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16.6.2026 | A citizenship test will be introduced in Finland at the beginning of 2027. The test will assess knowledge of Finnish society and its key principles. The President of the Republic approved the amendments to the Citizenship Act on 16 June. The citizenship test will be introduced after the required legislative amendments have entered into force at the beginning of 2027.

18.6.2026 | The interior ministers of Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany or their representatives have gathered for a meeting of the ministerial group on Baltic Sea Security on 17 and 18 June. The representatives of the countries will discuss drone-related threats in the region and joint measures to respond to these threats. The meeting is chaired by Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen.

Interoperability

Interoperability

Coat of arms of Finland Little is known about the origins of the Finnish coat of arms. The oldest known display of the emblem is on the burial monument of Gustav Vasa in Uppsala Cathedral, which was completed in the 1580s. The same design was adop...

Interoperability

About the Ministry of the Interior’s web service The address of the Ministry of the Interior's web service is intermin.fi. The Ministry of the Interior is responsible for the service, and it is maintained by the Ministry’s Communications Unit in c...

Situation at the eastern border The border crossing points on the land border between Finland and Russia have been closed since 15 December 2023. The border crossing points for maritime traffic at Haapasaari, the port of Nuijamaa and Santio have b...

9.6.2026 | Legislative amendments to the Aliens Act will make the provisions on removal from the country and entry bans more effective. The enforcement of deportation decisions will be expedited. In addition, an entry ban may in future be imposed in advance if a person is considered a serious danger to security. The President of the Republic approved the amendments on Tuesday 9 June. They will enter into force on 12 June.

Requests for information Under the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999), everyone has the right of access to the public documents of the Ministry. Please make your request as detailed as possible, as this will help us find the d...

28.5.2026 | The President of the Republic approved the bill on establishing a police reserve on Friday 22 May 2026. Today, the Government issued decrees laying down provisions on the possibility of appointing police students to the police reserve and on the studies required of reserve police officers.

Stricter conditions for permanent residence permits Conditions for obtaining a permanent residence permit will be tightened. The President of the Republic approved the relevant amendments to the Aliens Act on 22 December. The amendments entered in...

9.6.2026 | The EU’s new Pact on Migration and Asylum will improve the control of the EU’s external borders and increase the efficiency of asylum and return procedures. The Government proposed that the President of the Republic approve the relevant bills for acts on Tuesday 9 June. The acts will enter into force on 12 June.

21.5.2026 | The Government will establish a police reserve in Finland to ensure the police have sufficient resources in exceptional circumstances. In its session, the Government proposed that the President of the Republic approve the bill on establishing a police reserve on Friday 22 May. Most of the legislative amendments are scheduled to enter into force on 1 January 2027.

Government Programme measures to reform border security The Government Programme aims to ensure Finland's border security in all situations. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and other changes in the security environment require that border secu...

7.5.2026 | The Government proposes that the President of the Republic approve amendments to the provisions on the powers of the police to carry out undercover activities in an information network. The amended legislation is scheduled to enter into force on 1 August 2026.

14.4.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior has sent out for comments a draft government proposal to update civilian intelligence legislation in response to the changed security environment.  The proposal would introduce new powers, including measures to prepare for state-sponsored threats, and clarifying amendments arising from practical needs identified in intelligence activities. Changes are also proposed to the non-disclosure periods for documents. The deadline for submitting comments is in late May.

16.4.2026 | Helsinki, 16 April 2026 Statement of the European Coalition for Civil Preparedness and Resilience Ministers and representatives responsible for the internal security, civil preparedness and resilience of the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Denm...

12.3.2026 | The Finnish Security and Intelligence Service and military intelligence authorities will be able to disclose information on offences to other authorities more extensively than before. In its session on 12 March, the Government proposed that the President of the Republic approve the bills concerned on 13 March. The amendments will enter into force on 20 March 2026.

Questions and answers on gambling system reform General information on the gambling system reform Why switch over to a licensing system and retain a partial monopoly system instead of, for example, strengthening the current system based on the Vei...