Current affairs

Finland will hold its presidential elections on Sunday 28 January 2024. Advance voting will be possible abroad from 17 to 20 January 2024. The election day for a possible second election (second round) will be 11 February 2024, and advance voting abroad will be possible from 31 January to 3 February 2024.

Team Finland China conducted a survey on Finnish companies' short-term outlook on China in October 2023.

Finland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs is planning to launch a tendering process for outsourcing its entry permit application submission services in 2024. As a preparation for the upcoming tendering process, the Ministry will survey the market in autumn 2023.

Some of the prices of services provided by the Finnish missions and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will rise. The new prices will enter into force on 1 September 2023.

Heads of Finland’s missions abroad and foreign policy leaders will meet again at the Annual Meeting of Heads of Mission in Helsinki on 21–23 August.

The Embassy of Finland is seeking to hire an experienced and qualified assistant to its political section and education and science section starting on 1 September 2023 or as agreed.

Comments on the Ministry for Foreign Affairs proposal may be given at lausuntopalvelu.fi until 8 August 2023.

Comments on the draft government proposal may be submitted to the lausuntopalvelu.fi service until 15 August 2023.

Team Finland China conducted a survey on Finnish companies' short-term outlook on China from June 1st to 7th, 2023. 67 out of 365 surveyed Finnish companies responded on their past three months’ view of the development of China's business environment. The findings reveal an average positive perception rate of 52.48% suggesting a positive outlook for China as a business destination. Experience on the development in sales is however close to neutral, indicating uncertainty of the recovery of China’s economy.