The Finnish Police have confirmed that, from 1 January 2026, passports and national ID cards will only be handed over to the person named in the application, the holder’s legal guardian, or a representative designated electronically at the time of application. A short transition period will allow documents issued on or before 5 December 2025 to be collected with a traditional paper power-of-attorney until the end of the year.
The change, announced in a police statement on 4 December, aligns Finland with new EU security standards for electronic identification documents. Authorities say paper authorisations are increasingly susceptible to forgery and no longer meet the verification requirements for biometric travel documents that contain an embedded chip and citizen certificate. Digital authorisation will now be embedded in the police’s e-service system and can be granted during an on-line application or in person when the applicant visits a police station for identity verification.
![Finland abolishes paper powers-of-attorney for collecting passports and ID cards]()
For global mobility and corporate travel managers the update is significant: employees on assignment will no longer be able to ask a colleague to pick up a travel document with a handwritten form after arriving in Finland. Employers should build extra lead-time into assignment planning, particularly over the Christmas–New Year peak when many expatriates renew passports and ID cards. Companies may need to budget for courier services if an authorised representative cannot collect the document within Finland.
Operationally, the police will take the e-service platform offline for maintenance between 16:00 and 20:00 on 5 December to implement the necessary technical changes. Travellers who have appointments during that window have been advised to reschedule. The authorities stress that all other passport-issuance processes remain unchanged and current passport fees do not increase.
Finland’s move underscores a broader European trend toward end-to-end digital chains of trust for travel documents. Neighbouring Sweden introduced a similar ban on paper authorisations in 2024, and the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) scheduled for 2026 will rely heavily on secure biometric enrolment and document hand-over protocols. Mobility stakeholders should expect comparable reforms across the Schengen Area in the coming year.
The change, announced in a police statement on 4 December, aligns Finland with new EU security standards for electronic identification documents. Authorities say paper authorisations are increasingly susceptible to forgery and no longer meet the verification requirements for biometric travel documents that contain an embedded chip and citizen certificate. Digital authorisation will now be embedded in the police’s e-service system and can be granted during an on-line application or in person when the applicant visits a police station for identity verification.
For global mobility and corporate travel managers the update is significant: employees on assignment will no longer be able to ask a colleague to pick up a travel document with a handwritten form after arriving in Finland. Employers should build extra lead-time into assignment planning, particularly over the Christmas–New Year peak when many expatriates renew passports and ID cards. Companies may need to budget for courier services if an authorised representative cannot collect the document within Finland.
Operationally, the police will take the e-service platform offline for maintenance between 16:00 and 20:00 on 5 December to implement the necessary technical changes. Travellers who have appointments during that window have been advised to reschedule. The authorities stress that all other passport-issuance processes remain unchanged and current passport fees do not increase.
Finland’s move underscores a broader European trend toward end-to-end digital chains of trust for travel documents. Neighbouring Sweden introduced a similar ban on paper authorisations in 2024, and the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) scheduled for 2026 will rely heavily on secure biometric enrolment and document hand-over protocols. Mobility stakeholders should expect comparable reforms across the Schengen Area in the coming year.
