e-Authorizations: The e-Authorizations service is now available in situations where the consent of both guardians is required

The e-Authorizations service has introduced a functionality through which both guardians can jointly confirm a mandate to act on behalf of their child. This enables more flexible services on behalf of the child in situations where the consent of both guardians is required.

Such situations may include banking, insurance, health care or passport application. The existence of both guardians' consent can be checked as a mandate check either automatically in the e-service or even when visiting services on-location.

The new functionality is also useful for divorced parents with a joint custody. Now they can also authorise each other to act on behalf of the child in matters that would otherwise be prevented by the joint custody agreement.

A mandate granted on behalf of a child can be initiated by either parent in Suomi.fi e-Authorizations. One or both parents or even a third person can be granted a mandate for transactions. Once both parents have accepted the mandate, the mandate will take effect. 
Various special situations have been taken into account in the new functionality. For example, if a child is subject to a non-disclosure order, authorisation is prohibited. When planning the functionality, we have also examined guardianship situations, single guardianship and situations where parents do not have a Finnish personal identity code. More detailed instructions on special situations can be found in the end-user instructions. 

How can the functionality be made available?

If an e-service has a need to ensure the consent of both guardians in transactions on behalf of the child, it is sufficient for the service to grant a mandate for a mandate theme in its own Suomi.fi e-Authorizations regulations and define the grounds for acting on a mandate issue.
After this, the guardians can automatically act on behalf of their child when the mandates are in order.
For more information on the implementation of Suomi.fi e-Authorizations for e-services, see Suomi.fi Service Management.

Suomi.fi e-Authorizations in a nutshell

• In the Authorizations service, you can digitally give another person the right to act on behalf of a company or association. It provides users with a smooth and secure self-service regardless of time and place.
• The Authorizations service is safe and up-to-date. It checks the right to act on behalf of a party from the authorisation register, the Finnish Patent and Registration Office, the Register of Associations or the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.
• The service can be implemented free of charge in both public and private e-services. The e-service will only carry the costs incurred from the integration of the service.
•  The use of the service produces significant cost savings through the digitalisation of service and service processes.
• More than 20 million mandates have already been created in the service launched in 2016.
• On a monthly basis, more than 5 million authorisation checks are carried out in the e-Authorizations service, and the number is increasing.
• The authorisations have already been integrated into 135 e-services, which are utilised by 235 private and public sector service providers. In addition to these, the service is available in all pharmacies in Finland.