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Hunting in Finland is regulated by legislation, prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of Finland (mmm.fi). The national authority responsible for implementing wildlife and hunting policies is the Finnish Wildlife Agency (riista.fi).

To hunt in Finland, you need to have

  • A valid game management permit (i.e. national hunting license/card)
  • The right to hunt in a specific area (for state-owned areas, this hunting permit is issued by Metsähallitus)
  • Hunting license or a derogation for certain game species, such as moose, brown bear and white-tailed deer
  • The right to keep and maintain firearms
  • Shooting test certificate if hunting moose, deer species, brown bear or wild boar with a rifled firearm; or white-tailed deer, roe deer and wild boar with bow and arrow

The Finnish Wildlife Agency has published comprehensive information packages about hunting in Finland:

It is highly recommended that you have a local host when planning a visit to hunt in Finland. The host can assist you with the rules, regulations and local/regional hunting practices, and of course, in obtaining the required licenses and permits.

Wildlife Service Finland (Metsähallitus) does not organize hunts, but instead sells small game hunting permits for the state-owned hunting areas.

If you are prepared for a hunt with all the necessary licenses, it is possible to purchase a Metsähallitus hunting permit. Once you know in which area you wish to hunt, what game species you are planning to hunt and when, our customer service can assist you in buying the permit. The permits are also available from our webshop (in Finnish and in Swedish). Please note that game species may only be hunted during their assigned hunting seasons.

To purchase your hunting permits, please contact our customer service:

 

The service is open on weekdays from 9 AM to 3 PM. You can also contact us by email: eraluvat(a)metsa.fi

Open seasons

Before setting out on a hunting trip, it is a good idea to check the open seasons, as they vary from year to year. Open seasons are updated annually on the Finnish Wildlife Agency website.

Open seasons may vary within Metsähallitus permit areas if the area is located in multiple municipalities.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry may prohibit or limit the hunting of game species by decree.

Check open seasons on the website of the Finnish Wildlife Agency (riista.fi).