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Data protection and processing of personal data at the Ministry of the Interior Contact information Data Protection Officer Data Protection Officer Mikko Levämäki tietosuojavastaava.sm(at)gov.fi Controller Ministry of the Interior, PO Box 26, FI-0...

Interoperability

Mass influx of migrants and preparedness The Migration Department of the Ministry of the Interior directs and coordinates preparations for a mass influx of migrants and the measures needed to respond. A mass influx of migrants is a situation in wh...

The aim is to extend the validity of Finnish passports to 10 years.

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...

Frequently asked questions about the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war Russia attacked Ukraine on 24 February 2022 and launched a full-scale war. This page contains frequently asked questions about the consequences of the war in Ukraine. Entry into...

EU migration and asylum system The new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum will help the EU improve the control of its external borders and increase the efficiency of asylum and return procedures. At the same time, the rights of asylum seekers will be...

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...

Organised crime has a major impact on society There is no single precise definition of the concept of organised crime. Organised crime usually refers to a group of individuals that systematically commits serious crimes. These activities may take v...

Temporary protection for people fleeing from Ukraine Temporary protection is intended for people fleeing the war in Ukraine. Granting temporary protection makes it possible to provide protection to a limited group of people in a swift process that...

Questions and answers about civilian intelligence legislation The aim of civilian intelligence legislation is to improve the capability of Finnish society to protect against threats to national security. What does civilian intelligence legislation...

Accident prevention is a joint effort

22.12.2025 | The start of 2026 will see the entry into force of new acts and decrees. This press release provides a summary of the most important changes in the Ministry of the Interior’s government branch.

4.7.2024 | The period of residence required for Finnish citizenship will be extended from the current five years to eight years starting from 1 October. This underlines successful integration as a prerequisite for being granted citizenship. It will also enable addressing security concerns more effectively than before. In addition, only time lived in Finland under a residence permit will be taken into account when calculating the period of residence.

1.12.2025 | The obligation to purchase and maintain smoke alarms will be transferred from the resident to the owner of the building on 1 January 2026. Building owners, that is housing companies and rental housing companies, have made good use of the two-year transition period following the amendments to the Rescue Act and have taken the necessary measures in good time.

9.2.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has requested comments on a draft version of amendments to the Citizenship Act concerning the period of residence. The public consultation will end on 4 March 2024. According to the proposed amendments, the period of residence required for Finnish citizenship would be extended from the current five years to eight years.

15.9.2025 | EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner visited Finland on Monday 15 September at the invitation of Finnish Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen. During his visit, he learnt about the arrangements at the Vaalimaa border crossing point and the fence being built on the border.

12.5.2022 | As a Member State of the European Union, Finland will take responsibility for the migratory impact of the situation in Ukraine, and especially for protecting those fleeing war. Finland is also prepared to receive beneficiaries of temporary protection transferred from other countries as a part of joint EU measures. The Government expressed its position on such transfers in a Union communication to Parliament on 12 May.

23.1.2023 | A study commissioned by the Ministry of the Interior explored ways to anticipate future needs for amendments when drafting legislation. To this end, the study looked into the amendments made to the Aliens Act and the motivations behind them. The study was carried out by Åbo Akademi University in cooperation with researchers from the University of Turku.

18.4.2024 | The Government has proposed an amendment to the Citizenship Act that would extend the period of residence required for Finnish citizenship from the current five years to eight years. In addition, only time lived in Finland under a residence permit would be taken into account when calculating the period of residence. The proposal to amend the Citizenship Act was submitted to Parliament in a government session on 18 April.