Finland’s Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) is seeking supplier feedback on a planned update to its digital identification service for foreign nationals who need to access Finnish public e-services. DVV’s current “Finnish Authenticator” model allows eligible users without a Finnish personal identity code to register a foreigner’s identifier, verify identity remotely by capturing a passport or national ID and a selfie, and then log in to participating e-services with an app PIN and password. DVV stresses that this login method is implemented via Suomi.fi e-Identification and is not classified as strong electronic identification, distinguishing it from high assurance tokens used elsewhere in Finland’s expanding digital identity ecosystem.
Procurement materials in Finland’s public tendering system outline a Request for Information (RFI) titled “Digital Identification Service for Foreigners,” which seeks vendor input on desired capabilities for the next iteration of the service. The audience is explicitly foreign people without a Finnish personal identity code, and DVV requests comments across functional requirements to inform a future competition. The posted feature list underscores a mobile-first approach integrated with Suomi.fi, with expectations around remote identity proofing using official travel documents, app-based credentials, and operational considerations such as SDKs and APIs for relying-party integration and support.
The current service design addresses common cross-border use cases. Individuals or company representatives outside Finland who lack domestic eID tokens can complete initial remote identification by photographing a passport or EU or EEA national ID card, after which the app works as an identification token for those public services that have enabled Finnish Authenticator. Representatives of foreign companies must also secure the appropriate Suomi.fi e-Authorizations before transacting. DVV provides detailed guidance and user-support boundaries, noting that agencies operating e-services handle frontline support for their users, while DVV supports activation and app usage.
Pricing information published by DVV indicates a per-user annual fee billed to participating organizations rather than per-authentication charges, along with notice of a price change effective January 1, 2026. Those commercial details sit alongside technical constraints, including the explicit note that Finnish Authenticator does not have an assigned level of assurance under Suomi.fi and therefore should not be treated as a strong eID in contexts that require one.
For the market, DVV’s RFI signals continued demand for remote onboarding and lighter-weight authentication for foreign users interacting with Finnish authorities, while clarifying that high-assurance strong eID remains a separate channel. The move comes as DVV continues to play a central role in EU Digital Wallet Consortium testing, positioning Finland as a leader in both domestic and cross-border digital identity innovation. Vendors with document verification, liveness detection, mobile credential, and developer tooling portfolios may find the RFI responsive to their capabilities, especially where interoperability with public-sector orchestration such as Suomi.fi is required.
Sources: DVV; DVV RFI feature list
—
By the ID Tech Editorial Team
