Applying for vocational rehabilitation

When can vocational rehabilitation be applied for?

You can apply for vocational rehabilitation if your work ability weakens and starts to impede your work. Before filling in the rehabilitation application, discuss the possibility of continuing at work and the various available options with your employer and occupational health care service. Other options could include, for example, Kela’s partial sickness allowance or a work trial based on a decision by the occupational health care service. Adapting your tasks at your workplace might also help you continue in your job.

If you have no employment relationship currently, discuss your situation with another health care specialist.

You will need a Medical Statement B on your current health to attach to the rehabilitation application.

Who is vocational rehabilitation for?

When assessing whether you are eligible for vocational rehabilitation, we look at the information related to your work, work history and earnings. In addition, our physician assesses, based on the Medical Statement B that you have attached to your application, whether the weakening of the work ability is likely to lead to the threat of disability in the future.

 Vocational rehabilitation may be an option for you if the following conditions are met:

• The weakening of your work ability limits your work, and you are at risk of losing your ability to work in the upcoming few years.
• Your earnings total at least EUR 39 157,84 at the 2023 (EUR 41 143,38 at the 2024) level over the five years preceding your application.
• You have employment earnings insured under an Earnings-related Pension Act in the 36 calendar months preceding your application. Time spent to take care of a child under 3 years of age is equated to working when considering employment earnings.
• Your vocational rehabilitation is appropriate and can support you in continuing to perform work that is appropriate for your health condition.
• You have not reached your lower old-age pension age.

If your work ability has weakened due to an accident or a traffic injury, apply to your accident insurance company for vocational rehabilitation.

Take a look at the vocational rehabilitation options >

File a rehabilitation application in MyPension service

Apply for vocational rehabilitation by filling in a rehabilitation application. The most convenient way to do this is by logging in to MyPension service using your banking credentials.

You need to attach to your application a Medical Statement B on your current state of health that is no older than six months. It is advisable to provide the Medical Statement B required for processing the application at the same time as you file the application. Please note that we are not able to process your application based on photos, screenshots, or archive texts from My Kanta Pages.

If you submit the statement afterwards, we expect it two weeks after receiving your application. If we do not receive the Medical Statement B within this time, your application will not be handled.

We will contact you if your rehabilitation application lacks some information required for processing the application. If necessary, we will request your most recent employer’s description of your work tasks and your performance at work.

Individual overall assessment

When processing your rehabilitation application, we will take your individual situation into account. We will assess your rehabilitation plan to establish, among other things, if it is suitable and appropriate for your state of health. We will also assess your chances to find employment doing the tasks specified in your plan after vocational rehabilitation.

Once we have processed your application, we will send you a positive or a negative decision. The decision will be based on our experts’ assessment of the necessity, applicability and usefulness of rehabilitation for you.

Did you receive a negative vocational rehabilitation decision? Read more about other options >