What does the transition to digital communication with authorities mean?
From the beginning of 2026, official mail will chiefly be delivered digitally to everyone who uses electronic services. Suomi.fi Messages will be activated without separate consent for adults who identify in the authorities’ electronic services through Suomi.fi e-Identification if they have not yet activated the service.
Those who cannot use digital services will continue to receive official mail on paper, unless they choose otherwise. It is also possible to easily opt out of electronic messages, after which official communications will be sent by paper mail once more. If a person who has selected paper mail continues to use the e-services, an electronic mailbox will be created again for them after the deadline.
Who does the change apply to? | Who does the change not apply to? |
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Now is the time to activate Suomi.fi Messages!
Directly receive electronic official mail in Suomi.fi Messages. Activate the service and receive important messages wherever you are!
Read your incoming messages with the Suomi.fi mobile application or identify in the Suomi.fi Web Service at https://suomi.fi/messages. Identification takes place with online banking codes, a mobile certificate or the electronic certificate on an ID card.
Notifications of new messages are sent to the email address that you provide to the service. If you are using the Suomi.fi mobile application, you also receive push notifications directly in the app.
What will change?
- Everyone that uses a public authority’s digital services will receive official decisions and other notifications electronically in Suomi.fi Messages.
- Suomi.fi Messages is an electronic, secure mailbox for all public authorities.
- If someone does not use the authorities’ electronic services, they will continue to receive paper mail from the authorities.
How and when will the change take effect?
The change will happen in two stages:
From May 2025 | From the beginning of 2026 |
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Prompt to activate Suomi.fi Messages
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Suomi.fi Messages activates without express consent
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- This change only applies to official communications, not to other public services. You can still contact the authorities by phone or in-person. While statistics show that digital services are the most popular official service channel, telephone and in-person services will remain an option alongside digital channels.
- The change takes place when you to identify in any public administration organisation’s electronic service (e.g. MyTax, MyKela, Traficom's My e-Services)
- Upon identification
- Between 12 May and 31 December 2025: users are prompted to activate Suomi.fi Messages (see the changes in the identification process >>)
- From January 2026: an electronic Suomi.fi Messages mailbox is automatically created for official communications..
- - The change does not take effect in electronic services of other institutions than the authorities (e.g. banks, insurance companies)
What are the benefits of electronic official messages?
- Transitioning to digital messages makes it possible to receive official decisions and other notifications anytime, anywhere. You can easily read your messages with the Suomi.fi mobile app or through the Suomi.fi Web Service.
- You do not have to stay at home to wait for an important message, as important matters are always available to you electronically.
- It is also faster to send important official messages electronically, which also speeds up your official business.
Why are we making this change?
- Digital channels are already the most popular way of use public services.
- However, official decisions are still sent by paper mail, unless the citizen has expressly consented to receive electronic communications.
- The plan is that citizens who use digital services will receive official communications primarily electronically instead of paper mail.
- The transition from paper mail to electronic official communications will introduce annual savings in tens of millions of euros from 2026 onwards.
How do you opt out of electronic official communications?
- If you do not contact the authorities electronically, decisions and other notifications will continue to be sent by paper mail.
- Anyone can opt out of electronic messages and return to receiving official communications by paper mail with a setting in Suomi.fi Messages.
- The setting to return to paper mail will remain active for six months.
- However, if you identify in the electronic services of the authorities after the six-month period, electronic communications will be re-activated.