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Unemployment Allowance 2026 — How Much You Get and When

Guide · Updated 26 April 2026

A clear guide to how much allowance you receive, where to apply, and what the timeline looks like. Concrete amounts and all conditions on one page.

Reform notice 1 May 2026: the basic daily allowance has been replaced by yleistuki The basic daily allowance and the labour market subsidy ended on 30 April 2026. They were replaced by yleistuki — the same base amount (37.21 €/day), but means-tested against capital income. Read the guide on yleistuki →

The earnings-related allowance for unemployment fund members did not change — this guide still applies for the earnings-related allowance.

In brief Kela basic daily allowance: 37.21 €/day (~800 €/month). Fund earnings-related allowance: ~60 % of salary, max ~2,800 €/month. Register with TE-toimisto on day 1 of unemployment. Apply for the allowance within 7 days of the end of employment. Waiting period: 5 days. Payment period: 300 days (500 for those over 58).

Basic allowance vs earnings-related allowance
How much you get
Waiting period
Applying step by step
Payment period and what comes next
Self-employed persons' allowance

1. Basic Allowance vs Earnings-Related Allowance

	Basic allowance	Earnings-related allowance
Payer	Kela	Unemployment fund
Requirement	26-week work requirement	Fund membership 26 weeks + work requirement
Amount	37.21 €/day (~800 €/month)	~60 % of salary (max ~2,800 €/month)
Child supplement	Yes, 5.84–10.90 €/day	Yes, same logic
Cost	Free	Union membership ~200–300 €/year

Recommendation: If your monthly salary is over 1,600 €, the earnings-related allowance is significantly higher than the basic allowance. The union membership fee (about 1 % of salary) pays itself back many times over in a single period of unemployment.

2. How Much You Get

Basic Allowance (Kela)

The basic allowance is fixed and the same for everyone:

37.21 €/day (5 payment days per week)
Approximately 800 € per month after the waiting period
Taxed as earned income
Child supplement for minor children: 5.84 €/day (1 child), 8.57 €/day (2 children), 10.90 €/day (3+ children)

Earnings-Related Allowance (fund)

The earnings-related allowance is calculated for the fund member based on their previous salary:

Includes the same basic daily allowance component (37.21 €/day) plus an earnings component
In practice approximately 60 % of gross salary on the portion up to 3,670 €, and 25 % on the amount above that
Maximum approximately 2,800 €/month for high earners

Example calculation Monthly salary 3,000 €. Earnings-related allowance approximately 1,800 €/month, i.e. 75 €/day. Over a year of unemployment that is approximately 21,600 € — compared to 9,600 € from Kela. A difference of 12,000 € in a single period.

For the exact amount: use your fund's calculator or OmaKela.

3. Waiting Period

The waiting period is 5 working days from the start of unemployment, during which the allowance is not paid. The provision is based on Työttömyysturvalaki chapter 2, § 14.

Applies once you have registered as an unemployed jobseeker
Does not apply if the employer has terminated the employment contract on financial or production-related grounds (e.g. lay-off or redundancy)
Applies only once in a 12-month period — consecutive periods of unemployment do not generate new waiting periods

Suspension (90 days) — different from the waiting period

If you resign without a valid reason, you may face a 90-day suspension on top of the waiting period. A valid reason is for example a spouse's job change to another location, a health reason, or a material change to the terms of employment.

4. Applying Step by Step

Day 1: Register as an unemployed jobseeker. Go to Työmarkkinatori and complete the jobseeker registration. Without this, the allowance will not be paid.
Days 1–7: Apply for the allowance. If you are a fund member, apply there; otherwise apply to Kela. The application may be easier to complete once the employer has sent the employment certificate and payslips.
Days 5–10: Waiting period. The allowance is not yet paid.
Days 10–14: First payment. The allowance is usually paid retroactively after the waiting period ends. Processing time: 1–4 weeks.
Every 4 weeks: submit a payment application or unemployment declaration according to your fund's/Kela's instructions, so that payments continue.

