You must take out YEL insurance if all the following conditions are met:
The minimum age for YEL insurance is 18. Insurance coverage begins at the start of the calendar month following your 18th birthday.
The upper age limit depends on your year of birth:
Take out YEL insurance from the date on which your work actually begins (for example, on your first day of work, when your first invoiced work begins, or when you start your self-employed activity).
Your entrepreneurial activity must also be extensive enough for your YEL income to be at least EUR 785 per month, or EUR 9,423.09 per year (2026).
The start date of your insurance may differ from your company's registration date if you do not begin working immediately when the business is registered.
You have six months to take out the insurance. However, the start date of your YEL insurance will always be the date on which your entrepreneurial activities began at a level that meets the YEL insurance obligation.
If you operate as a sole trader and work in your business, you need YEL insurance for yourself.
If your spouse works in the business, they must take out their own YEL insurance, regardless of whether they receive a salary.
If another family member works in your business without pay, they must also take out their own YEL insurance. If they are paid a salary, you must arrange TyEL insurance for them.
You need YEL insurance if:
If these conditions are not met but you work in the company and receive a salary, you need TyEL insurance.
Examples of managerial positions include:
You need TyEL insurance if you work in the company, receive a salary, and:
If you are a partner in a general partnership and work in the business, you need YEL insurance.
If a family member works in the partnership and receives a salary, they need TyEL insurance. If they do not receive a salary, they do not need either TyEL or YEL insurance.
If you are a general partner in a limited partnership and work in the business, you need YEL insurance.
If you are a silent partner, work in the business and receive a salary, you need TyEL insurance. If you are not paid a salary, you do not need either TyEL or YEL insurance.
If a family member who is not a partner works in the business and receives a salary, they need TyEL insurance. If they work without pay, they do not need either TyEL or YEL insurance.
You need YEL insurance if:
You need TyEL insurance if you work in the organisation, receive a salary, and:
If you are a light entrepreneur, meaning that you work for yourself and invoice your clients through an invoicing service, you need YEL insurance.
Under earnings-related pension legislation, a light entrepreneur is considered a self-employed person.
For the purposes of earnings-related pension legislation, the following are considered family members:
A child living in their own household is not regarded as a family member under earnings-related pension legislation.
Siblings, uncles and aunts are also not regarded as family members, even if they live in the same household as the self-employed person.
If you work as a self-employed person in more than one business, you only need one YEL insurance policy. Set your YEL income so that it reflects the value of your work input across all your businesses combined.
If you are receiving an old-age pension, you may work as a self-employed person without YEL insurance.
If you wish, you can take out voluntary YEL insurance alongside your pension. Voluntary YEL insurance accrues additional pension at a rate of 1.5 per cent per year.
Remember to claim the pension accrued during retirement no earlier than when you reach your highest retirement age.
See instructions on how to claim pension accrued during retirement
You need YEL insurance if you work as a self-employed person while receiving a partial old-age pension and your YEL income exceeds the minimum threshold for obligatory insurance, which is EUR 9,423.09 in 2026.
If your work input changes when you move to a partial old-age pension, apply for a change in your YEL income in Varma Online Service. You can find the application under YEL Insurance → Insurance policy information → Apply for a change in your YEL income.
Self-employment carried out alongside a partial old-age pension accrues additional pension at a rate of 1.5 per cent per year. You can claim this accrued pension no earlier than at your lowest retirement age.
See instructions on how to claim pension accrued during retirement
You need YEL insurance if you work as a self-employed person while receiving a disability pension, partial disability pension, cash rehabilitation benefit or partial cash rehabilitation benefit, and your YEL income exceeds the minimum threshold for obligatory insurance, which is EUR 9,423.09 in 2026.
Your YEL income may not exceed the earnings limit stated in your pension decision (your monthly earnings limit multiplied by twelve).
However, your YEL income may be up to EUR 990.90 per month, or EUR 11,890.80 per year (2026), even if your personal earnings limit is lower. This will not affect the payment of your pension.
You can check your personal earnings limit in your pension decision and in Varma Online Service.
Self-employment carried out alongside a pension accrues additional pension at a rate of 1.5 per cent per year. You can claim this accrued pension no earlier than at your lowest retirement age.
See instructions on how to claim pension accrued during retirement
You need YEL insurance if you work as a self-employed person while receiving a years-of-service pension and your YEL income exceeds the minimum threshold for obligatory insurance, which is EUR 9,423.09 in 2026.
Your YEL income may not exceed the earnings limit for a years-of-service pension (the monthly earnings limit multiplied by twelve). The earnings limit for a years-of-service pension is EUR 990.90 per month, or EUR 11,890.80 per year in 2026.
Self-employment carried out alongside a pension accrues additional pension at a rate of 1.5 per cent per year. You can claim this accrued pension no earlier than at your lowest retirement age.
See instructions on how to claim pension accrued during retirement
In our online service, you can, for instance
Sign in to the service using your personal banking codes.
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