Suomi.fi Service: Streamlining Digital Access to Finnish Public Services

Finland remains one of Europe’s most advanced examples of digitalised public administration, and the Suomi.fi service sits at the centre of it. The platform brings together identification, authorisations and official communications in a single secure environment, and from 14 April 2026 it has also become the default channel for receiving official mail from Finnish authorities. For foreign-owned companies operating in Finland, understanding how Suomi.fi works has become a practical necessity.

This article outlines the platform in its current form, the recent legislative changes that affect foreign businesses, and the steps for getting access.

A Brief History

Suomi.fi has been operational for close to a decade. Its e-Authorisations component (Suomi.fi-valtuudet) was introduced in 2017 and progressively replaced the older KATSO service, which was discontinued for foreign users at the end of 2020 and fully closed on 30 April 2021. The platform is operated by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) and has steadily expanded across central government, municipalities, the Social Insurance Institution (Kela), Finnish Customs and the Finnish Tax Administration.

The 2026 Digital First Shift

The most significant policy change in 2026 is the entry into force of the Digital First legislation on 14 April 2026. From this date, official mail is delivered primarily through Suomi.fi Messages (Suomi.fi-viestit) to everyone who uses electronic services. Paper correspondence remains available only for those who do not use digital services or who explicitly opt out.

For foreign-owned Finnish companies, the practical implication is clear: tax decisions, customs notifications, Kela correspondence and other official documents now arrive in the digital mailbox by default. At least one authorised representative should monitor the company’s inbox regularly, as missed deadlines on official notices can carry financial and legal consequences.

Understanding the Three Layers of Suomi.fi

Although often referred to as a single service, Suomi.fi consists of three closely linked components:

1. Suomi.fi e-Identification is the login layer, accepting Finnish online banking credentials, the Mobile Certificate, the Citizen Certificate on a Finnish ID card, and, for foreign users without a Finnish personal identity code, the Finnish Authenticator app.
2. Suomi.fi e-Authorisations (valtuudet) is the mandate register, recording who is authorised to act on behalf of a company or another person. Two mandate types matter in practice: the right to grant a mandate (valtuutusoikeus), which allows the holder to issue further mandates on behalf of the company, and the mandate for transactions (asiointivaltuus), which authorises a representative to manage defined matters such as taxation, customs declarations or payroll reporting.
3. Suomi.fi Messages (viestit) is the digital mailbox where authorities deliver decisions, invoices and other official correspondence.

Routes for Granting Mandates

The path to acquiring Suomi.fi e-Authorisations depends on the company’s registration status in Finland and on whether its representatives can identify themselves electronically.

• Direct digital route. A foreign company with a Finnish Business ID and a representative entered in the Finnish Trade Register can grant mandates independently in Suomi.fi e-Authorisations, in the same way a domestic company would.
• Application via the mandate service provided by officials. A foreign company without a Finnish Business ID, or whose representative is not entered in the Trade Register, must apply through this service, which is administered by DVV and typically takes around seven working days. Once the right to grant a mandate has been registered, the representative can issue further mandates electronically.
• Paper application with certified documents. If a company has a Finnish Business ID but none of its representatives can identify themselves using approved electronic methods, authorisation can also be granted by submitting a package of certified paper documents as a recognised alternative. Although less digital, this route is in practice often the most efficient solution for companies with foreign representatives, and it is widely used by Leinonen Finland’s clients.

Steps for Foreign Individuals to Join the Service

For foreign citizens who need personal access to Suomi.fi e-services on behalf of a company:

1. Read the guidance on the Suomi.fi website concerning the Finnish Authenticator Identification Service.
2. Register a personal foreigner’s user identifier (UID) on the Finnish Authenticator website.
3. Download the Finnish Authenticator app from the App Store or Google Play.
4. Verify your identity in the app by photographing a valid passport (or, for citizens of EU countries, San Marino, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, a national ID card) together with a photo of yourself.
5. Apply for or accept the relevant Suomi.fi mandates from the company.

Note that the UID is blocked if it is not used within four years, and the account is deleted if activation is not requested by 1 January of the following calendar year. Foreign directors should sign in periodically to keep the account active.

Limitations and Practical Notes

The Finnish Authenticator is the dedicated route for foreign users without a Finnish personal identity code, but it is not classified as a strong electronic identification method. Some high-assurance services in Finnish public administration and the financial sector still require online banking credentials, the Mobile Certificate or the Citizen Certificate. Foreign citizens who reside in Finland and qualify for a personal identity code are generally better served by obtaining one of these stronger options. From 2026, the Citizen Certificate has also become recognised under the eIDAS Regulation for cross-border identification across the EU and the Nordic region.

Conclusion

Suomi.fi is now the operational backbone of Finland’s digital public administration, and from April 2026 the default channel for official communications. For foreign businesses, the practical task is to ensure that the right people hold the right mandates, that the company’s digital mailbox is monitored, and that identification methods are matched to the services actually in use.

For further information, see dvv.fi/en/suomi.fi-services and the Finnish Authenticator self-care portal at idm.finnauth.tunnistaminen.suomi.fi. If you are setting up or restructuring access to Suomi.fi for your Finnish entity, the Leinonen Finland team can help you map the necessary mandates and act as your authorised representative for accounting, payroll and tax matters.