Do not delay: Registering with TE-toimisto or submitting your application too late can delay payments. Days on which you do not declare yourself unemployed do not count towards the allowance.

5. Payment Period and What Comes Next

The allowance is paid for a maximum of 300 working days (~14 calendar months). For those over 58 who meet the work requirement, it can be paid for 500 working days.

What happens after the maximum number of days?

Labour market subsidy: a Kela benefit that replaces the allowance once the payment period ends. Income-tested — the spouse's income and household assets are checked.
Housing benefit: from Kela. May be available at the same time.
Social assistance: from Kela. The last-resort benefit if other income is insufficient to cover basic expenses.

6. Self-Employed Persons' Allowance

Unemployment protection for self-employed persons is complex and differs from the employee system.

Self-employed persons' unemployment funds (e.g. SYT, AYT) offer earnings-related allowance. Requirements: at least 18 months of fund membership and a YEL insurance with annual income of at least 14,800 €.
Kela basic allowance is available if business activity has been completely ceased or suspended.
Part-time business activity may affect the amount of the allowance (adjusted allowance).
Your YEL earned income significantly affects the amount of the earnings-related allowance — keep the earned income sufficiently high if you want to secure earnings-related protection.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the unemployment allowance in 2026? Kela's basic daily allowance is 37.21 €/day (5 days a week), i.e. about 800 € per month. The fund's earnings-related allowance is approximately 60 % of monthly salary — on a salary of 3,000 € that is about 1,800 €/month net. At most, the earnings-related allowance is about 2,800 €/month for high earners.

What is the waiting period and how long is it? The waiting period is 5 days from the start of unemployment, during which the allowance is not paid. The provision is based on Työttömyysturvalaki chapter 2, § 14. If the employer has terminated the employment contract, the waiting period does not apply. If you resign without a valid reason, you may face a 90-day suspension on top of the waiting period.

How do I apply for the unemployment allowance?

Register as a jobseeker with TE-toimisto (Työmarkkinatori) on the first day of unemployment — this is a prerequisite for the allowance. 2) Apply for the allowance: if you are a member of a trade union and its unemployment fund, apply to the fund; otherwise apply to Kela. 3) Apply within 7 days of the end of employment. A late application may delay payments.

What is the difference between the basic allowance and the earnings-related allowance? The basic allowance comes from Kela, is available to everyone who meets the work requirement, and is a fixed 37.21 €/day. The earnings-related allowance comes from the unemployment fund, requires 26 weeks of fund membership during the period the work requirement is met, and is approximately 60 % of salary. Union membership costs about 200–300 €/year, but due to the difference in allowance amounts it usually pays itself back many times over in a single period of unemployment.

How long is the allowance paid? The maximum payment period is 300 working days (about 14 months) for those under 58. For those over 58 who meet the work requirement, the allowance can be paid for 500 working days. After the payment period, you usually move on to the labour market subsidy (Kela) or other benefits depending on the situation.

Can I receive the allowance if I am self-employed? Self-employed persons' allowance is a complex subject. There are unemployment funds for self-employed persons (e.g. SYT fund, AYT fund), and earnings-related allowance can be obtained from them if you meet the YEL-based work requirement. Without fund membership, Kela's basic allowance is available if business activity has been completely ceased or suspended. Part-time business activity may affect the amount. We recommend seeking personal advice.

What if I was laid off, not made redundant? During a lay-off you receive the unemployment allowance without a suspension, on the same basis as after redundancy. The employment contract remains in force. For a lay-off you do not need an employment certificate — a lay-off notice is sufficient. Read more about the differences between lay-off and redundancy in our guide.

Sources

Työttömyysturvalaki (1290/2002): finlex.fi
Kela — Basic daily allowance: kela.fi
Unemployment funds (TYJ): tyj.fi
Työmarkkinatori (TE): tyomarkkinatori.fi