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14.11.2025 | The EU General Affairs Council (GAC) will meet in Brussels on Monday 17 November. The main themes of the meeting will be the EU’s next multiannual financial framework, the annual rule of law dialogue and preparations for the December European Council. Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering Joakim Strand will represent Finland at the meeting.

10.2.2025 | The service process for jobseekers will be reformed to make it more customer-oriented and tailored to individual needs, in line with the Programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government. This requires amendments to the legislation concerning the service model and job applicant profiles.

15.1.2026 | The changes to be made to social assistance will, for example, strengthen the obligations of recipients to apply for full-time work and primary benefits. The overall reform of social assistance aims to clarify the role of social assistance as a last-resort and temporary form of assistance, prevent social exclusion among young people and strengthen general government finances.

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.

25.8.2025 | "Finland is advancing the interests of Finland and Finnish businesses in a proactive and forward-looking way, also in the midst of ongoing changes."

12.6.2025 | The Finnish Government proposes that the President of the Republic approve the Act on the Protection of Infrastructure Critical to Society and on the Improvement of Resilience on 13 June. In accordance with the Government Programme, the act will strengthen national security and the resilience of our society. The act is scheduled to enter into force on 1 July 2025.

28.10.2024 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has appointed Niina Oresmaa as Director of the Division of Basic Public Services, Legal Rights and Permits at the Regional State Administrative Agency for Southern Finland. She will take up her duties on 1 November 2024. The term of her appointment will last until 31 December 2025.

20.12.2022 | When a family member of a minor who has been granted international protection applies for family reunification, the family member may be granted a residence permit without the requirement for sufficient financial resources of sponsors who are minors. This will promote the protection of family life and the realisation of the best interests of the child. The President of the Republic approved the amendment to the Aliens Act on 20 December.

16.1.2025 | The Ministry of the Environment requests comments on the draft decree of the Ministry of the Environment that would lay down provision on the monetary values of animals and plants protected under the Nature Conservation Act. The updates would lead to significant changes in the value of certain animal species. The value of freshwater pearl mussel, for example, would increase 2.5-fold. This would be the first time that values would be set for plant species as well.

23.3.2023 | Considerable increases are proposed to appropriations in the administrative branch of the Ministry of the Interior in the technical spending limits presented in the new General Government Fiscal Plan 2024–2027. The appropriation level of the Ministry of the Interior will be c. EUR 2.4 billion at the beginning of the spending limits period, decreasing to c. EUR 1.9 billion in 2027. This represents an increase of EUR 179 to 547 million per year compared to the previous spending limits decision. 

21.5.2024 | Unofficial translation Government proposal to Parliament for an Act on Temporary Measures to Combat Instrumentalised Migration MAIN CONTENTS OF PROPOSAL The Government proposes that an act on temporary measures to combat instrumentalised migration...

15.10.2020 | Finland published its positions on public international law in cyberspace Ministry for Foreign Affairs Publication date 15.10.2020 14.12 Type: News item Cyberspace is a global domain of information systems, where electronic data is processed using...

20.4.2020 | The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has explored opportunities of transferring tasks related to the implementation of unemployment security and alternation leave schemes from the employment and economic development offices (TE Offices) to the Social Insurance Institution Kela and the unemployment funds. The preparation process revealed that the transfer of tasks would result in a significant cost increase.

19.12.2024 | The Ministry of the Interior has issued decrees on fees charged by the police and the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service. The decrees will enter into force on 1 January 2025.

18.8.2023 | In July 2023, the European Union adopted the outcome of the negotiations on the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR).  In the Regulation, there is flexibility in areas that are important for Finland. On 15 August 2023, the Ministry of Transport and Communications decided to launch a legislative project on the matter and start preparations for adopting legislative amendments. 

28.7.2023 | On 28 July, the Ministry of the Interior launched a new legislative project to introduce a border procedure in Finland. Due to time constraints, Parliament did not finish its consideration of the previous Government’s legislative proposal, which then lapsed. Now preparations are about to continue under the new Government Programme.

21.12.2022 | “Even though this year will go down in the history books for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we have still been fortunate enough to record some favourable developments,” writes Pekka Haavisto, Minister for Foreign Affairs, in relation to the 2022 year in foreign policy.

23.1.2023 | A study commissioned by the Ministry of the Interior explored ways to anticipate future needs for amendments when drafting legislation. To this end, the study looked into the amendments made to the Aliens Act and the motivations behind them. The study was carried out by Åbo Akademi University in cooperation with researchers from the University of Turku.

20.12.2023 | The start of 2024 will see the entry into force of amendments to acts and decrees. This press release provides a summary of the most important changes.

18.12.2023 | Speech by Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen at the Hudson Insitute in Washington, D.C. on 18 December 2023.