Comments requested on proposal for new decree on fees for services provided by Foreign Service in 2025

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has sent out for comments a proposal for a new Decree of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on Fees for Services Produced by the Foreign Service in 2025. It is proposed that several of the Foreign Ministry's services which are currently provided free of charge should be made chargeable.

According to the proposal, the services of the National Security Authority (NSA) concerning international personnel security clearance, international facility security clearance, visitor permits and separate certificates should be made chargeable.

It is not proposed that a fee be charged for a security clearance referred to in the Security Clearance Act (726/2014) or the Act on International Information Security Obligations (588/2004) under section 6, subsections 3 and 4 of the Act on Criteria for Charges Payable to the State, if the security clearance concerns a person recruited to the Foreign Service. Nor is it proposed that a fee be charged when the security clearance is provided to an authority of another state or to an international organisation in accordance with the principle of reciprocity. 

In addition, it is proposed that the processing of export control authorisations be made chargeable with regard to single authorisations, global authorisations, advance decisions and inquiries about export controls.  

It is proposed that the exemptions processed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs under the EU sanctions regulations remain free of charge.

Some technical and content amendments are also proposed. 

No changes are proposed to other fees for the services provided by the Foreign Service.