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21.12.2022 | Negotiations between the Council of the EU, the European Parliament and the Commission reached an accord 18 December 2022 concerning the Emissions Trading Directive, an MRV Regulation on reporting of maritime transport emissions, and the Social Climate Fund.

21.12.2022 | Negotiations between the Council of the EU, the European Parliament and the Commission reached an accord 18 December 2022 concerning the Emissions Trading Directive, an MRV Regulation on reporting of maritime transport emissions, and the Social Climate Fund.

22.2.2021 | In 2020, the Unit for Consular Assistance provided nearly twice as much guidance compared to the previous year. In the spring, during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, personal guidance and advice were given to tens of thousands of travellers stranded abroad. Thousands of travellers were assisted in returning to Finland after air traffic ground to a sudden halt.

19.8.2021 | A few changes will be made to the restrictions on entry at external borders based on current incidence rates. The Government adopted a decision on the matter on 19 August and the decision will enter into force on 23 August. The restrictions will continue until 19 September. However, people may still enter Finland from all countries upon presenting an approved certificate of a full vaccine course.

14.10.2021 | Restrictions on entry will be lifted for residents of the countries and regions on the EU’s green list. In addition, the Vainikkala border crossing point will open to passenger traffic. The Government adopted a decision on the matter on 14 October and the decisions will enter into force on 18 October. Other restrictions on entry at external borders will be extended until 7 November. However, peo...

5.8.2021 | Changes are being made to the restrictions on external border traffic based on COVID-19 incidence rates, as the epidemic continues to spread vigorously in many parts of the world. The Government adopted a decision on the matter on 5 August. The decision will enter into force on 9 August and will remain in force until 22 August 2021. However, people may still enter Finland from all countries upon presenting an approved certificate of a full vaccine course.

16.9.2021 | Restrictions on entry will be reinstated for residents of Singapore in traffic arriving in Finland from Singapore. The Government adopted a decision on the matter on 16 September and the decision will enter into force on 20 September. No other changes will be introduced to the restrictions. The existing restrictions on entry at external borders will be extended until 10 October. However, people ...

7.10.2021 | Restrictions on entry will be lifted for residents of Kuwait in traffic arriving in Finland from Kuwait. The Government adopted a decision on the matter on 7 October and the decision will enter into force on 11 October. No other changes will be introduced to the restrictions. The existing restrictions on entry at external borders will be extended until 24 October. However, people may still enter Finland from all countries upon presenting an approved certificate of a full course of vaccination.

12.8.2021 | A few changes will be made to the restrictions on entry at external borders based on current incidence rates. The Government adopted a decision on the matter on 12 August and the decision will enter into force on 16 August. However, people may still enter Finland from all countries upon presenting an approved certificate of a full vaccine course.

2.9.2021 | A few changes will be made to the restrictions on entry at external borders based on current incidence rates. The Government adopted a decision on the matter on 2 August and the decision will enter into force on 6 August. The restrictions will continue until 19 September. However, people may still enter Finland from all countries upon presenting an approved certificate of a full vaccine course.

25.11.2021 | Restrictions on external border traffic will continue as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread. Despite the increase in vaccination coverage, there is still a risk that the carrying capacity of the healthcare system will be exceeded. For this reason, the validity of the decision made on 4 November will be extended until 19 December. However, people may still enter Finland from all countries upon presenting an approved certificate of a full course of vaccination.

22.8.2021 | Intensive efforts are under way to evacuate Finns and Afghans who have been working for the Finnish Government from Afghanistan. Around ten people were evacuated from Kabul on Saturday, and a group of 52 have boarded evacuation flights so far on Sunday. This brings the total number of evacuees to 110 at present. The evacuees are Finnish citizens or permanent residents of Finland, along with other persons who have been working for Finland, the EU and NATO, together with their families.

9.9.2021 | The budget proposal of Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Government for 2022 builds sustainable growth for the future in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. The budget proposal aims to support post-pandemic recovery, accelerate investments, enable environmentally sustainable growth and increase the availability of skilled labour. The goal is to safeguard people’s wellbeing and to ensure favourable conditions for sustainable economic growth in the long term.

9.9.2021 | The budget proposal of Prime Minister Sanna Marin’s Government for 2022 builds sustainable growth for the future in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. The budget proposal aims to support post-pandemic recovery, accelerate investments, enable environmentally sustainable growth and increase the availability of skilled labour. The goal is to safeguard people’s wellbeing and to ensure favourable conditions for sustainable economic growth in the long term.

19.1.2023 | In 2022, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the missions abroad provided consular services to a total of approximately 256,000 customers. The demand for advisory services, in particular, continued to grow. During the year, the ministry’s 24/7 service received more than 8,000 contacts in total.

25.2.2023 | On 25 February 2023, the EU imposed new sanctions as a response to Russia’s continued attacks against Ukraine’s civilian targets and critical infrastructure. The tenth package of sanctions introduces new export bans on critical technology, industrial products and dual-use items. In addition, the EU introduces new measures to prevent the circumvention of sanctions.

2.2.2024 | Finland’s Navy and Air Force to participate in NATO’s collective peacetime missions Ministry of Defence Publication date 2.2.2024 11.22 Type: Press release “In 2024, the Finnish Navy will deploy one vessel and the Finnish Air Force a detachment of...

4.11.2021 | The fourth supplementary budget proposal for 2021 will reduce the central government’s net borrowing requirement for this year by approximately EUR 2.2 billion. The proposal takes into account changes in needs estimates resulting from the economic upturn and increases in tax revenue estimates. On the whole, the supplementary budget proposal envisages a reduction of approximately EUR 249 million in appropriations for 2021.

