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15.9.2026 | On 15 September 2026, the President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb confirmed an amendment to the Presidential Decree on Finland's Missions Abroad. The amendment establishes a Finnish consulate in Munich, Germany.

8.9.2026 | Findings of the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) show that while performance among students in Finland has continued to decline, it remains above the OECD average. Science was the main domain of assessment in the 2025 survey.

16.1.2026 | The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) will take place in Davos, Switzerland, on 19–23 January. Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen and Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will attend the meeting.

11.2.2026 | The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Finnish missions abroad provided consular services to approximately 245,000 customers in 2025. In addition, the Ministry’s 24/7 service was contacted around 6,700 times over the course of the year.

27.11.2025 | The Government has issued a decree which determines the amount of the healthcare fee, the late payment fee and the fee for an unattended appointment charged from higher education students in 2026.

5.12.2025 | Closing statement by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland Elina Valtonen, delivered by Vice Minister Pasi Rajala at the Closing Session of the OSCE Ministerial Council 5 December 2025.

7.1.2026 | Finland’s term as Chairperson of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) ended on the last day of 2025. Last year marked 50 years since the CSCE meeting in Helsinki and the adoption of the Helsinki Final Act. The principles enshrined in the Helsinki Final Act are as relevant today as they were fifty years ago because they represent the essence of humanity: the yearning for freedom, cooperation and peace.

29.8.2025 | At the presidential session on Friday 29 August, the President of the Republic appointed Antti Kaski to serve as Ambassador in Brasília. The President of the Republic appointed Head of Mission at Finland’s Embassy in Bern to serve as a non-resident Ambassador to Liechtenstein, and Head of Mission at the Embassy in Lima to serve as a non-resident Ambassador to Ecuador.

23.4.2025 | If you are a citizen of a non-EU country and are not a citizen of a EU country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, you will need a residence permit for studies. Apply for a residence permit in the Enter Finland online service first and then book an appointment for identification. It is advisable to book the appointment as soon as possible, as the missions may be busy during the summer months.

25.4.2025 | At the presidential session on 25 April, the President of the Republic appointed the following persons to serve as heads of missions: Okko-Pekka Salmimies, Bern; Pekka Voutilainen, Hanoi; Jukka Siukosaari, Copenhagen; Riina-Riikka Heikka, Nairobi; Olli Kantanen, Stockholm; Eevamari Laaksonen, Pristina; Minna Laajava, Los Angeles.

5.8.2025 | Representatives of UN Member States will negotiate on the Global Plastics Treaty in Geneva, Switzerland on 5–14 August. The negotiation situation is very challenging, and there is also an increasing political pressure to reach an agreement. The demanding foreign policy situation has also made the negotiations on the Global Plastics Treaty more difficult.

25.2.2025 | Permanent State Secretary Jukka Salovaara will visit Geneva, Switzerland, from 25 to 26 February. He will deliver Finland’s address to a High-Level Segment of the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council and to a High-Level Segment of the Conference on Disarmament.

14.10.2024 | The EU General Affairs Council (GAC) will meet in Luxembourg on Tuesday 15 October. The meeting will focus mainly on preparations for the October European Council. Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Joakim Strand will represent Finland at the meeting.

9.4.2024 | The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) delivered its decision today in a case brought by six Portuguese young persons against 33 states, including Finland, concerning the harmful effects of climate change. The decision is final.

16.12.2024 | The EU General Affairs Council (GAC) will meet in Brussels on Tuesday 17 December. In their meeting, the ministers will continue preparations for the upcoming European Council and approve conclusions on EU enlargement. Finland’s Permanent Representative to the European Union, Jori Arvonen, will represent Finland at the meeting.

30.6.2023 | The President of the Republic appointed a new Head of Mission to the Permanent Mission of Finland in Geneva at the presidential session on 29 June.

12.1.2024 | The 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) will take place in Davos, Switzerland, on 15–19 January. Finland will be represented at the meeting by Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen and Minister of Climate and the Environment Kai Mykkänen.

