New year brings changes to the Ministry of the Interior’s administrative branch

The start of 2024 will see the entry into force of amendments to acts and decrees. This press release provides a summary of the most important changes.

Changes to fees charged by the police and the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service

The fees for licences and permits issued by the local police will rise, with the exception of passports, the price of which will remain unchanged. The price of identity cards with a Citizen Certificate will fall.

The fees for personnel security clearances conducted by the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service will rise. 

The decrees will enter into force on 1 January 2024.

Use of Veikkaus proceeds will no longer be earmarked under the new financing model

The amendments to the Lotteries Act that concern the new financing model for the non-profit activities currently financed with proceeds from gambling will enter into force at the beginning of 2024. In future, Veikkaus Oy’s proceeds will be entered in the Budget without earmarking their purpose of use, as is the current practice under the Lotteries Act. 

Due to the new financing model, changes will also be made to the composition of the Advisory Board on Gambling, provisions on which are laid down by government decree. 

Amendments to the Rescue Act 

The obligation to purchase and maintain smoke detectors in apartments will be transferred from the residents to the owner of the building as of 1 January 2024. There will be a two-year transition period for this change. Building owners should make good use of the transition period and already start planning practical arrangements so that this change will be carried out by the beginning of 2026 at the latest.  

The more specified provisions on the supervisory duty of rescue departments will also enter into force at the beginning of next year. They concern addressing the shortcomings detected in supervision and setting the preconditions for inspections during construction projects.

Finland to take 500 quota refugees

Finland will take 500 refugees under the refugee quota in 2024. Parliament made a final decision on the refugee quota when it approved the 2024 Budget.

Finland has decided that in 2024 it will receive vulnerable Syrian, Afghan, Congolese and Venezuelan refugees and refugees who have been relocated from Libya to Rwanda. Under its refugee quota, Finland will also receive persons in need of urgent resettlement, i.e. emergency resettlement, without any specific limitations on nationality or region. 

Changes to fees charged by the Finnish Immigration Service

The Decree of the Ministry of the Interior on Fees for Services of the Finnish Immigration Service will remain in force until the end of 2023. The new updated Decree will enter into force on 1 January 2024. The new Decree will increase some of the processing fees charged by the Finnish Immigration Service. For example, the fees for processing applications for a first residence permit for an employed person and applications for Finnish citizenship will be higher if the applications are submitted electronically. 

Decree on Assistance for Voluntary Return updated

The Government has updated the Decree on Assistance for Voluntary Return. The new Decree will enter into force on 1 January 2024. In future, the assistance for voluntary return will be staggered so that the amount of assistance will be higher if the application is submitted within 30 days from receiving a negative asylum decision. 
 

Updated on 21 December 2023

Inquiries: 

Johanna Kari, Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 488 662, firstname.lastname@gov.fi (fees charged by the police)
Johanna Hakala, Senior Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 488 452, firstname.lastname@gov.fi (fees charged by the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service)
Elina Rydman, Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 488 586, firstname.lastname@gov.fi (gambling games)
Jaana Rajakko, Senior Engineer, tel. +358 295 488 435, firstname.lastname@gov.fi (smoke detectors) 
Mirka Eirola, Senior Specialist, tel. +358 295 488 383, firstname.lastname@gov.fi, (refugee quota)
Katja Kaukonen, Chief Specialist, tel. +358 295 488 675, firstname.lastname@gov.fi (Decree of the Ministry of the Interior on Fees for Services of the Finnish Immigration Service) 
Jutta Gras, Senior Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 488 650, firstname.lastname@gov.fi (Decree on Assistance for Voluntary Return)