Current affairs
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28.1.2025
Advance voting in Strasbourg in county elections and municipal elections to take place on 2–5 April 2025
Finland’s county elections and municipal elections will be held simultaneously on Sunday 13 April 2025. The advance voting period abroad will be from 2 to 5 April 2025, but for practical reasons many advance polling stations will be open for a shorter period.
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6.12.2024
Finland Debuts the World’s First National Soundscape
Finland is the first country in the world to commission a composer to create an official national soundscape. Ääniä is an original musical work by Lauri Porra, one of the country’s most celebrated composers. It takes the listener on a journey through the impressions, seasons and serene beauty of the happiest country in the world.
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5.12.2024
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8.8.2024
Foreign Ministry’s organisational reform emphasises teamwork
The reform of the Foreign Service of Finland took a step forward on 1 August, when the reorganisation of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the updated rules of procedure took effect. The purpose of the organisational reform is to lay a suitable foundation for the Ministry’s work in the current international situation and in terms of Finland’s foreign policy change. At the same time, cooperation across organisational boundaries has become even more important.
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4.7.2024
Foreign Ministry selects partner for reception of visa and residence permit applications
Based on predetermined criteria, the contract was awarded to VF Worldwide Holdings Ltd, which is the current provider of the outsourced application services to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.
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2.4.2024
Foreign Ministry invites tenders for services for submitting entry permit applications
The request for participation, instructions for responding and contact details regarding the competitive procedure are available for service providers in the HILMA official service for notices on public procurement in Finland. Service providers are requested to submit their responses by 2 May 2024.
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29.1.2024
Advance voting in Strasbourg in Finland’s presidential elections in 2024
The election day for a second election (second round) will be 11 February 2024, and advance voting abroad will be from 31 January to 3 February 2024.
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24.1.2024
Finland participates in developing interoperability within border and visa policies to detect multiple identities
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ project on interoperability (the UMPIO project) coordinates the data related to internal security, border security and migration management in the EU information systems for security. The project is part of the development of entry systems funded by the EU.
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2.1.2024
Finland to increase financial requirement for Schengen visas to EUR 50 per day of stay and introduce proof of sponsorship form concerning visa applicants
As of 1 January 2024, Finland will increase travellers' daily financial requirement to EUR 50 per day of stay. Finland will simultaneously introduce a proof of sponsorship and/or accommodation form, which will allow visa applicants to finance their visit using the funds of the inviting party.
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11.12.2023
International definition of terrorism to be negotiated in Helsinki
The Council of Europe Committee on Counter-Terrorism (CDCT) will hold its plenary meeting in Helsinki on 11–13 December under the leadership of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The members of the CDCT are from the 46 member States of the Council of Europe. In addition, the United States and several organisations, such as the EU, Europol, Eurojust, OSCE and Interpol, regularly participate in the meetings.