The new Identity Card Act will enter into force on 1 January 2017. Changes in the Identity Card Act were designed to improve internal safety and to make interaction with authorities more fluent and faster. Another aspect is to make it easier for foreigners to integrate into Finnish society.
Finnish citizens studying abroad can apply for an identity card from a diplomatic mission as of 1 January 2017. Applications cannot be submitted electronically; the applicant must be present in person. An identity card, permanent or temporary, cannot be applied for at a Finnish diplomatic mission; they will still be granted by the policy only.
Regulations concerning identity cards for foreigners will be amended. Identity cards for foreign citizens will in future be granted for up to five years, but not beyond the period of validity of the applicant's residence permit or residence card. The amendment creates a closer link between the identity card and right of residence. In order for an identity card to be issued, applicants must be identified and have their identity reliably verified.
When foreigners cannot present any identification when applying for a foreigner's identity card, the police may verify their identity by comparing their fingerprints with those on their residence permit card. Fingerprint data taken for the purpose of comparison can only be used for the time required for completing the comparison task, after which they must be destroyed immediately. This comparison is done to ensure that the person applying for a foreigner's identity card is the same person to whom the residence permit was granted.
As of December 2014, it has been possible to submit a personal identity card application electronically in the online system provided by the police, but the card always had to be picked up personally from the police station. Starting on 1 April 2017, a more simple procedure will be introduced, meaning that applicants may under certain conditions be granted an identity card without having to visit the police station in person.
In future, no health insurance information will be stored on personal identity cards.
