Results of police licence services in 2025

In 2025, the licence services of the Finnish police processed a total of almost 1,059,000 licence matters subject to charge, which is 26.6 per cent less than in 2024.

The demand for passports and identity cards in particular decreased significantly compared to the previous year. This trend is largely a consequence of the exceptionally small demand during the Covid years: passports and identity cards in Finland are valid for five years, and the documents issued in 2020 were due for renewal in 2025.

A total of 579,625 passport applications were made in 2025, which is 30.3 per cent less than in 2024. The total number of identity card applications was 381,299, and their number decreased by 25 per cent from the previous year. There was also a slight decrease in firearms and security service licences and a slight increase in other licence matters. However, passports and identity cards with their largest volumes cause the biggest fluctuations in the number of customers.

Nearly half a million customers use appointments made in advance

The key performance objective of the Licence Administration of the police in 2025 was to ensure sufficient availability of advance appointments for customers.

In 2025, the customer service of the Licence Administration of the police served its customers with a total of approximately 496,500 advance appointments in all licence matters. A total of 438,458 advance appointments were made in passport and identity card matters.

The highest numbers of advance appointments were made in the areas of the police departments of Central Finland, Southwestern Finland, Helsinki and Eastern Uusimaa, where demand was also high. The high demand was also responded to: The Helsinki Police Department increased the number of available advance appointments by almost 40 per cent compared to 2024. The increase in the number of advance appointments together with a more even flow of customers facilitated the situation especially in the licence services in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.

Approximately 523,000 advance appointments were offered for passport and identity card matters in the whole of Finland. However, some of the appointments were not used in different regions, and in Lapland and the Oulu region, among other places, customers often used the services without making an advance appointment. One quarter of the passports and identity cards were renewed in a lighter procedure, in other words without a personal visit to the police department.

76 per cent of the passport and identity card applications were submitted through the online service. In 2026, the Licence Administration of the police will continue to ensure a sufficient supply of advance appointments throughout the country. Target numbers have been set for all police departments to produce advance appointments, and a sufficient level of appointments based on waiting for an appointment to become available at a police station will also be maintained.

“To make the use of the service smoother, it is always a good idea to start the application on the police website. The online service guides the customer to the right service path,” says Hanna Piipponen, Chief of Licence Administration.

The up-to-date opening hours of the police licence services and more information on all services can be found at: poliisi.fi