Ministry of the Interior to prepare legislative amendment to extend passport validity to 10 years
The Ministry of the Interior has set up a legislative project to amend the Passport Act, assess the need to amend the Identity Card Act and, if necessary, prepare a proposal for amending the Identity Card Act. The project will run until 31 May 2026.
In the April 2025 government session on spending limits, the Government decided to extend the maximum validity of Finnish passports to 10 years as part of its deregulation measures. This reform will require legislative amendments and may also necessitate technical changes to the production and issuance of passports.
The legislative project will prepare a government proposal for amending the Passport Act and other legislation to enable a 10-year validity period for Finnish passports. The aim is to limit exceptions to this general rule to cases involving very serious and justified reasons.
The project will also assess whether the maximum validity period for identity cards could be extended to 10 years. If considered necessary, a government proposal for amending the Identity Card Act and other legislation will be prepared. Any other required legislative amendments will also be prepared.
The government proposal will examine the security implications of extending the validity periods for passports and identity cards, as well as any potential new functionalities. It will also assess the impact on other legislative projects currently underway, such as the act on a digital identity application.
The Ministry of the Interior will prepare the government proposal as part of its official duties, without a separate working group. The project will involve consultations with the National Police Board of Finland, the Finnish Border Guard and other relevant stakeholders. The aim is to submit the government proposal to Parliament during the autumn session 2025.
Inquiries:
Mikko Cantell, Chief Specialist, tel. +358 295 488 380
Riitta Aulanko, Senior Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 488 569