Europe · Company formation
Company formation in Finland
This suits founders who want a reputable, low-cost EU and eurozone holding or operating company with no capital requirement, provided they can satisfy the EEA-resident-director rule or use an agent to meet it.
At a glance
- Entity
- Private limited company (osakeyhtiö / Oy)
- Corporate tax
- 20% flat corporate income tax on profits (2026). A cut to 18% is legislated to take effect from 2027.
- Incorporation time
- ~1-3 business days once a complete online filing is submitted with correct documents; longer if a PRH exemption or foreign-founder ID checks are needed.
- Minimum capital
- None. Finland abolished the former EUR 2,500 minimum in 2019; an Oy can be founded with zero share capital (PRH records it as EUR 0).
- Resident director
- No local director, but EEA residency applies: at least one board member must reside in the EEA (and the managing director, if appointed, must reside in the EEA). If no board member is EEA-resident, a PRH exemption must be obtained. Founders/shareholders can be any nationality or residence.
- Audit
- Statutory audit is not required if the company exceeds no more than one of these thresholds in both the last two financial years: balance sheet total EUR 100,000; turnover EUR 200,000; 3 employees on average. Newly formed companies are typically exempt for the first year.
- Remote set-up
- Yes, in practice. Filing is online-only via ytj.fi (paper forms were abolished on 1 January 2026); the process is in Finnish or Swedish. No notarised deed is required, but every founder, board member and beneficial owner needs verifiable ID, and Finnish e-identification is required to sign electronically. Foreign founders without a Finnish personal ID / e-ID usually act through an authorised agent or first obtain a Finnish ID number, which is the main practical friction.
- Government fee
- EUR 300 for the online 'guided set-up' package (from 1 January 2026); EUR 400 for a plain online start-up notification. Paper filing is no longer available.
- Best for
- This suits founders who want a reputable, low-cost EU and eurozone holding or operating company with no capital requirement, provided they can satisfy the EEA-resident-director rule or use an agent to meet it.
The process
- Reserve a company name and prepare the memorandum of association, articles of association and share subscription details; confirm at least one EEA-resident board member or plan a PRH exemption.
- Obtain Finnish e-identification (or appoint an authorised agent) so founders and board members can sign the filing electronically.
- Submit the start-up notification online at ytj.fi to PRH and the Tax Administration, paying the EUR 300/400 handling fee; this simultaneously requests Trade Register entry and Business ID and lets you register for VAT, prepayment and employer registers.
- Receive the Business ID and Trade Register entry, then open a Finnish business bank account and pay in any subscribed share capital.
What can go wrong
- The EEA-resident-director requirement is the real gatekeeper for non-EU founders: without an EEA-resident board member you must secure a PRH exemption, which adds time and is not guaranteed.
- Opening a Finnish business bank account is often the hardest and slowest step for non-resident owners; banks apply strict KYC and may decline purely remote applicants.
- Foreign founders without a Finnish personal identity code / e-ID cannot sign the online filing directly and typically need to obtain an ID number or use an authorised local agent, despite the process being nominally 'remote'.
Popular relocation routes
A move is never only a company. These are the residency and citizenship routes families pair with it.
Form a company in Finland?
One named person on the file, an honest read on tax and substance, and a fixed quote before you commit.