the healthcare fee.
If your social security is covered by another EU/EEA country, Switzerland, Great Britain or Northern Ireland, you may not have to pay the healthcare fee. If so, prepare to show a valid European Health Insurance Card or Global Health Insurance card, when using FSHS services. You need to present the card before each remote appointment and local appointment. Please check instructions for presenting your card on our website at yths.fi/en/ehic. Also deliver a copy of the card to Kela according to Kela’s own instructions.
We at the FSHS do not charge fees for appointments –except for the fee for missed appointments that you haven’t rescheduled or cancelled beforehand. Appointments should be rescheduled or cancelled at least 24 hours prior to the appointment.”
Slide 10: A smiling student leans against a tree with headphones on. The weather is sunny. The picture has the text: “Familiarize yourself more closely with our services and instructions on how to use them on our website fshs.fi. You can also follow us on social media.”
During this slide, the following text is read in the captioned video: “We have gathered information about our services and how to use them on our website fshs.fi. There, you will find contact information for our contact channels and our service units. We also regularly post news and information bulletins online. You should also check out the Health Information Resource on our website! It contains a large number of articles related to a student’s health. You can also follow us on social media, for example Instagram.”
Slide 11: Two students are sitting by the tree in sunny weather. The picture has the text: “Good luck with your first academic year!” The greeting is also presented orally: “We wish you all the best for your first academic year!”