Compensation from state funds

• Daily allowance, the amount of which depends on the time spent in court and travelling. The part-time allowance is EUR 25 (with journeys of less than 8 hours) and the full-time allowance is EUR 54 (with journeys of more than 8 hours). The journey shall be deemed to start when the person entitled to the compensation leaves his or her place of residence and arrives at the hearing without delay and ends when he or she arrives at his or her place of residence without delay after the hearing has ended.
• Travel expenses according to the cheapest vehicle, the kilometre compensation is EUR 0.55/km
• Compensation for financial loss (e.g. unpaid earnings, extra childcare costs) in net form, as the compensation paid by the state is tax-exempt income for the recipient. The witness, etc., should take a receipt or other written account with him or her. However, an upper limit of EUR 80 per day has been set for compensation from state funds.
• If the witness comes to the trial from so far away that he or she must stay overnight, he or she will also be compensated for the reasonable costs of staying overnight.

The compensation referred to above shall also be payable when the hearing has been conducted by telephone or videoconferencing — if it has caused costs.

Compensation from state funds is now often paid by handing over a prepaid card to the person interviewed after the hearing, on which the compensation is loaded. However, in order to ensure payment, the person requesting compensation must be prepared to provide the court with his or her bank details during the hearing.

Link to the decree: https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/alkup/2013/20130619Avautuu uuteen välilehteen