Changes in Entrepreneurial Activity
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Part-time or Secondary Entrepreneurial Activity
Part-time or secondary entrepreneurs are also insured with YEL insurance if the insurance conditions are met. You need YEL insurance for your entrepreneurial activity, even if you are also employed elsewhere, where the employer pays TyEL insurance contributions. Both contribute to your employment pension.
Transitioning from full-time entrepreneurship to part-time may mean changes to your YEL insurance. If you start working part-time or as a secondary activity, it usually affects your work input in your entrepreneurial activity, and this change should be reflected in your YEL income. It is advisable to report changes as soon as possible, as it is not possible to make changes retroactively. If the change in work input is significant enough that the annual lower limit for YEL insurance is no longer met, the YEL insurance can be terminated at the time the change occurred. Report changes if necessary, in Elo's online service.
Change in Company Form or Entrepreneur's Business
An entrepreneur is considered insured under YEL in a limited company if they are a shareholder in a leading position who
• Owns more than 30% of the shares or the voting rights alone, or
• Owns more than 50% of the shares or the voting rights together with family members.
Otherwise, they are insured under TyEL.
All family members living in the same household and working in the same company are covered by YEL if the joint ownership exceeds 50%. When calculating ownership, indirect ownership through other entities or partnerships is also considered.
A member of the cooperative who is personally responsible for the cooperative's commitments and works in the cooperative is required to take YEL insurance.
If you remain covered by YEL after a change in company form or business, your existing YEL insurance will continue, and any changes will be updated in it. Please inform us as soon as possible of the official name, business ID, address, and the date of change for the new or changed company. Also, specify whether you want the YEL insurance invoicing to be directed to your company or to you personally.
When the situation changes, your work input may also change, so remember to consider this in your YEL insurance income if necessary. Make a change notification easily in Elo's company customer online service.
Ending Entrepreneurial Activity or Falling Below the Minimum Insurance treshold
YEL insurance can be terminated if your work as an entrepreneur ends completely or if your work input falls below the minimum threshold required for insurance, 9423,09 euros in 2026 (9,208.43 euros in 2025). The insurance cannot be paused; it must be terminated entirely. If you later resume entrepreneurial activity, you will need to take out a new YEL insurance policy.
YEL insurance can also be terminated during parental leave if the insurance obligation is not met during the leave. The insurance can be terminated for a sick leave lasting several months. However, a short break, such as a week of illness or a summer vacation is not a valid reason for termination.
The insurance can be terminated retroactively to the last day of work if necessary. You can terminate your insurance in Elo's online service.
Illness
A short interruption in work due to illness is not a reason to terminate YEL insurance. If you become ill and your sick leave lasts several months, the YEL insurance can be terminated. In this case, you must apply for new YEL insurance when you return to work after sick leave.
As a YEL-insured entrepreneur, the waiting period for illness is one day, meaning the day of illness. For illnesses lasting more than one day, you can apply for entrepreneur's sickness allowance from Kela to compensate for lost income. Applying requires a doctor's certificate.
Sickness allowance is applied for from Kela within 2 months of becoming unable to work. The amount of Kela's sickness allowance is based on annual income. For entrepreneurs, the calculation of annual income is based on YEL income. Annual income is calculated for the 12 calendar months preceding the calendar month before the start of entitlement. If the amount of YEL income has changed during the 12 months under review, the average income is considered.
Taking Parental Leave
If you do not work during parental leave, your YEL insurance can be terminated on your last working day. The insurance cannot be paused; it must be fully terminated. When you return to work, remember to take out new YEL insurance.
If you work during parental leave and the conditions for YEL insurance are still met, the YEL insurance should not be terminated. However, reviewing your YEL income to match your work input may be appropriate if your workload decreases during parental leave.
Parental allowance is applied for from Kela. Kela uses the confirmed YEL income as the basis for determining parental allowance.
Read tips for entrepreneurs on parental leave in the (PDF)
Unemployment
As an entrepreneur who is a member of the Entrepreneur Fund, you can receive an earnings-related daily allowance after 15 months of membership, provided your entrepreneurship has been substantial as defined by the unemployment insurance law. This means that the YEL income has been at least at the unemployment insurance threshold, which is 15 481 euros in 2026, and the employment condition is met.
If you are not a member of the Entrepreneur Fund but your income has been at least at the unemployment insurance threshold and the employment condition is met, you may be entitled to Kela's basic allowance.
If your income has fallen below that threshold, you can apply for labor market support from Kela.
Start of Pension
Transition to Old-age Pension
An entrepreneur must first apply for old-age pension to be paid, at the earliest, at the threshold of the lowest retirement age. It is recommended to fill out the pension application only a few weeks before the planned retirement date. You can view your retirement age and pension estimate in the personal customer online service. You can also fill out the pension application there.
YEL insurance automatically ends the day before the start of old-age pension. There is no need to separately notify Elo of the termination.
Entrepreneurial Work During Retirement
If you are on an old-age pension under employment pension laws, insuring entrepreneurial activity under YEL is voluntary. A voluntary pension insurance must be applied separately, as YEL insurance is automatically terminated the day before the pension is granted. Voluntary YEL insurance cannot be granted retroactively. You can apply for the pension accrued alongside the old-age pension to be paid when you reach your maximum retirement age.Entrepreneurial activity while receiving partial early old-age pension, disability pension, or partial disability pension must be insured normally under YEL if the insurance conditions are otherwise met.
Working Abroad
Entrepreneurial work is generally insured in the country of work. Similarly, an entrepreneur working remotely is primarily covered by the social security of the country where they perform remote work. An exception for temporary work abroad can be sought by applying for the A1 certificate for posted workers from the Finnish Centre for Pensions. In this case, the entrepreneur applies for the right to remain within the Finnish social security system and arranges their employment pension insurance in Finland.
Read more about insurance for work abroad