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13.6.2025 | Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen will meet Prime Cabinet Secretary of Kenya Musalia Mudavadi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Benin Olushegun Adjadi Bakari, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica Arnoldo André Tinoco and Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs of Thailand Russ Jalichandra in connection with the Kultaranta Talks on 16–17 June.

2.3.2026 | Wild-berry picking has been regulated under the Seasonal Workers Act since 2025. Companies must hire foreign berry pickers subject to a visa requirement for a contractual employment relationship to enable them to apply for an entry permit to Finland. For stays up to three months, berry pickers apply for a seasonal work visa at a Finnish mission abroad.

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.

19.12.2025 | The Finnish Government has made progress on its objective of doubling food exports by 2031. Business Finland’s foreign operations related to export promotion will be integrated into the structures of the Foreign Service, creating new opportunities to boost food exports through enhanced cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

21.11.2025 | The EU trade ministers will convene for a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on 24 November to discuss the Union’s trade relations with the United States and China. The ministers will also take stock of the EU’s ongoing bilateral trade negotiations. The participation of Minister Tavio in the meeting has been cancelled. Finland will be represented by Finland’s EU Ambassador Jori Arvonen.

2.7.2025 | About 2,600 wild-berry pickers were granted a seasonal work visa for Finland for summer 2025. About 60 applicants received a negative decision.

16.7.2020 | On 8.7.2020, the Finnish Government agreed that the entry of berry pickers at the invitation of companies will be permitted via both internal and external border traffic.

26.6.2024 | In May 2024, the Government outlined that the picking of wild berries is an activity based primarily on seasonal work in an employment relationship. The aim is to safeguard a sufficient level of income for foreign pickers and to improve monitoring to ensure the rights of pickers are realised. The sector will be brought into line with other sectors requiring seasonal labour.

29.11.2023 | Solutions developed by Finnish companies are used to mitigate climate change around the world and to help locals adapt to its effects. Companies’ contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is becoming a stronger element of Finland’s development cooperation. However, local development needs are still the starting point for all work.

10.10.2024 | The amendments aim to safeguard a sufficient level of income for foreign pickers and improve monitoring to ensure the rights of pickers are realised. The wild berry sector will be brought into line with other sectors requiring seasonal labour.  

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.

19.1.2024 | As it is at present, there are significant risks associated with the status of foreign berry pickers. The study commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment assesses the economic effects of the alternative solutions to both berry pickers and berry companies. The Government will decide on further preparation that may be needed later on.

2.2.2023 | In November 2022, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs instructed the Embassy of Finland in Bangkok to suspend the issuing of visas to Thai wild-berry pickers for the time being. The Ministry stated as grounds for the suspension a number of ambiguities concerning wild-berry picking, including unreliable information entered into visa applications, risk of trafficking in human beings, an ongoing police investigation in Finland and possible amendments to the status of wild-berry pickers.

10.2.2023 | The Ministry for Foreign Affairs suspended the issuing of visas to Thai berry pickers in November 2022. The Ministry stated as grounds for the suspension certain ambiguities concerning wild-berry picking, including risk of trafficking in human beings, an ongoing police investigation in Finland and the possible amendments to the status of wild-berry pickers prepared by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.

22.12.2022 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has prepared an amendment to the Seasonal Workers Decree according to which the picking of natural products would take place under contractual employment relationships. The Ministry has also submitted reports to Parliament on acts that aim to prevent the exploitation of foreign workers. The amendments to the Seasonal Workers Act, Act on the Legal Sta...

Finlands regeringar och ministrar Du kan bläddra i uppgifterna enligt regering, minister, ministertitel eller ministerium. För varje regering finns det uppgifter om regeringens ministrar och deras mandatperioder. För varje enskild minister anges v...

Finlands regeringar och ministrar Du kan bläddra i uppgifterna enligt regering, minister, ministertitel eller ministerium. För varje regering finns det uppgifter om regeringens ministrar och deras mandatperioder. För varje enskild minister anges v...

9.2.2023 | The number of visas applied for at Finnish missions abroad are on the rise again after the pandemic years. However, the number of visas granted was only about one fifth of the number of visas granted in 2019, the year before the pandemic started.

Utrikesministeriet Utrikeshandels- och utvecklingsminister Ville Tavio Sannfinländarna Utrikeshandels- och utvecklingsminister Ville Tavio ansvarar för frågor som rör utvecklingssamarbete och handelspolitik. Personalia Riksdagsledamot Sannfinlända...

Utrikesministeriet Utrikeshandels- och utvecklingsminister Ville Tavio Sannfinländarna Utrikeshandels- och utvecklingsminister Ville Tavio ansvarar för frågor som rör utvecklingssamarbete och handelspolitik. Personalia Riksdagsledamot Sannfinlända...