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YEL insurance – price, minimum and YEL calculator
YEL (yrittäjän eläkevakuutus), the self-employed person’s pension insurance, is a statutory insurance that determines both your pension and much of your social security. In 2026 the contribution is 24.4% of your confirmed YEL income (työtulo). Work out your own contribution below.
Minimum €9,423.09 · maximum €214,000 (2026)
How much does YEL insurance cost in 2026?
The YEL contribution is 24.4% of your YEL income, and from 2026 the same rate applies to entrepreneurs of all ages – the former higher contribution class for 53–62-year-olds has been abolished.
| YEL income per year | Contribution / year | Contribution / month |
|---|---|---|
| €9,423.09 | €2,299.23 | €191.60 |
| €15,000 | €3,660.00 | €305.00 |
| €25,000 | €6,100.00 | €508.33 |
| €40,000 | €9,760.00 | €813.33 |
| €60,000 | €14,640.00 | €1,220.00 |
Without the new entrepreneur discount. You can include the discount in the calculator.
The minimum YEL income
The lowest YEL income at which you must take out YEL insurance is €9,423.09 a year (2026). At the minimum, the contribution is €2,299.23 a year, or about €191.60 a month. As a new entrepreneur, it is €1,793.40 a year (€149.45 / month).
YEL income is capped at €214,000; no contribution is charged and no pension accrues on the part above it.
YEL income is not the same as your turnover or what you invoice. It is an estimate of what it would cost to pay someone else a salary for the same work. YEL income set at the minimum gives you the minimum pension and minimum cover – sickness allowance, parental allowances and unemployment benefit are all calculated from it.
When is YEL insurance compulsory?
You must take out the insurance when all of these apply:
- your self-employment has continued without a break for at least four months
- your estimated YEL income exceeds €9,423.09 a year
- you are 18 or older and have not reached the upper age limit for compulsory insurance
The insurance must be taken out within six months of starting your self-employment.
The YEL discount for new entrepreneurs
Someone becoming an entrepreneur for the first time gets a 22% discount on the YEL contribution for 48 months. The effective rate is then 19.03% instead of the normal 24.4%. At the minimum, that means €1,793.40 a year instead of €2,299.23.
You can use the discount in two parts, for a total of 48 months. So if you stop being self-employed before you have used up the discount months, the rest are kept for your next period of self-employment.
Part-time entrepreneurs and YEL
The YEL obligation doesn’t depend on whether your self-employment is your main or a side occupation. What counts is the amount of your YEL income and how long the activity lasts. If you do gigs alongside a salaried job and the YEL income from them exceeds €9,423.09 a year for more than four months, you must take out YEL in addition to the pension insurance of your salaried job (TyEL).
Light entrepreneurs and YEL
This surprises many: using an invoicing service doesn’t remove the YEL obligation. Even if you invoice as a light entrepreneur (kevytyrittäjä) without your own business ID (Y-tunnus), you count as an entrepreneur for YEL purposes. If the YEL income from your invoicing exceeds €9,423.09 a year and the activity continues for more than four months, you must take out the insurance.
Through Keikkalasku you can get YEL insurance from our partner Varma, a Finnish pension insurance company, in the same place as your invoicing. Our service fee for invoicing is a flat €5–10 per invoice – see our pricing or compare invoicing services.
Once YEL is in force, it also affects how much you take home. In the salary calculator on the home page you can switch YEL on and see the effect. For working out VAT there is a separate VAT calculator.
YEL insurance FAQ
- How much does YEL insurance cost in 2026?
- The YEL contribution is 24.4% of your confirmed YEL income (työtulo). At the minimum YEL income of €9,423.09, the contribution is €2,299.23 a year, or about €191.60 a month. A new entrepreneur gets a 22% discount, which brings the contribution at the minimum down to €1,793.40 a year.
- What is the minimum YEL, i.e. the lowest YEL income?
- The lowest YEL income at which you must take out YEL insurance is €9,423.09 a year (2026). If your YEL income stays below this, you don’t need YEL insurance – but then your self-employment doesn’t build up a pension or social security either.
- When is YEL insurance compulsory?
- You must take out YEL insurance when your self-employment has continued without a break for at least four months, your estimated YEL income exceeds €9,423.09 a year, and you are 18 or older but have not yet reached the upper age limit for compulsory insurance. The insurance must be taken out within six months of starting your business.
- How big a YEL discount does a new entrepreneur get?
- A new entrepreneur gets a 22% discount on the YEL contribution for the first 48 months, which makes the effective rate 19.03% instead of the normal 24.4%. You can get the discount twice: it is available for a total of 48 months across your first periods of self-employment.
- Does a part-time entrepreneur need YEL insurance?
- Yes, if the conditions are met. The YEL obligation doesn’t depend on whether your self-employment is your main or a side occupation, but on the amount of your YEL income and how long the activity lasts. If the YEL income from your part-time self-employment exceeds €9,423.09 a year and the activity has continued for more than four months, you must take out the insurance alongside your salaried job.
- Does a light entrepreneur need YEL insurance?
- Yes, on the same terms as other entrepreneurs. Invoicing through an invoicing service doesn’t remove the YEL obligation: if the YEL income from your invoicing exceeds €9,423.09 a year and the activity continues for more than four months, you must take out YEL. This surprises many light entrepreneurs.
- Does YEL income affect unemployment benefit?
- Yes. Earnings-related unemployment benefit from an entrepreneurs’ unemployment fund (yrittäjäkassa) requires an annual YEL income of at least €15,481 (2026). YEL income also affects your sickness allowance, parental allowances and the size of your future pension, so it’s worth setting it to match your actual work input rather than the minimum.
Figures checked on 26 July 2026; they are the confirmed values for 2026. The YEL contribution rate and income limits are set every year – check the current figures on the website of the Finnish Centre for Pensions (Eläketurvakeskus) or your pension insurance company. This page is not insurance or tax advice.