The Finnish Police has confirmed that it will scrap paper powers-of-attorney for the pick-up of newly-issued passports and national ID cards from 1 January 2026. From that date, travel documents will only be released to three categories of people: (1) the holder, (2) the holder’s legal guardian, or (3) a representative who was designated electronically during the application process. The change, announced on 5 December and reiterated on 6 December, brings Finland into line with updated EU technical specifications for second-generation biometric documents that require a fully auditable digital chain of custody.
Police IT teams have already upgraded the e-service portal to allow applicants to grant – and revoke – an e-mandate while fingerprints are taken. At the point of collection, officers see the mandate on‐screen, eliminating the long-standing loophole whereby forged paper proxies could be used to obtain a stranger’s passport. A short transition window remains: documents issued on or before 5 December may still be collected with a paper proxy until 31 December 2025.
![Finland to End Paper Powers-of-Attorney for Passport & ID Collection on 1 January 2026]()
For corporate mobility managers the implications are immediate. Expatriates who previously asked colleagues or relocation agents to pick up their passports will now have to appear in person or arrange an e-mandate in advance. Organisations are being advised to build extra lead-time into year-end renewals and to budget for courier services if the authorised representative lives outside the assignee’s home region.
The reform is also an early signal of the government’s wider ‘Digital-First’ strategy. Ministries plan to migrate most official mail and identity services online by 2026, and officials hint that fully paperless residence-permit cards and change-of-address filings could follow. Finland thus joins Estonia, the Netherlands and several Nordic neighbours that have already phased out paper proxies, further tightening the Schengen area’s external-border security.
Police IT teams have already upgraded the e-service portal to allow applicants to grant – and revoke – an e-mandate while fingerprints are taken. At the point of collection, officers see the mandate on‐screen, eliminating the long-standing loophole whereby forged paper proxies could be used to obtain a stranger’s passport. A short transition window remains: documents issued on or before 5 December may still be collected with a paper proxy until 31 December 2025.
For corporate mobility managers the implications are immediate. Expatriates who previously asked colleagues or relocation agents to pick up their passports will now have to appear in person or arrange an e-mandate in advance. Organisations are being advised to build extra lead-time into year-end renewals and to budget for courier services if the authorised representative lives outside the assignee’s home region.
The reform is also an early signal of the government’s wider ‘Digital-First’ strategy. Ministries plan to migrate most official mail and identity services online by 2026, and officials hint that fully paperless residence-permit cards and change-of-address filings could follow. Finland thus joins Estonia, the Netherlands and several Nordic neighbours that have already phased out paper proxies, further tightening the Schengen area’s external-border security.
