How do you get a hygiene passport?

All persons who work on food premises and handle unpackaged perishable foods there must pass a Hygiene Passport test to obtain a Hygiene Passport.

Please Note! The Hygiene Passport will be issued from June 10, 2024 with your full name and Finnish personal identification number. If the person does not yet have a Finnish personal identification number, a Hygiene Passport with the full name and date of birth will be issued. The change also applies to Hygiene Passport re-orders. A Hygiene Passport issued before June 10, 2024 does not need to be renewed if it is kept.

Please note! After 1 January 2020, Hygiene Passports have no longer been issued on the basis of a relevant food sector qualification or education (Food Act 297/2021). Hygiene Passports issued on the basis of qualifications or education on or before 31 December 2019 remain valid if the holder still has their Hygiene Passport and their personal data have not changed. New Hygiene Passports are no longer issued based on a qualification or education. To obtain a new Hygiene Passport, the person must pass the Hygiene Passport test. 

Hygiene Passport tests are organized by Hygiene Passport Examiners approved by the Finnish Food Authority. For the schedules of and registration and participation in Hygiene Passport tests, you can contact approved Hygiene Passport Examiners directly. You should contact the Examiners directly if you wish to take the Hygiene Passport test. The Finnish Food Authority does not organize Hygiene Passport tests.

Hygiene Passport Examiners organize tests around Finland. They do not organize tests outside Finland’s borders. 

The Hygiene Passport Examiners are independent operators supervised by the Finnish Food Authority. Hygiene Passport Examiners are entitled to charge the candidates for the costs incurred from organizing the test and issuing a Hygiene Passport.

You can find the Examiners’ contact details under the link List of Hygiene Passport Examiners.

Hygiene Passport are issued by Hygiene Passport Examiners approved by the Finnish Food Authority. The Examiner can also order a new Hygiene Passport for you if

  • your Hygiene Passport is lost or damaged,
  • there is an error in your Hygiene Passport, or
  • your name or date of birth has changed. 

The Finnish Food Authority does not issue Hygiene Passports.

Make sure that you get the original Hygiene Passport (card and paper certificate) from the Hygiene Passport Examiner whose test you have successfully completed. The original Hygiene Passport belongs to you. Do not hand it over to your own employer, for example.

You can find the Examiners’ contact details under the link List of Hygiene Passport Examiners.

You can find the Examiners’ contact details under the link List of Hygiene Passport Examiners.

The list has been sorted by zip code in ascending order. You can contact Examiners in your municipality or area by such means as e-mail to find out about the schedules of Hygiene Passport tests, registration, participation in the test, prices and so on. The list includes the Examiners who have given permission to publish their contact information.

For more information and contact details of the Hygiene Passport Examiners, contact Finnish Food Authority’s Hygiene Passport customer service:

 

Customer Service number open on Tuesdays 9–12 am. The Customer Service e-mail will not serve on 23 December 2024!

 

Please note that regular, unsecured email is not secure. Send e-mails that contain a classified or otherwise sensitive matter or document to the Finnish Food Authority via the Turvaviesti-palvelu. With a security message, you can also send large attachments.

You can take the Hygiene Passport test at any age.

However, the Hygiene Passport test is intended specifically for employees working on food premises, in other words persons who have a legal right to work in Finland. As a rule, they are persons aged 15 or over who can enter into an employment relationship independently. A person aged under 15 can be employed in light duties for up to one half of their holiday period and also temporarily during the school year. In this case, the parents conclude the employment contract on behalf of the employee.

Page last updated 8/20/2024