2.9.2022 | A working group of State Secretaries was tasked to examine how Russia’s attack on Ukraine has affected the economy of eastern Finland and what measures are needed to strengthen the region’s vitality. The working group has proposed to the Government short-term measures for the 2023 budget proposal, reallocation of funding using existing funding sources, and long-term measures. The measures focus...

5.8.2022 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health proposes appropriations of about EUR 15.8 billion for the Ministry and its administrative branch for 2023. This is about EUR 0.2 billion less than in the 2022 Budget. The decrease is mainly due to the end of the Government Programme projects and changes in the needs assessment.

2.2.2023 | The Government submitted the first supplementary budget proposal for 2023 to Parliament on Thursday 2 February.

2.2.2023 | The Government submitted the first supplementary budget proposal for 2023 to Parliament on Thursday 2 February.

13.8.2021 | In response to the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, the Finnish Government decided at an extraordinary meeting on 13 August that Afghans who have worked for Finland, the EU and NATO can be admitted to Finland with their families and issued residence permits.

13.8.2021 | In response to the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, the Finnish Government decided at an extraordinary meeting on 13 August that Afghans who have worked for Finland, the EU and NATO can be admitted to Finland with their families and issued residence permits.

24.8.2021 | At an extraordinary meeting on 24 August, the Finnish Government decided to complement its earlier decisions and announced that Finland could admit to the country a maximum of 45 additional Afghan former employees of the Finnish Embassy in Kabul together with their families. Finland can also admit a new group of persons representing security sector employees together with their families, totalling a maximum of 83 persons.

13.4.2023 | Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine and the energy crisis that characterised the whole year affected the operations of state-owned companies and ownership steering in many ways in 2022.

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.

5.4.2023 | New Long-Range Air Defence System for the Finnish Defence Forces Ministry of Defence Publication date 5.4.2023 13.58 Type: Press release The Ministry of Defence has authorised the Finnish Defence Forces to procure the David’s Sling system as the n...

5.9.2023 | On 5 September 2023, the Government published a report on public transport procurements and public service obligations. It provides information on purchase of air transport services and on the impacts and future prospects of flight connections to support decision-making in the government budget session. 

28.6.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project to prepare legislative amendments on the use of air carriers’ passenger name record (PNR) data in the prevention of terrorist offences and serious crime.

19.4.2024 | On Friday 19 April, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen paid a visit to the Imatra border crossing point to learn more about the situation at Finland’s eastern border. From there, they headed to the Old Town Hall in Lappeenranta, where they continued the bilateral discussions they had started the day before on their flight from Brussels after the special European Council.

17.7.2026 | On 17 July 2026, the European Commission gave a proposal to amend the EU Emissions Trading Directive. According to the proposal, the scope of emissions trading in both aviation and maritime transport would expand. The reform is based on the EU’s decision on the 2040 climate target. The EU ‘s net emissions will be reduced by 90 per cent by 2040, compared to 1990.

12.11.2024 | The Ministry of Transport and Communications requests comments on a draft government proposal for amending legislative amendments to improve aviation safety. Provisions on the permission to set up obstacles to air navigation under the Aviation Act would also be amended at the same time. The deadline for submitting comments is 31 December 2024.

4.6.2025 | The EU Transport and Telecommunications Council will convene in Luxembourg from 5 to 6 June 2025. Minister of Transport and Communications Lulu Ranne will represent Finland at the meeting.

20.5.2025 | The Ministerial Committee on Economic Policy decided on 20 May 2025 to fully finance flight connections between six regional airports and Helsinki up to 27 February 2028. Air connections to the city of Savonlinna, however, will be funded out of government funds up to 50 per cent only. The decision is based on the spring 2026 government discussion on spending limits.

23.8.2021 | Distinguished Ambassadors, Ladies and Gentlemen, This year has shown very clearly the importance of foreign policy and the work of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. I do not mean just the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan and the tasks related to it, but all the events of the past few months: the global response to the coronavirus crisis, international efforts to halt climate change, work to promote ...

23.8.2021 | Distinguished Ministers and Heads of Mission, Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to the 2021 Meeting of Heads of Mission! As you can see from the picture, I am here in the familiar Engel Hall in the newly renovated premises of Merikasarmi. While on the face of it this space may appear to be the same as before, the Ritarikatu Hall, where the panel discussions are being held, is not easily recognisable.

22.1.2021 | On 22 January, the Government decided to tighten the restrictions on entry into Finland. The new restrictions will enter into force on 27 January and will remain in force until 25 February. The new restrictions aim to reduce cross-border traffic in order to prevent the spread of the new COVID-19 variants. The epidemiological situation in Finland differs considerably from that in other Schengen countries.

9.9.2021 | The rescue and evacuation operation in Afghanistan was in many ways unique and historic. Finland evacuated more than 400 people from Afghanistan in three weeks. This was possible through cooperation with national and international actors and between different departments of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The relief team at Kabul Airport played a key role, but the input of dozens of people both in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Helsinki and in many foreign missions was also required.

24.7.2026 | The EU approved its 21st sanctions package on 23 July. The package continues to increase pressure on Russia by weakening Russia’s ability to wage its war of aggression in Ukraine. The new sanctions enter into force on 23 July 2026. The package contains a record number of new listings. The EU also expands sanctions on the energy and financial sectors and on the shadow fleet and similarly expands the import and export ban lists. The package also tightens sanctions against Belarus.