Export authorisations for dual-use items

Companies must obtain an authorisation when exporting dual-use items subject to controls outside the European Union.  In Finland, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is the national competent authority responsible for granting export authorisations (export licenses) for dual-use items.

Export authorisations are applied for via the Ministry’s e-services and separate permits or special software are not needed. Both individual, global and general export authorisations are available.

In intra-EU trade, which refers to deliveries within the European Union, an authorisation is required only for such extremely sensitive items as nuclear materials and equipment. These items are listed in Annex IV to the Regulation (EU) 2021/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council(Link to another website.).

The new decree of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on fees charged for services provided by the Finnish Foreign Service in 2025 enters into force on 1 January 2025. Several services that are now provided free of charge will become subject to a fee from 1 January 2025.

Individual export authorisations processed by the Export Control Unit of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will be subject to a fee, including the updating of an individual export authorisation (application to modify an individual export authorisation) and the extension of its validity.

In addition, transit authorisations, authorisations for brokering services, transfer authorisations and authorisations for technical assistance processed by the Export Control Unit, as well as global export authorisations, including the updating (application to modify) and the extension of its validity, decisions containing a preliminary opinion and decisions on classification request, will become subject to a fee.

The processing fees for the Export Control Unit's authorisations are EUR 900 for global export authorisations and the renewal of global export authorisations and EUR 190 for other services. The fee may be charged retrospectively and does not prevent processing of applications. No fee will be charged for applications submitted before 1.1.2025, even if the case has not been closed before 1.1.2025. More information on the billing policy will be provided at a later stage.

Exemptions processed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs under EU sanctions regulations will remain free of charge.

E-services

Apply for an export authorisation via the shared e-services(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Defence. 

Log in to the e-services using your suomi-fi identification(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window).

You can request a suomi.fi mandate(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window) at suomi.fi. In export control matters, companies are responsible for applying for export authorisation  for dual-use items.(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window)

For more information about suomi.fi services: Digital and Population Data Services Agency's Customer service for organisations(Link to another website.) (Opens New Window).

Finnish instructions for logging into the e-services are available in a separate attachment (PDF) (Opens New Window).

Export control forms

See below descriptions of the types of applications that can be submitted in our e-services. 

Application for an individual export authorisation

In case of a single delivery for which a general export authorisation is not applicable, the exporting company must submit an application for an individual export authorisation. If you are unsure of whether the items concerned are subject to controls, you should first contact the Export Control Unit of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

For intra-Community transfers, an application for a Union General Export Authorisation (EUGEA) is used instead of an application for an individual export authorisation.

Export authorisations for products subject to sanctions are requested using applications for individual export authorisation.

An end-user statement and a document identifying the delivery (sales contract, order confirmation or invoice) must be attached to an application for an individual export authorisation.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs requires that the applicant provides an account of the end-user of the items or service. The applicant can meet this requirement by submitting an end-user statement provided by the end-user in the final country of destination. The final purpose of use of the items must be stated in the document.

• End user statements (PDF) (Opens New Window) 

When processing export authorisations, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs needs different kinds of information on the end user, the recipient and the items especially when the application concerns a new party or new items. You can submit your answers to the questions set out in the document below, as appropriate, as an appendix to your application for export authorisation to speed up the process.

• Know Your Customer form (Word) 

• Sanctions and Sanction Circumvention (Word) 

• Human Rights Assessment Form (Word) 

Application for an export authorisation for intra-Community transfers in the EU

For intra-Community transfer of items that are subject to controls, an export authorisation for intra-Community transfers in the EU must be applied. Intra-Community transfer of items is subject to controls if the item is listed in Annex 4 of the Regulation (EU) 2021/821 of the European Parliament and of the Council(Link to another website.).

Application for a global export authorisation

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs may issue global export authorisations for certain non-sensitive items to be exported to a number of countries by exporters/companies that have put in place an Internal Compliance Programme (ICP). Before applying for a global authorisation, you should consult the Foreign Ministry’s Export Control Unit about the possibility to apply for a global authorisation.

Request for modification

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs may, on application, change the terms for accepting an authorisation. A request for modification is required if the information submitted in the application for an export authorisation or in the granted authorisation change.

