It is not recommended to postpone getting a new passport

The police wish to point out that it takes time before the validity of the Finnish passport changes to ten years. You should therefore not wait to renew your passport.

The licence services of the police have received a lot of questions about whether it is advisable to postpone getting a new passport in order to get a passport that is valid for ten years. The police would like to point out that there is not yet any detailed information on the date when the ten-year passport will be introduced. If you need a new passport, you should not postpone applying for it. You can get a new passport quickly by submitting an electronic application and, if necessary, making an appointment with the licence services. You can find the available appointments and places of service at: asiointi.poliisi.fiLink to an external websiteOpens in a new tab

Many factors affect the entry into force of the ten-year passport

The passport reform will not take place this summer, because the legislation will be updated first and the potential need for technical changes in the production and issuance of passports needs to be assessed. A passport that is valid for ten years must withstand physical wear and tear more than a passport that is valid for a shorter period of time.

Accurate assessment of safety features is important

The Finnish passport is one of the safest passports in the world. This is evident when Finns travel around the world. The Finnish passport is trusted, and the trust is largely based on the fact that the passport is well protected. This is why the passport must have strong encryption mechanisms because the passport chip contains a lot of data, such as personal identity code, personal photograph and fingerprints, which need to be secured particularly well. A longer period of validity must be taken into account as one factor when assessing an adequate level of protection for the passport.

How to apply for a passport

You can find the electronic passport application, available appointments and places of service on the poliisi.fi website.
“When an application for a passport or identity card has been submitted online in advance, the system will automatically direct you to the appointment booking system when an appointment in person is necessary,” says Hanna Piipponen, Chief of Licence Administration.