Private health care licences

The Act on Supervision of Social Welfare and Health Care has entered into force on 1 January 2024. The material in this section is not up to date. We will update our material as soon as possible.

Licensing

A licence is required for providing the following kinds of services, among others: 

  • laboratory analysis 
  • radiology
  • other diagnostic examinations and procedures  
  • occupational health care 
  • home-based nursing 
  • medical and dental practice 
  • nursing and midwifery 
  • practical nursing 
  • professional massage therapy 
  • paramedic services 
  • dental hygiene services 
  • specialist dental technology 
  • nutritional therapy 
  • speech therapy 
  • occupational therapy 
  • podiatry 
  • psychotherapy 
  • physiotherapy 
  • chiropractic therapy 
  • naprapathy 
  • osteopathy 
  • psychology 
  • optical services  

There are also services that can be provided by health care professionals as well as professionals in other fields who have subsequently trained in the discipline in question. Examples include music therapy, sex therapy, equine therapy, acupuncture and neuropsychiatric coaching. These services are not specified as disciplines in health care licences, and instead practitioners’ fields are always assigned based on their basic training. For example, if a registered nurse provides sex therapy, their licence will be issued for “nursing”, which covers sex therapy.   

Businesses that have been contracted or otherwise commissioned by a public-sector organisation to provide health care services also need a private health care licence. 

Health care services can only be provided by health care professionals whose details are included in the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health’s central register of health care professionals.

Businesses that only provide telemedicine services can apply for a telemedicine licence from the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health.

Health care services are services provided in the field of conventional, evidence-based medicine directly to members of the public. No licence is required for the provision of the following kinds of services:  

  • labour hire 
  • alternative medicine 
  • coordination 
  • coaching and training

We charge the same processing fee regardless of whether or not an application is successful.  

However, applications are rarely denied. We generally only reject applicants who do not satisfy the licensing criteria or who fail to supply all the necessary documents on time.

Application process

Make sure that you have done, or have at least thought about doing, the following before you submit your application:  

  • requested a business ID from the Finnish Patent and Registration Office, 
  • confirmation about entering the Finnish Tax Administration’s Prepayment Register and where applicable the Employer Register 
  • bought insurance under the Finnish Patient Insurance Act, 
  • Suomi.fi-identification for accessing online services,  
  • appointed a Chief Health Care Officer,
  • appointed a Patient Ombudsman,
  • carried out a pre-commissioning inspection on your business premises or, 
  • if your business operates on the premises of another health care provider, obtained evidence of your right to use their premises and equipment (e.g. lease agreement).

Learn more on:

The easiest way to apply is online. Applying online also speeds up the processing of your application. To apply online, you need to have Suomi.fi-identification.  

If you are unable to use the online customer service portal, you can print out the relevant forms and send them to the competent Regional State Administrative Agency’s registry by post or by email. A link to the contact information of Regional State Administrative Agencies’ registries is provided at the bottom of this page.

Contact information for registries

Links to legal texts