Information resources of Regional State Administrative Agencies
Everyone has the right to access public information from Regional State Administrative Agencies’ documents and databases.
However, parts of documents and information may be subject to statutory confidentiality provisions. If we refuse to give you access to a document or information that you ask for, we will tell you the reasons for our refusal. If you wish, you can appeal our decision to the competent Administrative Court.
- There is, as a rule, no charge for accessing documents.
- If it transpires that we have the right to charge you for the information you require under section 34 of the Finnish Act on the Openness of Government Activities, we will give you a cost estimate in advance. We may charge you, for example, for having to take copies or black out confidential information in documents.
- Our charges are based on the Finnish Government Decree on Charges Payable for the Services of Regional State Administrative Agencies and our price list.
Fees and charges
1. Make sure to clearly identify the document or information that you require in your request. You can, for example, specify the topic, time period or geographical area in which you are interested and provide any relevant reference numbers. If you are seeking access to a public document or information, you do not need to provide reasons for your request.
2. You can use our online request form or send an email to the registry of the competent Regional State Administrative Agency explaining what you need in your own words.
- If your request only concerns the jurisdiction of one Regional State Administrative Agency, just email the registry of that Regional State Administrative Agency.
- If you are seeking nationwide information or your request concerns multiple Regional State Administrative Agencies, sending just one request to any Regional State Administrative Agency’s registry is enough. Please describe in your message which regions your request concerns.
- You can also send your request by post or visit your nearest Regional State Administrative Agency in person.
- Links to the online form and the contact information of Regional State Administrative Agencies’ registries are provided at the bottom of this page.
3. If you send your request by email, you will receive instant confirmation of receipt.
4. We strive to respond to requests for information and documents as quickly as possible.
- If you are seeking access to a public document, we will get back to you within two weeks of the date of your request.
- If you are asking for a large number of documents or if the documents that you wish to access contain confidential information, or if dealing with your request requires special procedures or is otherwise particularly time-consuming, it can take us up to a month to process and respond to your request.
Disclosure of confidential information for research purposes
We can authorise the disclosure of confidential information for the purposes of scientific research, statistical analysis or official planning and surveys on a case-by-case basis. The circumstances in which confidential information can be disclosed are provided for in section 28 of the Act on the Openness of Government Activities.
If a request for confidential information concerns documents of multiple government agencies operating under the same ministry, such as multiple Regional State Administrative Agencies, the decision as to whether or not access can be given is taken by the ministry in question. The competent ministry may consult with the relevant government agencies before making its decision.
Your right to check what information Regional State Administrative Agencies hold about you
The way in which Regional State Administrative Agencies use your personal information and your rights as a data subject are explained on our website under “Data protection”.