Request for a preliminary opinion

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs may, on application, provide the exporter with a preliminary opinion on the general prerequisites for granting an authorisation. The same main details of the content of the delivery required for the application of an export authorisation must be contained in the request for preliminary opinion. The time needed for the processing of a request for preliminary opinion depends on the expert opinions necessary in the process.

Inquiry on whether a product is subject to export controls

The exporter is responsible for finding out if a product is subject to export controls. The manufacturer has the best technological know-how of its products and is therefore capable of determining the export control classification of its own products. Contact the Ministry for Foreign Affairs if you are unsure of whether a certain product or service requires an export authorisation. The time required for processing such an inquiry depends on such matters as how quickly the expert opinions requested in the process can be obtained.

The opinion assesses if the product meets certain criteria for being subject to controls laid down in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2021/821(Link to another website.) or in the national control list on the basis of its technical specifications.

If a product could be exported to a country subject to sanctions and you therefore want to know if the product is subject to controls on some other grounds, such as the control lists referred to in the sanctions regulations, please request this in the additional information of your inquiry. An example of such a list is the list of items in the sanctions against Russia in Annex VII to Regulation (EU) 833/2014(Link to another website.). In the request, specify the product lists (the number of the Regulation and the Annex number) on the basis of which the assessment is requested.

Notification of the use of a national general export authorisation FI001

The exporter must notify the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the use of a National General Export Authorisation (NGEA) within 30 days from the date when the first export took place. The exporter’s name and address must be included in the notification. The NGEA covers dual-use items set out in the Annex to the Act on the Export Control of Dual-Use Items (500/2024).

After the notification, the exporter will not need to notify the Ministry for Foreign Affairs again of the use of the authorisation in question. The use of an NGEA is permitted for exports to all countries listed in the NGEA.

The authorisation is valid for exports to the following destinations: Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, including Liechtenstein, the United Kingdom (taking into account the exception provided for in Annex II A.2 to the Dual Use Regulation concerning the application of the Regulation to and in the United Kingdom in respect of Northern Ireland) and the United States.

Exporters must take account of the limitations on the use of the NGEA stated in the authorisation. More detailed requirements can be found in the decision on the national general export authorisation (PDF, in Finnish).

Notifications concerning the use of EU General Export Authorisations EU001-008

The exporter must notify the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the use of a general export authorisation (GEA) within 30 days from the date when the first export took place. The exporter’s name and address must be included in the notification.

After the notification, the exporter will not need to notify the Ministry for Foreign Affairs again of the use of the authorisation in question. The use of a GEA for exports to all the countries listed in the GEA is permitted subject to the limits set in Annex II of Regulation (EU) 2021/821(Link to another website.) of the European Parliament and of the Council.

Finnish Customs must be separately notified of exports that take place under GEA.

GEA EU001

Export to Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Iceland, Japan, and Norway, Switzerland including Liechtenstein, New Zealand  and the United States.

GEA EU002

Export of certain materials and electronic items to Argentina, Iceland, South Africa, South Korea and Türkiye.

GEA EU003

Export of repaired/replaced items to the following countries/territories: Albania, Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Chile, China (including Hong Kong and Macao), French Overseas Territories, India, Kazakhstan, North Macedonia, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates.

There are a number restrictions concerning the use of this authorisation.

GEA EU004

Temporary export for an exhibition or a fair to the following countries/territories covered by GEA EU003: Albania, Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Chile, China (including Hong Kong and Macao), French Overseas Territories, India, Kazakhstan, North Macedonia, Mexico, Montenegro, Morocco, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates.

There are a number restrictions concerning the use of this authorisation.

GEA EU005

Export of certain telecommunications equipment to Argentina, China, India, South Africa, South Korea, Russia, Türkiye and Ukraine.

GEA EU006

Export of certain chemicals to Argentina, South Korea, Türkiye and Ukraine.

GEA EU007

Export of dual-use technology and software, excluding 4A005, 4D004, 4E001.c, 5A001.f and 5A001.j, for the use of the exporting company’s subsidiaries and fellow subsidiaries in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, India, Indonesia, Israel, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand and Tunisia.

GEA EU008

Export of certain data encryption technologies to certain third countries (see Annex II H to the Dual Use Regulation for more details)