The state's regional government will be reformed at the turn of the year 2025‒2026. Regional State Administrative Agenciestasks related to animals and food will be transferred to the Finnish Food Authority. In connection with the change, the site may have flaws in the first few days of January.

Animal keeping subject to notification

See: Animal exhibits and displays and Animal keeping permits and notifications

Notification-based activities include, for example:

  • operating a petting zoo
  • animal-assisted therapy, wellbeing, or experience services
  • keeping companion or hobby animals professionally or on a large scale
  • farming wild animal species for production purposes
  • game management farming of wild animal species
  • operating a care facility for wild animals that are injured or otherwise helpless

Notification-based activities must be reported to the Finnish Food Authority.

The notification can be submitted:

If the operator does not have a Finnish personal identity code, the notification must be submitted using the form and sent to the Finnish Food Authority. The agency charges a fee for processing notifications related to the keeping of animals and other notification-based activities, in accordance with its price list.

Finnish Food Authority has prepared a guideline titled "Notification-based keeping of animals and other activities" for all operators who are engaged in or planning to start notification-based animal keeping or other animal-related activities as defined in the Animal Welfare Act. The guideline describes in more detail the requirements that apply to such activities in the future.

Page last updated 12/31/2025