Should I book in advance?
You can come directly to a 9Lives testing location even without a referral from a doctor. However, a referral is always needed for a test, so you will be provided with one on site. Register no later than an hour before you arrive for the test so that your referral has time to be completed.
It is definitely advisable to make an appointment at locations where appointment booking is in use. By reserving time, you avoid queuing and get to the test at a time that suits you. Instructions for making an appointment can be found at the beginning of the registration form, if it is possible to make an appointment at the point of your choice.
We recommend you to register and pay online in advance to avoid our testing locations getting unnecessarily crowded.
It is possible to pay for the test by card at the location, but we recommend advance payment online.
How much does the test cost?
The price of the test depends on whether you are entitled to reimbursement by Kela, The Social Insurance Institution of Finland. Kela reimburses medical costs but the reimbursement does not cover testing for other purposes, such as getting a doctor’s certificate for travelling.
How is the test done?
Both the PCR test and the rapid antigen test are done by inserting a bendy test instrument through the patient’s nose into the throat.
A positive antigen test must be confirmed by a PCR test. Registration for a separately paid PCR confirmation test is done by purchasing the test through the online form.
How do I get the results?
We will provide your test results by sending you an SMS message. If you purchase an additional certificate, a download link is sent to your email within couple of hours after your test result message. Remember to check your spam folders also. If your result is positive, we will also notify the relevant healthcare authorities which will prompt a healthcare professional to contact you by phone for further instructions.
The PCR test is estimated to be ready in approximately 12-24 hours and the antigen test in 30 minutes. In northern Finland PCR test results may take up to 48 hours or even longer. The time for PCR test may vary depending on location, time of day or week and logistics. Until you have received your test results, you must remain in quarantine-like conditions at home.
How do I get to the testing location?
You can reach our testing sites by car or on foot. At certain times, there might be some queues at the testing locations and you might have to wait for your turn for a short while.
By car
If you are arriving at our drive-in testing locations by car, please follow signs with a car symbol and the text KORONATESTAUS. Please remain in your car at all times. We recommend you to keep safety distances and follow the instructions you receive at the testing site. It is not necessary for you to leave your car during testing.
On foot
If you are walking to a testing location, please follow signs with a pedestrian symbol and the text KORONATESTAUS. Please use a face mask and remember safety distances. We recommend you to follow the instructions you receive at the testing site.
By taxi
If you order a taxi trip reimbursed by Kela due to your health condition, you will need a certificate issued by the health care provider. The right to reimburse Kela for a taxi trip is also in a situation where public transport connections are not available.
Coronavirus Certificate
Certain airlines or border officials may demand passengers arriving from Finland to provide a Coronavirus Certificate to prove they have been tested negative for COVID-19. If you need such certificate for travelling, please select the option ’I need an official certificate of the coronavirus test’ when booking your test. The price of the certificate is 20 euros and it will be sent to your as an encrypted email message, or by mail to your home if you so require. We are able to provide certificates in English and Finnish.
Some countries may have more extensive certificate requirements so please check the directions of your destination in advance. For example, Japanese officials require both the official coronavirus certificate and a separate certificate of their own format, which you can also buy from 9Lives when booking your test. Please also check out Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare THL’s current recommendations for travelling from and to Finland: https://thl.fi/en/web/infectious-diseases-and-vaccinations/what-s-new/coronavirus-covid-19-latest-updates/travel-and-the-coronavirus-pandemic.
Allowance on account of an infectious disease and medical certificate A
When you visit 9Lives testing, you have a possibility to get a medical certificate A. Medical certificate A is needed if you wish to qualify for infectious disease allowance from Kela. If you want a doctor’s medical certificate A on a potential positive PCR or antigen test result, you can choose medical certificate A on our online shops pre-information form. Medical certificate A costs 40 euros and will be invoiced if, and only if, the test result comes back as positive. The certificate will be sent by mail. In the case of a negative test result we will not send an invoice nor the medical certificate A even if you had chosen it on the pre-information form.
For the time being we offer medical certificate A only for tests done with 9lives. Unfortunately, at the moment we are unable to provide the medical certificate A for tests that have been made elsewhere.
You may be entitled for infectious disease allowance provided by Kela if you have been ordered for example into quarantine or isolation in order to prevent the spread of an infectious disease. Daily allowance might also be paid if the employee has issued a medical certificate as proof of verified coronavirus infection in case of being prevented from working in order to minimise contagion risk.
NOTE! Due to the expiration of the temporary legislation, 9Lives can no longer issue A-certificates after January 1, 2023.
More information about the infectious disease allowance you can find from Kelas website.