---
title: "Kela, DVV and the letter you cannot read"
type: "situation"
situation: "Kela and the paperwork"
cluster: "official"
url: "https://finnishirl.com/situations/viranomaiset"
canonical: "https://finnishirl.com/situations/viranomaiset"
author: "Andrey the Nomad"
site: "Finnish IRL"
license: "https://finnishirl.com/terms#ip"
---

# Kela, DVV and the letter you cannot read

URL: https://finnishirl.com/situations/viranomaiset

Situation: Kela and the paperwork.

Finland does officialdom well and does it in Finnish. The service is often in English; the envelope in your letterbox is not.

## The short version
- Kela handles social benefits, DVV handles your registration and address, Vero handles tax. Almost everything else is a municipality.
- The long compound words on a form are usually three ordinary words stacked. Split them and most of the vocabulary stops being frightening.
- Kela, DVV and Vero all serve in English. The letters that arrive at your address are still Finnish and Swedish.

## The words on the letter
- hakemus - application. When: the thing you send. Safe for anyone to say.
- päätös - decision. When: the answer - this is the word to look for first. Safe for anyone to say.
- liite - attachment / enclosure. When: the document they want with it. Safe for anyone to say.
- määräaika - deadline. When: usually bolded, always real. Safe for anyone to say.
- henkilötunnus - personal identity code. When: the number everything hangs off. Safe for anyone to say.
- lisätiedot - further information. When: what they need before deciding. Safe for anyone to say.

## Booking and arriving
- Haluaisin varata ajan. - I'd like to book an appointment.. When: on the phone or at the desk. Safe for anyone to say.
- Mulla on aika kymmeneltä. (written: Minulla on aika kymmeneltä.) - I have an appointment at ten.. When: arriving. Casual - fine once you know people.
- Onks teillä palvelua englanniksi? (written: Onko teillä palvelua englanniksi?) - Do you have service in English?. When: usually yes. Safe for anyone to say.
- Otan vuoronumeron. - I'll take a queue number.. When: the ticket machine by the door. Safe for anyone to say.

## Asking about your case
- Mä lähetin hakemuksen viime kuussa. (written: Minä lähetin hakemuksen viime kuussa.) - I sent the application last month.. When: opening the question. Casual - fine once you know people.
- Onko päätös tullut? - Has a decision come?. When: the thing you want to know. Safe for anyone to say.
- Mitä liitteitä tarvitaan? - What attachments are needed?. When: before you send anything. Safe for anyone to say.
- En ymmärrä tätä kirjettä. - I don't understand this letter.. When: entirely acceptable to say. Safe for anyone to say.

## The move that gives you away
Don't: Do not ignore a letter because you cannot read it, and do not assume a deadline is soft.
Do: Find the word päätös or määräaika, photograph the page, and ask. Kela answers the phone in English.
Why: Finnish administration is unusually forgiving about language and unusually literal about dates. The letter is a schedule, not a warning.

## Same thing, three registers
- Written: Haluaisin tiedustella hakemukseni käsittelytilannetta.
- Spoken: Mä kysyisin mun hakemuksesta.
- Casual: Onks mun hakemus käsitelty?
This is the one situation where the written form is not overkill - it is what the letter you are holding is written in, and staff will not blink at it.

## At the Kela desk
Virkailija: Moi, miten voin auttaa? - Hi, how can I help?
Sä: Moi. Mä lähetin hakemuksen kuukausi sitten, onks päätös tullut? - Hi. I sent an application a month ago, has a decision come?
Virkailija: Katotaan. Onks sulla henkilötunnus? - Let's see. Do you have your personal identity code?
Sä: Joo, tässä. - Yes, here.
Virkailija: Joo, se on käsittelyssä. Siitä puuttuu yks liite. - Right, it's being processed. One attachment is missing.
Sä: Mikä liite? - Which one?

## Questions people ask
**Can I deal with Kela in English?** Yes. Kela, DVV and the tax office all provide phone and desk service in English, and much of their website is translated. What is not translated is the individual letter about your case.

**What is the difference between Kela and DVV?** Kela is the social insurance institution - benefits, health cover, student support. DVV is the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, which handles who you are and where you live.

**Why are the words on Finnish forms so long?** Finnish compounds rather than using prepositions. Asumistukihakemus is asuminen + tuki + hakemus - housing, support, application. Splitting a compound is the single most useful reading skill for official Finnish.

**Do I need Finnish for citizenship?** You need a language certificate, usually YKI level 3 in Finnish or Swedish. This site is not a YKI course and does not claim to be one - but the listening half of that test is spoken Finnish, which is what these pages are about.