Use of private digital mail services in official communications

The Ministry of Finance set up the Programme to Promote Primarily Digital Official Communications. As part of the programme, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) is preparing a change that, in the future, would also allow citizens to use private digital mail services to electronically access and read official mail they receive.

At the moment, authorities send messages electronically in Suomi.fi Messages, which is a joint messaging service for public administration. The current legislation does not allow using private operators for official notifications.

The Programme to Promote Primarily Digital Official Communications is based on the programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government. It will be carried out as two parallel development projects. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency is responsible for its practical implementation.

The first project was launched in spring 2024. It primarily enables the delivery of electronic official messages using Suomi.fi Messages to those administration clients who already use electronic services. Now is the time to launch the second project, which will make it possible to use private digital mail services alongside Suomi.fi Messages.

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency is preparing the change in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance and stakeholders. Key stakeholders include private digital mail service providers or those interested in the service and organisations sending official messages.

Implementing this change will also require legislative amendments, as well as communication and support for citizens and organizations that send official mail.

How is the preparation progressing?

The following will be implemented in 2026 based on legislative requirements and other needs:

building technical interfaces for private digital mail services,
the necessary functional and technical changes for both end users of the service and the authorities who send mail,
processes and practices (such as audits) required for operational compliance and the entry into force of legislation.

Stakeholder cooperation, legislative drafting, and technical and functional planning in accordance with the target state started in autumn 2025.

What does the change mean for public administration organisations?

The aim is to prepare the change so that it does not require significant additional measures from organisations that already use Suomi.fi Messages or who will start using the REST interface for Suomi.fi Messages.

By starting to use the new REST interface for Suomi.fi Messages, organisations will also be prepared to use the private digital mail service operators. Authorities will continue to communicate through a centralised background service administered by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency also in the future.

Learn more about what this change means for public administration organizations >>

What does the change mean for citizens?

The legislation on the digital priority of official mail came into force April 14, 2026. An electronic mailbox will be created for citizens using digital services when they identify themselves in an electronic service of public administration (such as MyTax, MyKela or the Traficom e-service).

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) is currently developing a technical and functional solution for Suomi.fi messages that will enable official messages to be read in other digital mail services as well.

The goal is for commercial digital mail services to begin displaying official mail by September 30, 2026. After that, citizens will be able to choose for themselves which approved service they want to use to read their electronic official mail.

Further information

Digital and Population Data Services Agency, Project Manager Annette Hotari, tel. +358 295 535 028, firstname.lastname@dvv,fi
Maria Juka-Lahdenperä, Service Owner of Suomi.fi Messages from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, tel. +358 295 535 334, [email protected]