Acting on behalf of a granter by private guardians and attorneys with continuing power of attorney will gradually become easier in 2024–2025

An attorney with a continuing power of attorney will be able to start managing the financial affairs of their granter in digital services that use Suomi.fi e-Authorizations. This reform is made possible by the new guardianship data repository that Suomi.fi e-Authorizations can use to reliably check for the right to act on behalf of another party. The reform will be introduced during the month of May.

The e-services that concern financial transactions will have to update their customer instructions. Otherwise, the reform does not require action from organisations using Suomi.fi e-Authorizations. 

A granter’s attorney with continuing power of attorney can manage their financial affairs in digital services

After the reform has been introduced, an attorney with a continuing power of attorney can manage the financial affairs of their granter, for example in the digital services of the Finnish Tax Administration and Traficom. In this case, they will not need a separate Suomi.fi e-Authorization for transactions.

“In the best-case scenario, the client may not even be aware of Suomi.fi e-Authorizations. Instead, the service works in the background to enable safe and easy use of services, as is the case when using other role-based services”, says Tuuli Krekelä, Chief Specialist of the Population Information System.

Private guardians will get access to the same option at the end of 2024.  The reform project is funded by the European Union.

Many services still require a separate mandate for attorneys with a continuing power of attorney

An attorney with a continuing power of attorney cannot access e-services in a similar manner if said e-services are not yet using Suomi.fi e-Authorizations. For example, banks and insurance companies have their own practices. 

In advisory work, clients must always be instructed to check with each service on how to act on behalf of their granter.

Planned changes to legislation    

In November 2023, the Ministry of Justice appointed a working group to prepare a proposal for updating legislation on guardianship and continuing power of attorney.

“One of the goals of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency is legislation that would make it possible to register the duties of guardians and attorneys with a continuing power of attorney more comprehensively than at present. This would also increase the possibilities for private guardians and attorneys with a continuing power of attorney to manage their granters’ affairs in digital services within the scope of their competence”, says Chief Specialist Suvi Malinen.

When the duties of guardians and attorneys with a continuing power of attorney have been registered in the new guardianship data repository, Suomi.fi e-Authorizations can use the repository to check for rights to act on behalf of another party, as is currently the case with the registers of the Patent and Registration Office or the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

In such cases, users can access digital services easily in accordance with their role without being granted separate Suomi.fi e-Authorizations.

For now, attorneys with a continuing power of attorney can get more rights with Suomi.fi e-Authorizations – mandate application does not require digital ID

An attorney with a continuing power of attorney may also have the right to manage other matters in addition to their granter’s financial affairs. For example, if they want to use health services on behalf of their granter, they will – for now – need either a separate Suomi.fi e-Authorization or some other power of attorney used in each service. 

With Suomi.fi e-Authorizations, an assignor can authorise a trusted person to use services such as digital pharmacy services and social welfare and health care services like My Kanta on their behalf. 
One way to grant Suomi.fi e-Authorizations is to use a signed mandate application. In other words, the assignor does not need digital skills or a digital ID. For additional information on how to grant Suomi.fi e-Authorizations even without digital skills, visit Suomi.fi.