Foreign ministry SMS service goes global

Press release 153/2003
2 July, 2003


The mobile service for travellers launched by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs last year has been made global. The SMS service is now available on foreign-operated connections at + 358 400 358 300.

The Foreign Ministry produces and updates travel information covering about 140 countries and it is published in Finnish and Swedish at the Ministry's website(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window).

Last year the travel information service was extended to the cellphones allowing subscribers to receive travel information on security as text messages. The number for Finnish-operator cellphones in Finland and abroad is 16358.

Now the SMS service has been further extended to cover foreign operator connections as well and the number is + 358 400 358 300. Travellers can receive regular information on travel security on demand or by becoming regular subscribers. Contact information of Finnish missions abroad is also provided. In addition, users can notify the Foreign Ministry of their travel plans, if they wish. The information is kept on a register for the duration of the trip after which it is erased. People using the service are not charged for it by the Foreign Ministry but pay for the text messages they send in the usual way.

Finnish and Swedish introduction of the mobile service is available at formin.finland.fi/palvelut/mobiili(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) and formin.finland.fi/service/mobile(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window).

The SMS service has been produced in cooperation with Nitro FX.

Further information: Raija Leppäjärvi, Info Master, Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel: + 358 9 55991, gsm +358 40 721 2918.