Alcohol licensing 

Regional State Administrative Agencies coordinate alcohol licencing in Finland based on the Finnish Alcohol Act and associated rules and regulations. The objective of the Alcohol Act is to control the consumption of alcohol so as to prevent detrimental societal, social and health effects caused by alcoholic substances. 

Regional State Administrative Agencies employ around 50 alcohol licensing professionals. 

We license 

We are Finland’s competent authority for licensing alcohol sales on and off premises. We also handle requests to modify licensed premises and to amend on-sales and off-sales alcohol licences. 

We base all our decisions on alcohol licence applications on a careful examination of the prospective licensee’s background and circumstances. Our processing fees are based on the Finnish Ministry of Finance’s annual decrees on charges payable for the services of Regional State Administrative Agencies. The same fee applies regardless of whether or not an application is successful. In addition, all licensed premises are subject to an annual supervisory fee. 

Read more about alcohol licensing:

Alcohol sales and off premises

We enforce 

We enforce the rules on alcohol sales on and off premises. Our licensing and enforcement work is coordinated by Finland’s National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health. Our aim is to apply the same procedures all across the country. 

Register of Alcohol Licensees  

Regional State Administrative Agencies and the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health have set up a special database called the Register of Alcohol Licensees. The register contains the details of all individuals who have applied for or been issued an alcohol licence. The National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health acts as the primary controller of the system. 

More information about the system and the privacy policy is available from Regional State Administrative Agencies.