Reception allowance

If you are an asylum seeker or have applied for or been granted temporary protection, you may get reception allowance. Reception allowance is money intended for the immediate basic needs of you and your family. You can be granted reception allowance if you or your family members do not have enough income and funds to cover your immediate basic needs, such as food and clothing.

Reception allowance is not granted automatically. You can apply for the allowance from your own reception centre by filling in an application form. Your reception centre can give you the application form and instructions for applying.

The reception allowance consists of the basic component and the supplementary reception allowance.

The basic component of the reception allowance is intended for clothing, minor health care costs, expenses on the use of local transport, and telephone costs, for example. The basic component is also intended for food costs if the reception centre does not offer daily meals.

In addition to the basic component, you can apply for supplementary reception allowance for the special needs of you and your family.

Your income and funds affect the amount of your reception allowance

All income and funds that you and your family have at your disposal affect the amount of the reception allowance. Even all income and funds you receive from abroad affect the amount of the reception allowance, if you have the income and funds at your disposal in Finland.

When you apply for the reception allowance, you have a legal obligation to report to the reception centre all your income and funds. Income means any monetary income, such as salary or wages, tax refunds or money gifted to you by a relative, for example. Funds can mean, for instance, cash, savings in a bank account or any assets and property of value that you can sell.

The amount of the reception allowance is always determined individually on the basis of the needs and funds of the person or family.

Your reception centre will make a calculation of the amount of reception allowance you are entitled to. Your income and the funds you have at your disposal will be taken into account in the calculation. Under law, a maximum of 150 euros of your wage income may be excluded from the calculation, meaning that this sum does not reduce the amount of your reception allowance. The rest of your wage income will still affect the amount of the reception allowance.

Under law, a maximum of 50 euros of other income than wage income may also be excluded from the calculation, meaning that this sum does not reduce the amount of your reception allowance. For a family, the corresponding sum is 100 euros. The calculation will regard as expenses the basic component of the reception allowance and your work-related expenses if you have a job.

Housing costs will not be covered

If you live in private accommodation, your housing costs, such as rent, electricity and water expenses, will not be paid for. Housing or organizing your housing is not financially supported.

Will travelling affect my reception allowance?

The reception allowance is meant for persons residing in Finland. Travelling abroad may affect your right to receive reception allowance. If you apply for reception allowance and intend to travel outside Finland, inform your reception centre of your trip.

Children who are in Finland without a guardian are paid spending allowance

Reception centres that are intended for children, so called units for minors, secure the living of unaccompanied minors by arranging full board and lodging for children who are in Finland without their guardian. Units for minors take care of the children’s necessary expenses and additional costs related to their special needs such as hobbies and studies. Children who live in a unit for minors receive spending allowance instead of reception allowance. The spending allowance is intended for the child’s personal expenses. It is not used to secure the child’s living.

Unaccompanied minors who live in private accommodation or in a supported housing unit for persons over 16 years of age are paid reception allowance. The amount of this reception allowance is the same as it is for adults living alone.

Monthly reception allowance and spending allowance in 2023