Company registration in Finland
Capital: Helsinki.
Official languages: Finnish, Swedish.
Currency: euro.
Finland is a Northern European nation and a member of the EU (since 1995), the eurozone, and NATO. It boasts a knowledge-based economy with strong positions in telecommunications, software, the gaming industry, mechanical engineering, the forestry sector, and clean energy. Home to companies such as Nokia, Supercell, Rovio, Wärtsilä, Kone, and Fortum, Finland is viewed by counterparties and banks as a top-tier European business rather than a mere transit entity.
Company registration provides the following benefits:
- Full EU and Eurozone jurisdiction: access to the Single Market, EU VAT number, and settlements in euros.
- The share capital for an Oy is €0: funds do not need to be frozen in an account prior to registration.
- Enhanced R&D deduction — up to 150% of expenses for collaboration with research organizations.
Finland is located in Northern Europe. A significant part of its territory lies above the Arctic Circle. The country offers favorable conditions for business and investment.
It has ranked first in the World Happiness Report for nine consecutive years and consistently ranks among the world's least corrupt economies.
Taxation and Reporting Features
Corporate Income Tax:
- Standard rate: 20%
- Loss carryforward — 25 years (for losses from the 2026 tax period)
- Losses are cancelled if more than 50% of the shares changed hands during the loss-making year.
VAT:
- Standard rate: 25,5%
- Reduced rate: 13.5% (tourism, food service, books)
- 10% (newspapers, magazines))
- 0% on services exported outside the EU
Dividends:
- 0% on payments to an EU parent company with a holding of at least 10%
- 20% for non-resident legal entities, without application of a double tax treaty (withholding tax)
- 30% for non-resident individuals without application of the treaty
Company registration in Finland is carried out through the PRH (Patentti- ja rekisterihallitus)—the Finnish Patent and Registration Office—which maintains the Trade Register. The company name must be unique and must not be identical to names that are already registered.
A company comes into existence upon its entry into the Trade Register. The registration application (*perustamisilmoitus*) is submitted alongside the memorandum of association and the articles of association; the application also serves to register the company in the Tax Administration’s registers for VAT, employers, and prepayment of tax.
As of January 1, 2026, paper forms will no longer be accepted; submissions must be made electronically via the ytj.fi service or PRH’s secure online forms. The application is signed by a board member or deputy board member; for foreign founders, documents may be submitted by an authorized contact representative or a lawyer who is a member of the Finnish Bar Association.
Upon registration, the company receives a Business ID (*Y-tunnus*) and an extract from the Trade Register, and is entered into the selected Tax Administration registers.
At the time of registration, the company must have:
- Choosing a company name: 3 options required; check against the PRH Nimipalvelu database.
- Notarized copies of identification documents for all participants.
- Notarized document confirming the residential address of all participants (utility bills, bank account statements showing the address).
- Memorandum of association (perustamissopimus) and articles of association (yhtiöjärjestys) in Finnish or Swedish.
- Management Board: minimum of 1 member; if there are fewer than 3 members, a deputy member is mandatory. At least one ordinary member and one deputy member must reside permanently in the EEA; otherwise, PRH authorization is required.
Company Registration in Finland
- Limited liability
- Minimum 1 director / 1 shareholder
- Share capital 0 EUR
Company Registration in Finland
Additional information
- Accounting: mandatory for all companies under the Accounting Act (FAS); IFRS applies to listed companies.
- Tax return: must be filed with Verohallinto within four months after the end of the financial period.
- VAT returns: monthly; quarterly for turnover up to €100,000; annually for turnover up to €30,000.
- Audit: not required if, over the last two periods, the company did not exceed more than one of the following thresholds: turnover of EUR 200,000, balance sheet total of EUR 100,000, or three employees. For an *Oyj*, an audit is always mandatory.
- Employer reporting: submission of data to the Incomes Register (Tulorekisteri) within 5 days of each payment.
- Information on beneficial owners: must be submitted to the PRH and kept up to date; failure to submit results in a €300 fine.
- Details of the board members and the managing director are available in the public commercial register.
- Shareholder data for an Oy is not entered into the Trade Register; the company itself maintains the shareholder register.
- Beneficial ownership data is not public; access is restricted to authorized bodies and obliged entities.
