Suomi.fi e-Authorizations: The possibility for persons subject to public guardianship to authorise and act on behalf of another person

In 2023–2025, the possibilities of acting on behalf of another person in e-services will be gradually expanded to persons subject to public guardianship, as well as assignees and private guardians. The first change applies to persons subject to public guardianship who, as a result of the change, can authorise and act on behalf of another person.

This change aims to strengthen equal opportunities for different groups of people to operate in a digital society.   

If necessary, organisations using Suomi.fi e-Authorizations can use the rule engine of the e-Authorizations service to restrict access to guardianship services.  

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency sends instructions and communication materials to organisations when it is possible to start customer communications on the new features. To avoid misunderstandings, we hope that the reform will be communicated to customers in a timely and consistent manner.  

The possibility for persons subject to public guardianship to authorise and act on behalf of another person or organisation

Persons subject to public guardianship have not been allowed to authorise others in Suomi.fi or use the service on behalf of another person. This will change in early 2024 at the latest.  The change applies to 58,000 persons.  

The scope of guardianship affects the mandates a person can grant. All persons subject to public guardianship may to authorise others in matters concerning their own person, such as health. On the other hand, there are various restrictions regarding financial matters.  

As a result of the change, persons subject to guardianship may, depending on the scope of their guardianship, for example 

• grant Suomi.fi e-Authorizations to other individuals or organisations 
  • the guidelines
• sign their own mandate application if they lack electronic identification means or digital skills
  • the guidelines
• act on behalf of other individuals, employers and other organisations using Suomi.fi e-Authorizations granted to them  
  • the guidelines  
• act on behalf of their underage child in other than financial matters. 
  • the guidelines

Authorisation and acting on behalf of another party in financial matters will be restricted  

Persons subject to guardianship will not be able to manage their bank account under the Guardianship Services Act, nor will they be able to authorise another person to manage their bank account. If the authority of a person subject to guardianship has been restricted, they will not be able to authorise others or act on behalf of another party in financial matters. 

Even though the authority of a person appointed for guardianship has been restricted, they can always grant mandates in matters related to their own person, such as regarding health. They may also act on behalf of their underage child and dependant in matters other than their financial matters. 

The e-service may still restrict the right to use the services - the restriction must be noted in customer instructions 

Legislation may impose stricter restrictions on certain services for persons subject to guardianship. The organisations responsible for the services must ensure that the e-Authorizations rule engine has the necessary statutory restrictions and that the e-service instructions have been updated. The e-Authorizations service instructions on the rule engine will be updated in November.    

The aim is to also expand the use of e-services on behalf of another party to assignees and private guardians by the end of 2025

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency is systematically and gradually expanding the possibilities of acting on behalf of others for different groups of people.    

• Assisted authorisation was launched in 2022. It allows individuals who do not have electronic means of identification to authorise their trusted person by visiting the Digital and Population Data Services Agency or by submitting a mandate application. 
• An operating model for assisted authorisation is available for wellbeing services counties. The model allows individuals without electronic means of identification to authorise another person by visiting the wellbeing services county's service point.    
• By 2025, we will also streamline the use of e-services for assignees and private guardians on behalf of their clients without requiring a separate mandate.  

These changes in acting on behalf others for persons subject to guardianship, assignees, and private guardians enable the Digital and Population Data Services Agency to develop a new data resource for guardianship in its legal protection project. In addition, some future reforms will require legislative changes. 

With this change, the assignees and private guardians can use e-services that utilise Suomi.fi e-Authorizations in accordance with their powers. A separate Suomi.fi e-Authorization is no longer necessary. 

Stay up-to-date on the development in the e-Authorizations information service 

In the future, we will arrange information sessions for key stakeholders on extending the e-Authorizations service to these target groups. Further information on the progress of the project and the schedule of the information sessions is available on dvv.fi and the project workspace.  

For more information on the progress of the project, see the workspace. (In Finnish)