The Digital and Population Data Services Agency makes reading official mail in private digital mail services possible – What does this mean for organisations?

Since mid-April 2026, persons using digital services have been directed to activate Suomi.fi Messages, and official mail is primarily delivered to them digitally. The next change to receiving mail from the authorities is prepared for late 2026. This change will give citizens the freedom to choose in which digital mail service they want to read the mail sent by the authorities. We will now explain what this change requires from organisations.

Being able to read the mail sent by the authorities not only in Suomi.fi Messages but also through another approved digital mail service that meets the criteria does not mean major changes for public administration organisations. Official mail will continue to be sent to the background service managed by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and directed from there to Suomi.fi Messages. 

For citizens, this is a voluntary additional feature. They can still continue to read their official mail in Suomi.fi Messages. In other words, Suomi.fi Messages will remain in use even if the person also begins to use another digital mail service and reads their official mail through this service. 

The change does not affect identification into the authorities’ services

The change does not have any impact on what happens when an individual identifies themselves in the authorities’ e-services. In connection with identification, the person will continue to be directed to activate Suomi.fi Messages if they do not use the service, yet.

Official messages will not start to appear automatically in private digital mail services. Instead, the user must always give a separate permission for each digital mail service that they want to use to read official messages.  The same person may choose to use several digital mail services alongside each other. When a message is opened in one service, it will also be displayed as read in the others.

To be able to read official mail digitally, the person must first have activated Suomi.fi Messages. Only then can they give private digital mail services permission to show emails sent by the authorities.  

One message, multiple views

Official messages are sent and stored in the background service for official messages that is administered by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. Messages are not copied or transferred to private digital mail services. Private digital mail services only display messages located in the background service instead of storing them permanently in their own systems. 

Private digital mail operators can join the entity from 30 September 2026 at the earliest. Before this they must meet the information security, data protection and other requirements set for official communications. Each digital mail service determines whether or not it will join the entity and what the timetable for it will be.

What should organisations do now?

From the perspective of public administration organisations, the change is a controlled and light one. Official mail will continue to be sent through Suomi.fi Messages, and the citizen’s choice to read messages in the private digital mail service will not affect sending.

The organisations do not need to conclude agreements or carry out integrations with private digital mail services or make changes to their own e-services. Sending and distribution of official mail should be centralised to Suomi.fi Messages’ background service for official messages. The citizen can then decide for themselves in which digital mail service they want to read their official mail.

– Promote the activation of Suomi.fi Messages and changing over to using the REST AI for Suomi.fi Messages. New direct connections to private digital mail services are not recommended. If your organisation has previously made direct connections, it is a good idea to review them and centralise the sending of official mail to Suomi.fi Messages. This will support uniform and controlled distribution of official mail also in the future, says Maria Juka-Lahdenperä, Service Owner of Suomi.fi Messages.

Public administration organisations should also ensure that the message content, the instructions and customer service will also work in situations where the recipient reads the message in a digital mail service other than Suomi.fi Messages.

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency will publish guidelines and ready-made communication material for organisations in early autumn 2026.

Additional information

Annette Hotari, Project Manager, Digital and Population Data Services Agency,  [email protected] 
Maria Juka-Lahdenperä, Service Owner, Digital and Population Data Services Agency, [email protected] 

Timetable

The possibility to read official mail through private digital mail services requires legislative amendments and technical development. The government proposal (HE 58/2026) is currently being discussed in Parliament. The relevant act is due to enter into force on 1 July 2026, and the basic implementation concerning displaying official messages in private digital mail services will be completed on 30 September 2026. After this, digital mail operators can join the entity. The entity as a whole will be further developed in late 2026 and during 2027 in cooperation with digital mail operators as part of the programme set up by the Ministry of Finance to promote the primarily digital official communications. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency is responsible for the implementation (including technical and functional development), communication and cooperation with digital mail operators.

Initially, it will be possible to only read messages sent by the authorities in the private digital mail services. Replying to a message, deleting a message, sending a completely new message to an authority, and acting on behalf of another party must still be done in Suomi.fi Messages. The email notifications of received official messages will also come through Suomi.fi Messages.