European Firearms Pass (EFP) The European Firearms Pass (EFP) is designed to facilitate the movement of target shooters and hunters from one EU country to another with their firearms. If you are transporting a firearm or a firearm component to ano...

Matters involving large carnivores Sometimes large carnivores (bear, wolf, wolverine, lynx) cause danger to humans. Dangerous situations related to large carnivores should be handled by the police. In practice, the police take care of assignments ...

Moving firearms across national borders On this page, you will find information about what to do when you need to transfer a firearm from one country to another. For example, you could be moving abroad or participating in a shooting sports or hunt...

14.12.2023 | According to the Supreme Administrative Court’s recent decision, the Finnish Wildlife Agency’s decisions to grant exceptional licenses (derogations) for hunting bears in autumn 2022 for the purposes of population management have been in opposition to the law. In public discussion, it has been presumed that in the future, at least bears could not be hunted at all for the purposes of population management.

22.8.2025 | Of the large carnivores living in Finland, bears and wolves in particular regularly cause work for the police. These are situations in which a bear or wolf is assessed as posing a danger to people's lives or safety. The duty of the police is to maintain public order and security, in which role they have powers under the Police Act to take measures involving animals to eliminate danger and even, as a last resort, to put an animal down.

11.11.2024 | The police carried out an intensified nationwide elk and deer hunting control operation on 30 September – 27 October 2024. Hunters generally complied well with the rules, but some irregularities were detected. The most common hunting offence was transporting a firearm in a car in a prohibited manner.

3.2.2025 | In February, the police will publish a new agreement template concerning executive assistance in large game matters (SRVA) between police forces and game management associations.

30.8.2024 | Together with other authorities, the police carried out an intensive monitoring operation of waterfowl hunting at the start of the season on 20–25 August 2024. The police spent more than 600 working hours, or around 90 full-time equivalents, during the period concerned.

14.8.2024 | The waterfowl hunting season starts again at 12 noon on 20 August. The police will carry out an intensive monitoring operation of waterfowl hunting across the country in cooperation with other authorities on 20–25 August 2024.

24.9.2024 | The police will carry out an intensified elk and deer hunting control operation during 30 September – 27 October. The operation will be carried out when the elk hunting season is already underway and hunting clubs are at their most active. The operation will be carried out in cooperation with other wilderness supervisory authorities responsible for hunting and fishing matters, i.e. the Finnish Border Guard, Customs and Metsähallitus.

24.8.2023 | Police carried out intensified wilderness controls at opening of waterfowl and bear hunting seasons

6.11.2023 | Wilderness supervision authorities controlled elk hunting

2.10.2023 | The police will carry out intensified elk and deer hunting controls during 7-29 October 2023 in cooperation with other wilderness supervisory authorities responsible for hunting and fishing issues.

16.8.2023 | Police to supervise the start of waterfowl and bear hunting season from 20 to 21 August 2023

12.10.2022 | Weapons and alcohol don't belong together in Moose hunting

23.8.2022 | The Police collaborated with other authorities during the intensified controls of the hunting season opening taking place in the weekend from 20 to 21 August 2020.

17.8.2022 | The Police will collaborate with other authorities in nationwide controls during the opening weekend of the waterfowl and bear hunting seasons.

24.8.2021 | The police supervised the start of the hunting season in an intensified campaign on 20-22 August 2021, in collaboration with other authorities.

You must demonstrate continued participation in shooting sports if your permit is valid until further notice and your intended use is: hunting, shooting sports, recreational shooting, reservist activities (training contributing to military capability), demonstrations, filming and other similar presentations and your firearm is: pistol, small-calibre pistol, revolver, small-calibre revolver, specially dangerous firearm or self-loading single-shot firearm.

27.9.2022 | The Police will organise intensified elk and deer hunting controls on 1 and 2 October 2022 in the Finnish regions of Lapland, Northern Ostrobothnia and Kainuu and on 8 and 9 October 2022 in other parts of Finland. The controls will take place in collaboration with other wilderness supervision authorities responsible for fishing and hunting issues.