Permits and licensing requirements

There is freedom of enterprise in Finland – however, in order to operate in certain sectors permits or licences are required. This is to ensure the safety of the society, the environment and the consumers. In other fields, a notification about the business operations must be made to the authorities, even if no actual permit is required. Permits and licences are granted by, among others: municipal and city authorities, regional government agencies and ministries.

Before starting a business, it is always important to check whether a specific permit, license or notification is required – and what else is needed in order to operate in your particular sector. In some cases, you need to obtain permission from several different authorities: for example, to run a restaurant you need a hygiene passport, an alcohol passport and a license to dispense alcohol. You also need to notify the health inspector, rescue services and construction supervision.