Current affairs

Finland Visa Application Centre maintained by VFS Global will move to new location on Monday 26 August 2024.

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.

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.

Startups4Peace 2024 is here! Are you an entrepreneur ready to make a mark? Don’t miss this game-changing opportunity! Unleash your entrepreneurial potential with Startups4Peace (Su4P), co-funded by the Embassy of Finland and the European Union.

At the presidential session on 12 April, the President of the Republic appointed eight new Ambassadors and three new non-resident Ambassadors.

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.

The voting day for the European elections in Finland is Sunday 9 June 2024. Abroad, advance voting will be conducted between 29 May and 1 June 2024, but many of the advance polling stations abroad are open for a shorter period than this.

It has been 60 years since the establishment of the UN peacekeeping operation UNFICYP in Cyprus on March 4, 2024. Over 150 thousand peacekeepers from 42 countries have served on the island. Past events were commemorated in Nicosia in various ways, including a wreath-laying ceremony organized by the embassy at the memorial for Finnish peacekeeping veterans, an UNFICYP medal parade, a photo exhibition, and the unveiling ceremony of the memorial at the historical Ledra Palace Hotel. The following day, on March 5, a peace mediation seminar organized by the embassy attracted over 140 participants, with former Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja and former Secretary of State and Cyprus peacekeeping veteran Pertti Torstila, among other speakers, addressing the audience.

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.

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.