International Press Center closes

The International Press Center (IPC), which has been administered by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, is closing. The reasons for the closure are the center's reduced activity in recent years and the need to allocate resources to other communications activities.

The International Press Center (IPC), administered by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, will close on 16 January 2026. The reasons for the closure are the center’s reduced activity in recent years and the need to allocate resources to other communications activities. Over the years, the resources available for communications have grown scarcer, while the communications environment has become more demanding.

The Press Center has held its place in the Finnish media landscape since 1939. During the Winter War, a press room was opened for foreign correspondents in Hotel Kämp in Helsinki.

Up until a few years ago, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs provided working space for journalists accredited to the Press Center. This came to an end in 2020, when the Ministry moved to the premises at Merikasarmi, where there is significantly less space available than before. In the past few years, services have been limited to issuing press cards.

The number of journalists accredited to the International Press Center has also declined: in 2017, their number exceeded 70 but had fallen to 46 by 2020, and in autumn 2025 their number was only 35. At the same time, the share of traditional media companies among the members has dwindled.

A press card issued by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs or accreditation to the Press Center are not required from international journalists to work in Finland, nor do they replace the need for accreditation to media events hosted by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs or other authorities.

The decision to close the International Press Center is not related to the project to bring government communications under one roof in the Prime Minister's Office. The examination of the conditions for the Press Center was started already in spring 2025. However, the decisions on savings and centralising communications reinforce the decision to close the Press Center.