Electronic identification in Finland
With electronic identification, you can confirm your identity in various electronic services, such as Kela and the tax authorities, and when paying for purchases online. The forms of electronic identification (e-ID) that individuals can use in Finland are online banking codes, the Citizen Certificate or Mobile ID. Finland's only cross-border electronic identity (eIDAS) compatible identifier is the Citizen Certificate.
Foreigners can authenticate for some Finnish services using eIDAS authentication tools or the Finnish Authenticator service.
Finnish electronic identification tools
The forms of e-ID that individuals can use in Finland are online banking codes, the Citizen Certificate or Mobile ID. Read below to find out more about whether you can get Finnish e-ID.
The criteria for obtaining online banking codes depend on your bank. The requirements for issuing online banking codes are stricter than for opening a bank account, as banks have a legal obligation to verify their customers’ identity. Read more on the FINE website.
You can read more about banking services on the page Bank accounts in Finland.
The Citizen Certificate is included in ID cards, which are issued by the police. A Citizen Certificate may be issued to a Finnish national or a foreign national who is resident in a Finnish municipality as referred to in the Act on the Municipality of Residence, whose details are stored in the Population Information System and whose identity has been reliably established. Information on how to order an ID card can be found on the Police website.
The Citizen Certificate is in the chip of the ID card. You can use the Citizen Certificate to authenticate yourself with the authorities' e-services or to make electronic signatures.
You need to activate the Citizen Certificate in your ID card before you can use it for e-services. To activate your card, you will need the activation code that came with the card, a chip card reader and card reader software. Alternatively, you can activate your ID card on your phone using the hightrust.id app. Instructions on how to activate the card can be found on the website of the Digital and Population Services Agency.
Read more about the Citizen Certificate and the eIDAS Regulation on the website of the Digital and Population Services Agency.
Some Finnish mobile operators offer the possibility of mobile authentication. Mobile authentication is possible on all mobile phones, but strong authentication requires a mobile token, activated on the phone’s SIM card, which is the user's electronic ID.
To get a mobile certificate, you need a mobile phone contract with an operator offering Mobile ID, Finnish online banking codes and a SIM card that supports Mobile ID.
If you want to activate Mobile ID on your SIM card, contact your Finnish operator. For more information, contact your mobile phone operator. Find out more on Suomi.fi and Mobiilivarmenne.fi.
Identification in other countries with a Finnish electronic identifier
From the beginning of 2026, a Citizen Certificate linked to a Finnish ID card will allow cross-border transactions in electronic services in other Nordic countries and the entire EU. The Citizen Certificate is the only electronic identifier compliant with the eIDAS Regulation, meaning that cross-border electronic identification is not possible with other means of identification.
Read more about the Citizen Certificate above in the section Citizen Certificate.
Identification for foreigners in Finland
Foreigners can identify themselves electronically in Finland using eIDAS identification tokens or the Finnish Authenticator service.
The eIDAS Regulation requires EU public administration service providers to accept electronic identification from all other EU countries. In other words, you can authenticate electronically with Finnish public administration services if you use a token recognised by another EU country.
On the Suomi.fi website you will find a list of countries whose identification tokens can be used in Finland. Read more about eIDAS tokens on the website of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.
Finnish Authenticator is an identification service for foreign citizens in Finland that allows you to identify yourself with Finnish public administration services. The service is in English. Finnish Authenticator is an app that can be downloaded to your mobile phone and can only be used on services that accept it as an authentication method.
The service is intended for people who do not have a Finnish personal identity code and who are at least 18 years old. The service allows these people to use Finnish e-services as authenticated users. The service can also be used for transactions on behalf of organisations and companies.
If you need support in installing or using Finnish Authenticator, contact the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.
Read more about the Finnish Authenticator service on the website of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.
Electronic identification in other Nordic countries
See the pages listed below for information on electronic identification in other Nordic countries.
More information
Please fill in our contact form if you have any questions or if you have encountered an obstacle in another Nordic country.
NB! If you have questions regarding the processing of a specific case or application, or other personal matters, please contact the relevant authority directly.