- Financial statements are public; extracts are available via the Virre service.
Timeline and Stages
- 01
Preparation of documents and name selection
1-3 days - 02
Name availability check Registry
1 day - 03
Submission of documents either online or offline
5 days - 04
Acquisition of Company Identification and Business Registration certificates
from 2 weeks - 05
Setting up a corporate bank account
2-4 weeks
The bottom line
Registering a company in Finland provides access to an EU jurisdiction characterized by transparent regulations, no minimum share capital requirement, and the lowest corporate tax rate in Northern Europe—a rate set to drop to 18% starting in 2027. Finland is an ideal location for IT and software development, intra-EU trade, industrial and logistics projects, and holding structures, thanks to exemptions on intra-EU dividends and an extensive network of tax treaties.
Key considerations during the setup process include the requirement for at least one board member (and their deputy) to be an EEA resident, the mandatory appointment of a representative in Finland, and the transition to exclusively electronic document filing starting in 2026. We recommend consulting with IT-OFFSHORE legal experts to ensure your company structure is successfully registered on the first attempt and fully complies with the requirements of the PRH (Finnish Patent and Registration Office) and Verohallinto (Finnish Tax Administration).
We offer not only legal support for company registration but also a comprehensive range of services—including accounting, nominee services, and full post-registration support—ensuring complete, year-round management of your company.
Cost calculation
Add the required options for your company:
FAQ
Can you register a company remotely?
Yes, in most cases — you can.
Remote company registration is available in the vast majority of popular jurisdictions today. Modern corporate services, electronic document management and professional registered agents make it possible to complete the entire registration process without being physically present in the country.
The process typically works as follows: you provide the required documents electronically, sign them remotely — via a notary, apostille or electronic signature — and a local registered agent handles all communication with government authorities and document submission on your behalf.
This has been made possible by several factors: most countries allow foreign founders and directors, corporate service providers operate remotely across the globe, and the digitisation of government registries has significantly streamlined and accelerated the procedures.
The one step that may still require in-person presence is opening a corporate bank account — however, even here many banks and fintech platforms now offer remote identity verification.
What documents are needed for registration?
Registering a company in most jurisdictions requires a standard set of documents. For individuals — founders and directors — the typical requirements include: a certified copy of a passport, proof of residential address (utility bill or bank statement no older than 3 months), and in some cases a bank reference letter or CV.
For corporate shareholders, the required documents include: certificate of incorporation, articles of association, register of directors and shareholders, and confirmation of the ownership structure.
Do I need to keep accounting records and submit reports?
Accounting and reporting requirements vary significantly depending on the jurisdiction. In most countries, companies are required to maintain proper bookkeeping, file annual financial statements and submit tax returns.
At the same time, there are a number of jurisdictions where reporting requirements are minimal or effectively non-existent for non-resident companies. These include, for example, the Marshall Islands, the Cook Islands, Panama, Belize, Seychelles and Vanuatu — in these countries, companies that do not conduct business within the territory of the registration state are generally exempt from mandatory financial reporting and audit requirements.
We provide full company administration services, including preparation and submission of annual reports, liaison with local authorities and ensuring full compliance with all corporate requirements of the jurisdiction.
Is it possible to open a bank account for a company?
Yes, opening a corporate bank account is possible for virtually any jurisdiction, however this process deserves careful attention. Today businesses have two main options: traditional banks and fintech platforms.
Traditional banks offer a full range of financial services, but account opening requirements have become increasingly stringent — KYC procedures, source of funds confirmation, business plans and in some cases in-person presence may be required. Fintech platforms — such as Wise, Airwallex, Revolut Business and others — open accounts significantly faster and remotely, making them a popular solution for international companies at an early stage.
Is it possible to use nominee directors?
Yes, the use of nominee directors and shareholders is a common and legitimate practice in international corporate structuring. A nominee director is formally listed in the company registry but acts exclusively in accordance with the instructions of the beneficial owner, providing an additional layer of privacy.
This service is particularly in demand in jurisdictions where information about directors and shareholders is entered into a public register — for example, in Cyprus, the United Kingdom, Malta and a number of other EU countries. In offshore jurisdictions, nominee services are also widely used to simplify corporate governance and protect ownership structures.
We provide nominee director and shareholder services for any jurisdiction we work with.
