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26.5.2026 | Today, the Ministry of the Environment informed the Finnish Supervisory Agency and, together with the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, the municipal building control authorities about the accident in Helsinki in September 2025 and the progress of the investigations. Based on the tests, the Safety Investigation Authority issued a press release and an accident threat notification on 21 May 2026 concerning fibre cement boards used in balcony railings.

19.1.2023 | Beneficiaries of temporary protection have the right to work in Finland without any restrictions. After receiving their municipality of residence, they will become customers of local government pilots on employment.

26.5.2026 | A text message pilot carried out in connection with the 2025 county and municipal elections showed that text message reminders with information about elections increase voter turnout. The results confirm earlier findings on the effectiveness of text message reminders.

4.4.2025 | The 2025 county elections and municipal elections will be held simultaneously, but they are two separate elections. The Ministry of Justice has published communication materials providing examples that will help voters know what to do when they go to a polling station. 

28.8.2023 | The new Municipality of Residence Act would introduce more specific provisions on how people’s municipality of residence and place of residence are determined. The conditions for being assigned a municipality of residence would remain unchanged. A person’s municipality of residence would still be the municipality in which they reside.

3.2.2023 | More than 45,000 people who fled Ukraine last year may be eligible for a municipality of residence in 2023 after residing in Finland for one year, with about 13,000 already satisfying the qualifying period of residence in March–April. On registering a municipality of residence, they will leave the reception services system and become clients of municipalities and wellbeing services counties. This will make them a more integrated part of society in Finland.

13.10.2021 | Minister of Local Government Sirpa Paatero has launched a full reform of the Municipality of Residence Act. The steering group and the law-drafting group of the legislative project will prepare the reform. First, they will identify the needs to change the legislation on people’s municipality of residence, and then, based on these needs, they will prepare a proposal for a new Municipality of Residence Act and for the necessary changes to other legislation.

11.4.2025 | According to preliminary data, a total of 5,291 votes were cast in advance in the 2025 county elections and 8,310 votes in the municipal elections at Finnish missions abroad. In the dual elections, a total of 180 votes were cast on board Finnish vessels. In the 2022 county elections, 2,923 advance votes were cast, and about a hundred crew members cast their vote on board ships. In the 2021 municipal elections, 2,693 advance votes were cast, and over a hundred crew members voted on board ships.

2.3.2023 | Minister of the Interior Krista Mikkonen, Minister of Local Government Sirpa Paatero, Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen and Minister of Education Li Andersson stress the importance of smooth daily life for people who have fled Ukraine. Those who have secured a municipality of residence will have the same rights, services and duties as permanent residents in Finland.

10.4.2025 | Sunday 13 April is election day for the 2025 county elections and municipal elections. Polling stations will be open on election day from 9.00 to 20.00. Preliminary results of the elections will be announced starting at 20.00.

25.3.2025 | County elections and municipal elections will be held simultaneously on Sunday 13 April 2025. The advance voting period is from 2 to 8 April 2025 in Finland and from 2 to 5 April 2025 abroad.

19.1.2023 | The Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration (hereinafter, the Integration Act) has been amended to ensure integration services to those who have fled Ukraine. Following the amendment, the central government can compensate municipalities and wellbeing services counties for organising integration services for those beneficiaries of temporary protection who have a municipality of residence.

25.11.2021 | A voter's polling station in county elections is determined based on the voter’s place of residence. The voting register for the 2022 county elections to be held in January will be compiled based on the information contained in the Population Information System on 3 December 2021.

22.12.2025 | The start of 2026 will see the entry into force of new acts and decrees. This press release provides a summary of the most important changes in the Ministry of the Interior’s government branch.

10.2.2025 | Municipalities and operators involved in Finland's critical infrastructure took part in the first national cyber exercise of the year at Jamk University of Applied Sciences between 3 and 7 February 2025. The exercise brought together cybersecurity, management and communications professionals especially from the north of Finland and Northern Ostrobothnia.

4.3.2024 | The aim of the legislative amendments circulated for comments is to clarify the resident selection procedure for affordable state-subsidised dwellings. According to the draft government proposal, the amendments will make it easier especially for people who have fled from Ukraine to find a dwelling. Comments can be submitted until 12 April.

1.9.2022 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has granted municipalities EUR 3 million to develop guidance and counselling services for immigrants. The subsidies were awarded to 21 projects implemented by municipalities, which aim to improve the integration and employment of immigrants. 

27.1.2021 | The municipal elections will be held on Sunday 13 June 2021. The Act on the Postponement of the 2021 Municipal Elections entered into force on 29 March 2021. The advance voting period will be from 26 May to 8 June in Finland and from 2 to 5 June abroad.

1.9.2026 | On 1 September 2026, the Government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo reached a decision on its budget proposal for 2027 and is steadily implementing the agenda it agreed at the spending limits session. The agenda includes EUR 100 million of investment in construction and numerous transport infrastructure projects. The Government’s targeted measures will support economic growth.

29.4.2026 | The Ministry of the Interior has set up a project to prepare the necessary amendments to the provision of the Aliens Act on sufficient financial resources for family reunification. In future, a government decree would lay down provisions on the euro amounts required to demonstrate sufficient financial resources. This requirement would apply to family members of people who live in Finland with a residence permit.