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Local government finances The Ministry of Finance monitors and assesses the status and development of the finances of municipalities. The Ministry develops the system of central government transfers to local government; calculates and grants centr...

Municipal structure The municipal structure is delineated by the borders of the municipalities. Most of the state's administrative authorities, courts of law and electoral districts are determined by the municipal boundary divisions. From the begi...

Tourist tax The Ministry of Finance is making preparations for a tourist tax that will provide municipalities with an additional source of income from tourism. Municipalities would be able to choose whether to adopt the tax, and revenues from the ...

fi sv en Local government’s duties and activities Municipalities organise services for their residents. Most of these services are statutory functions of municipalities. Functions can be assigned to municipalities only by laying down provisions on...

National public procurement data repository The project’s goal is to establish a national data repository of public procurement data. The data repository will collect data from the public sector on public procurement and purchases covering the who...

The Government has appointed a parliamentary working group to prepare for the future of municipalities.

Ministry of Finance Minister of Local and Regional Government Anna-Kaisa Ikonen The National Coalition Party Minister of Local and Regional Government Anna-Kaisa Ikonen is responsible for governance policy, municipal affairs, wellbeing services co...

Frequently asked questions about the renewal of the services and premises network What is a service network? In the reform of the central government’s service and premises network, service network means all the service points that exist for in-per...

28.8.2023 | The new Municipality of Residence Act would introduce more specific provisions on how people’s municipality of residence and place of residence are determined. The conditions for being assigned a municipality of residence would remain unchanged. A person’s municipality of residence would still be the municipality in which they reside.

Duties and other activities of the wellbeing services counties The wellbeing services counties are self-governing regions that took over responsibility for organising healthcare, social welfare and rescue services. There are a total of 21 wellbein...

Municipal administration The municipalities organise services for their residents. Most of these services are defined as statutory duties of local governments. In addition to their statutory duties, municipalities may assume other self-government ...

6.8.2025 | The Ministry of Finance's draft budget for 2026 implements the guidelines of the Government’s spring mid-term policy review and includes the Minister of Finance's new adjustment measures proposed by the Minister of Finance to ensure that the debt ratio stabilises towards the end of the parliamentary term. The draft budget totals EUR 89.6 billion and involves a deficit of EUR 9.9 billion. When enter...

EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, XXX […](2025) XXX draft ANNEX SENSITIVE* UNTIL ADOPTION ANNEX to the Proposal for a COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING DECISION amending Implementing Decision (EU) (ST 12524/21 INIT; ST 12524/21 ADD 1) of 29 October 2021 on the app...

13.10.2021 | Minister of Local Government Sirpa Paatero has launched a full reform of the Municipality of Residence Act. The steering group and the law-drafting group of the legislative project will prepare the reform. First, they will identify the needs to change the legislation on people’s municipality of residence, and then, based on these needs, they will prepare a proposal for a new Municipality of Residence Act and for the necessary changes to other legislation.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION Brussels, XXX […](2025) XXX draft ANNEX SENSITIVE* UNTIL ADOPTION ANNEX to the Proposal for a COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING DECISION amending Implementing Decision (EU) (ST 12524/21 INIT; ST 12524/21 ADD 1) of 29 October 2021 on the app...

8.9.2020 | A draft proposal to amend the Municipality of Residence Act is now at the consultation stage. The Ministry of Finance is requesting comments on the proposal. The most significant amendment in the draft proposal concerns the removal of a foreign national’s register entry for municipality of residence if he or she no longer meets the requirements for obtaining a municipality of residence in Finland.

28.5.2020 | The working group set up to determine the need for changes to the Municipality of Residence Act proposes that the Act should specify the criteria by which a person’s municipality of residence entry can be removed from the Population Information System if he or she no longer meets the statutory requirements for obtaining a municipality of residence in Finland. The working group also proposes other, less significant amendments to the Municipality of Residence Act.

Cooperation between municipalities and wellbeing services counties Wellbeing services counties and municipalities share residents and need to cooperate in many ways to provide services to residents. They also have common duties, such as promotion ...

2.3.2023 | Minister of the Interior Krista Mikkonen, Minister of Local Government Sirpa Paatero, Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen and Minister of Education Li Andersson stress the importance of smooth daily life for people who have fled Ukraine. Those who have secured a municipality of residence will have the same rights, services and duties as permanent residents in Finland.

8.4.2022 | On assignment by the Government, the Finnish Immigration Service has prepared a procedure where persons in temporary protection are granted the reception services they need without municipalities establishing a reception centre. Municipalities will receive compensation from the central government for providing the agreed services.