Passport and ID card layouts updated

The layout and features of passports and ID cards will be updated in March. The new updated versions will be issued as of 13 March 2023. Residence permit cards and the residence cards also undergo minor technical updates. The delivery process of the permit documents will also be partly revised.

This relates to the new contract on the production and supply of passports, ID cards and residence permits. 

- The features and layout of the permit documents are completely redesigned and executed, Chief Inspector Juhani Ruutu of the National Police Board commented on the new features presented in a press conference on Monday 27 February 2023.

Chosen visual theme is Finnish Archipelago Sea 

The visual theme in the artwork and security features chosen for the passports and ID cards is the Finnish Archipelago Sea, the world’s largest archipelago and one of the epitomised Finnish landscapes. 

The most visible changes in the layout of the documents is the unusually minimalistic cover design of the passports, the new orange colour of the temporary passports and the essentially larger size of the photo in the ID cards. A new feature in both the passports and the ID cards is the 2D bar code for easier machine recognition and reading. The former 1D bar code in the ID cards is left out.

Several Government agencies involved in contract

On 31 January 2022, the National Police Board of Finland signed a contract with Thales DIS Finland Oy on the supply of Finnish passports, ID cards and residence permits, also covering related services. 

In this contract arrangement, the Police Board also has the proxy to represent the Finnish Immigration Service, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. 

The procurement was made necessary because the current contract expires on 12 March 2023. The contract signed in 2022 becomes operative on 13 March 2023 and it is in force for five years. 

More extensive service network for express deliveries 

The distribution of the permit documents is taken over by a new actor Schenker Oy, the Thales subcontractor for the purpose as of 13 March 2023. 

The basic setup of the delivery process remains the same whereby the deliveries are mainly made to the distributor outlets throughout Finland. The pickup points are R kiosks and K Group groceries and a group of DB Schenker’s own outlets. 

However, the service offer in the delivery process will be more extensive as not only passports but also ID card can be obtained through a special and express delivery option. 

In addition, the service network of express deliveries will extend from the current Helsinki metropolitan area to a larger geographical area; the new express delivery cities are Lahti, Kouvola, Turku, Tampere, Kuopio, Vaasa, Oulu and Rovaniemi. 

Changes do not affect documents issued earlier

The changes do not affect the validity or use of  passports, ID cards or residence permit documents issued earlier. Matkahuolto will deliver the permits included in its process before 13 March 2023. 

More information on new documents

The visual and safety features of the new passports and ID cards are presented at the Police site, and they will be published in the online directory of authentic EU personal ID and travel documents in Council of the European Union - PRADO - Frontpage (europa.eu). 

Moreover, a video on the new passports and ID cards is available at the Police YouTube channel.