Finnish Authenticator identification service

Finnish Authenticator is an identification service for foreign citizens. It enables users to identify themselves in Finnish public administration e-services, such as Suomi.fi e-Authorizations. The identification service is provided in English and can only be used in services where the Finnish Authenticator identification method is used.

The Finnish Authenticator is an application that can be installed on a mobile phone and used as an identification token when logging in to e-services.

The service can be used by persons aged 18 or over who do not have a Finnish personal identity code or identification token but need to identify themselves for a Finnish e-service.

 

Easier identification to foreign clients

The Finnish Authenticator identification service facilitates identification and transactions when the individual cannot use face-to-face services and does not have a Finnish personal identity code or identification token.

Finnish Authenticator can also be used when acting on behalf of companies and organisations. A representative of a foreign company must apply for the necessary Suomi.fi e-Authorizations.

When using the Finnish Authenticator application, the client identifies themselves remotely at first. After this, the foreign client can use the application as an identification token, similar to online banking codes. 

Each organisation is responsible for the provision of user support concerning its services to clients who use Finnish Authenticator. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency is responsible for user support concerning the activation and use of Finnish Authenticator. 

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Acting on behalf of a company or an organisation
Mandate service provided by officials

 

The identification service is activated via Suomi.fi e-Identification

The use of the Finnish Authenticator service requires Suomi.fi e-Identification and access right. 

Unlike other tokens available through Suomi.fi e-Identification, Finnish Authenticator does not have a defined level of assurance. Thus, it is not a means of strong identification.

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Suomi.fi e-Identification
Suomi.fi e-Identification tokens

 

Access rights to Finnish Authenticator require a contract 

A contract is concluded with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency on the use of the service. The contract is valid until further notice. 

The service can be used free of charge if the organisation has previously used the Katso ID in its e-services to identify persons acting on behalf of a foreign company.

Using the identification service is subject to charge if the organisation has not used the Katso ID or if the purpose is to use the identification service directly for personal services. 
To conclude a contract, contact us by email [email protected]

 

 

Using the Finnish Authenticator Service 

In the Finnish Authenticator Identification Service, the foreign citizen registers a foreigner’s identifier for themselves and verifies their identity by using the Finnish Authenticator app. 

In the initial identification phase, the person takes a photo of their passport or national identity card and a photo of themselves. The identification service will confirm the person’s identity if the information in the identity document and the photo match.

Once they have first registered with the Finnish Authenticator service and activated the mobile application, they can log in to Finnish public administration e-services using the Finnish Authenticator credentials, password and the PIN code set in the application. A person representing a foreign company must also apply for the necessary Suomi.fi e-Authorizations from the mandate service provided by officials, after which they can use various e-services.

If electronic initial identification cannot be performed with the application, the identification token may also be granted through a manual process. In that case, the identification is based on a document issued by an authority that reliably proves the person’s identity or a certified copy of such a document. 

• In connection with remote registration, identity can be verified with a passport. If the end-user is a citizen of an EU Member State or a citizen of San Marino, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, their identity can be verified with an electronic ID card. A driving licence or an alien’s passport is not valid for the verification of identity.

The application cannot be activated with a Finnish passport or a Finnish electronic ID card. The identification method is not suitable for expatriate Finns with a Finnish personal identity code. The foreigner’s identifier (UID) cannot be combined with the Population Information System data. 
The Finnish Authenticator service does not currently meet all accessibility requirements. A visually impaired person cannot independently activate the application. 

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Instructions for setting up the service
Mandate service provided by officials
Accessibility of the Finnish Authenticator Identification Service

 

Pricing of the service

For organisations using the Finnish Authenticator service as an identification method in their e-services, the fee is 

€7.50 / user / year.

A service user is defined as someone who activates the Finnish Authenticator authentication method in order to use a certain e-service.

Identification transactions are not charged separately.

The user organisation is responsible for the costs of setting up the service, i.e. the deployment of Suomi.fi e-Identification and the maintenance of its integration in the organisation’s e-services. No separate fees are charged for the deployment of Finnish Authenticator. 

The organisation deploying the service estimates the expected number of users/year when concluding the contract. Organisations using the identification method are obliged to monitor the number of users. The actual number of users is reported to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency before invoicing. The service is invoiced retrospectively on an annual basis.

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Price list

 

Validity and service provision

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency is responsible for providing the identification service and provides the required end-user support. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the year. Any updates and maintenance work requiring downtime will be implemented at times that minimise the inconvenience to end users.

Once the remote registration is complete, the person can use the identification method in all e-services in which the Finnish Authenticator application has been enabled. If the identification token is not used, it enters a passive state after 12 months, but will remain usable for five years from the previous log event. If the token is not used for five years, it will be disabled.  

If necessary, the user of the token can terminate the use of Finnish Authenticator by uninstalling the application and requesting user account deletion on the self-service website.

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency provides the Finnish Authenticator service in accordance with the law. The provision of the identification token is based on the Act on the Population Information System and Certificate Services Provided by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (661/2009) and the Act on Central Government’s Joint e-Service Support Services (571/2016).

 

Client data transferred in connection with an identification transaction

When a foreign person identifies themselves in an e-service, Suomi.fi e-Identification transfers the following user data:

• Forename
• Surname
• Date of birth
• UID (unique identifier)

This client data is also transferred when the identification method is used to act on behalf of a company. 

Foreign user ID (UID)

• The identifier consists of ten characters: nine digits and a control character. 
• The identifier starts with number five or six. Identifiers are generated randomly between 500000000X and 699999999X. 
• The control character is calculated using the same principle as for personal identity codes, i.e. dividing the nine-digit number by 31.
• The identifier is permanent but does not contain information about the user, meaning that it cannot be used to determine their age, gender or nationality. 

UID identifiers cannot be checked from an external register or system, but the organisation using the service is responsible for the data of its clients and any combination of data with client data provided in other contexts.  

A foreigner’s identifier (UID) is not stored in the Population Information System and cannot be combined with data in the system.