26.2.2024 | Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will visit Geneva, Switzerland, on 26 February. She will deliver Finland’s address to a High-Level Segment of the 55th session of the Human Rights Council.

10.1.2023 | Prime Minister Sanna Marin will take part in the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday 17 January.

14.7.2023 | The Government appointed Counsellor Petri Hakkarainen as Counsellor for Foreign Affairs as of 1 September 2023 and assigned him to serve as Director General of the Political Department for a fixed term from 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2027.

11.12.2023 | The 75th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights will be celebrated on 11–12 December in Geneva, Switzerland. The Global Refugee Forum will be held in Geneva on 13–15 December. State Secretary Lauri Tierala will represent Finland at both events.

11.9.2023 | The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) will hold its 54th session from 11 September to 13 October in Geneva, Switzerland.

9.10.2023 | The Government proposes amendments to the Act on Student Healthcare for Higher Education Students and the Act on the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. The Student Healthcare Act would be harmonised with the relevant EU Regulation in respect of reimbursements regarding students from certain European countries, and the provisions of the Act on the financial process would be specified.

2.3.2023 | The Act on Cross-Border Health Care will be amended. The legislative amendments will enter into force on 1 May 2023. The most central amendment deals with renewing the right to reimbursement under the Directive on the Application of Patients’ Rights in Cross-Border Healthcare.

16.6.2023 | The UN Human Rights Council convenes for its 53rd Regular Session from 19 June to 14 July in Geneva, Switzerland.

2.6.2023 | On 2 June, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child issued recommendations to Finland based on Finland's combined fifth and sixth periodic reports on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocols thereto.

16.1.2023 | Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto and Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari will attend the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. Minister Haavisto will be in Davos from 17 to 19 January and Minister Skinnari from 17 to 18 January.

19.1.2024 | In 2023, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the missions abroad provided consular services to approximately 244,000 customers. The demand for advisory services remained high. Over the course of the year, the Ministry’s 24/7 service was contacted around 8,000 times in total.

18.1.2023 | On 18 January 2023, Minister of Transport and Communications of Finland Timo Harakka and Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Finnish and Ukrainian Ministries on cooperation to promote digital resistance and transformation.

17.11.2022 | The healthcare fee charged from higher education students for using student healthcare services will be EUR 73.60, or EUR 36.80 per term, in 2023. Compared to 2022, the fee will increase by EUR 2 to improve the availability of services. The late payment fee and the charge for an unattended appointment will remain unchanged.

23.5.2022 | Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on 22–26 May. The meeting was originally scheduled to take place in February but, due to the difficult COVID-19 situation, it was postponed until May.

17.1.2023 | Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka will attend the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on 17–19 January 2023.

26.2.2023 | Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto will visit Geneva, Switzerland, from 26 to 27 February. He will deliver Finland’s address to a High-Level Segment of the 52nd session of the Human Rights Council on 27 February.

15.9.2022 | The Government proposes amendments to the Act on Cross-Border Health Care. The most central amendments deal with renewing the right to reimbursement under the Directive on the Application of Patients’ Rights in Cross-border Healthcare.

17.1.2023 | Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka will attend the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on 17–19 January 2023.

18.1.2023 | On 18 January 2023, Minister of Transport and Communications of Finland Timo Harakka and Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Finnish and Ukrainian Ministries on cooperation to promote digital resistance and transformation.

19.12.2022 | Finland and a number of other top countries in quantum technology have launched a portal for cooperation. The portal provides information on collaboration opportunities between the countries in quantum technology, especially in doctoral degrees, advanced studies and visitor exchanges.

20.12.2022 | From 1 January 2023 onwards, the wellbeing services counties must provide necessary non-urgent healthcare services for undocumented persons and persons whose status resembles that of an undocumented person. 

17.1.2023 | Prime Minister Sanna Marin participated in several discussions at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on 17 January.

16.9.2021 | The Government has approved Finland’s participation in seven European regional co-operation programmes, i.e. the Interreg programme series. These programmes support cross-border, transnational and interregional co-operation. They are part of the upcoming EU regional and structural policy programming period, and are co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).