Physiotherapist faces registration hurdles in Finland due to Soteri backlog

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Siiri Valkonen from Kuopio decided to pursue a new career due to the uncertain job market in the sports sector. After graduating as a physiotherapist in June, she now faces bureaucratic hurdles rather than the pandemic as an obstacle to her employment. “I had heard about the Soteri registry backlog but thought it would be resolved by the time I applied for my physiotherapist license,” Valkonen said.

She is also baffled by the increased registration fees for the Soteri registry, which are significantly higher for sole proprietors. As a new physiotherapist, Valkonen must now pay over a thousand euros for registration, a dramatic increase from the previous fee of 80 euros. Consequently, she has opted not to even try registering with Soteri due to the long wait times and high costs. Instead, she will continue her work as a personal trainer while awaiting a resolution from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health.

The Soteri registry was implemented following a new social welfare oversight law introduced at the start of the year. While private providers previously operating under a different registration system were automatically transferred to Soteri, new applicants must submit new applications, which can take months to process. Currently, around 3,500 applications are pending, with processing times averaging 2.5 to 4 months, and in Southern Finland, even over six months.

Officials acknowledge the urgency of the situation. Markus Henriksson of Valvira expressed regret over the delays, stating that they aim to expedite applications to approximately two months. The Ministry is also monitoring the situation and may consider legislative changes if delays persist, with possible updates arriving in Parliament early next year.