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Public holidays in Finland 2026, emergency numbers, cash, shop hours and alcohol rules

Last updated 25 September 2026Rules checked every MondayOfficial sourcesSources & methodology →

The almanac gives nine weekday holidays in 2026, the law says nothing about shop hours, and one emergency number covers everything. This part deals with the everyday rules nobody explains: public holidays, 112 and 116 117, paying by card, opening times, and where and when you can buy alcohol.

Woman in a black winter coat walking along a city street lined with pale buildings
Photo: kichigin19/Adobe Stock

Everyday Finland is changing at the edges. Since 10 June 2024, grocery shops have been allowed to sell drinks up to 8 per cent alcohol, and amendments to the Alcohol Act approved on 23 June 2026 are entering into force in stages from 3 July 2026, with home deliveries possible from 3 January 2027. And the public holidays in Finland for 2026 give you nine weekday days off, according to the University of Helsinki's almanac office.

Which days are public holidays in Finland in 2026?

Which days count is decided nationally: church holidays are defined in the Church Act, Independence Day and May Day are state holidays, and Midsummer Eve and Christmas Eve are days off for most employees only because collective agreements, the TES (työehtosopimus), make them so. Many shops and offices close at Christmas and Easter, but that is the shop's own choice, not the law.

Date 2026HolidayStatus
Thursday 1 JanuaryNew Year's DayPublic holiday
Tuesday 6 JanuaryEpiphanyPublic holiday
Friday 3 AprilGood FridayPublic holiday; Easter Sunday is 5 April
Monday 6 AprilEaster MondayPublic holiday
Friday 1 MayMay Day (vappu)State holiday
Thursday 14 MayAscension DayPublic holiday
Friday 19 JuneMidsummer EveDay off for most, via collective agreements
Saturday 20 JuneMidsummer Day, Day of the Finnish FlagPublic holiday
Sunday 6 DecemberIndependence DayState holiday, on a Sunday in 2026
Thursday 24 DecemberChristmas EveDay off for most, via collective agreements
Friday 25 DecemberChristmas DayPublic holiday
Saturday 26 DecemberBoxing DayPublic holiday, on a Saturday in 2026

Source: the University of Helsinki Almanac Office's list of days off for 2026 and InfoFinland, read 24 September 2026.

Nine of those fall on weekdays; the maximum in any year is ten. Mother's Day is Sunday 10 May and Father's Day Sunday 8 November 2026. If you work on a public holiday, your collective agreement sets the higher pay, according to InfoFinland.

Emergency numbers: 112 and the ones for everything else

There is one emergency number, 112, for ambulance, fire and urgent police help. It is free from any phone, needs no area code, works with a foreign SIM and is the same in every EU country. Operators help in Finnish, Swedish and English; for other languages, say which language you speak and wait for a telephone interpreter, and do not hang up until you are told to. Calling 112 for non-urgent matters can lead to criminal penalties. Download the free 112 Suomi app: when you call through it, your location goes automatically to the Emergency Response Centre.

NumberWhat it is forDetails
112Ambulance, fire, urgent police helpFree, no area code; text messages accepted from people with impaired hearing or speech
116 117Medical Helpline (Päivystysapu) for acute health problemsCall before going to an emergency clinic; free, around the clock, everywhere except Åland
(09) 471 977Poison Information CentreAround the clock
116 000Missing Children HotlineNon-urgent

Source: InfoFinland, the Emergency Response Centre Agency and the Medical Helpline 116 117, read 24 September 2026.

In an emergency everyone is treated. But if you have no kotikunta (municipality of residence) in Finland and no entitlement to care through work, the costs may be charged to you afterwards. Part 8 explains how to get covered.

Cash or card: do shops have to accept cash?

Finland uses the euro, and card is the norm: paying even small purchases by debit or credit card is very common, and in most places you do not need cash, according to InfoFinland. Suomen Pankki (the Bank of Finland) says the debit card is the most common daily payment method while cash still plays a role, and that wages, rent and bills are paid by credit transfer.

There is no legal duty on shops to accept cash. What exists is the Bank of Finland's payments policy, which states that cash must always be an accepted form of payment at least for people's essential everyday purchases: a policy statement, not a legal provision. Many bank branches no longer handle cash, according to the City of Helsinki's newcomer guide.

When are shops open in Finland?

Opening hours are not regulated. The Act on retail shop and barber and hairdresser opening hours (945/2009) was repealed by Act 1618/2015 with effect from 1 January 2016, so a shop sets its own hours, Sundays included. The exception is alcohol, which has its own clock. Alko, the state retail monopoly, extended its hours after the 2026 Alcohol Act change: from 4 and 5 July 2026 some stores stay open until 20.00 or 21.00 on Saturdays and some open on Sundays 12.00–18.00; hours vary by store.

Alcohol and tobacco: the rules in 2026

The Alcohol Act (1102/2017) is national and is enforced by Lupa- ja valvontavirasto (the Finnish Supervisory Agency), which took over from Valvira on 1 January 2026. Since 10 June 2024, grocery shops, kiosks and petrol stations with a retail licence may sell fermented drinks such as beer, cider and wine-based drinks up to 8 per cent alcohol by volume and other drinks up to 5.5 per cent. Anything stronger is sold only by Alko.

RuleWhat appliesWhere it comes from
Age limitsNo sales of drinks over 1.2 per cent to under-18s or over 22 per cent to under-20s; none to visibly intoxicated customersAlcohol Act, national
Shop hours for alcoholDrinks over 2.8 per cent sold only 9.00–21.00; a shop open later must stop selling, though customers already in the queue before 21.00 may be servedNational
Home deliveryNot allowed before July 2026; under the reform, traders may apply for delivery permits from 3 November 2026 and deliver from 3 January 2027Alcohol Act amendments approved 23 June 2026
ID at AlkoEveryone who looks under 30 is checked; a passport, an EU, Schengen, UK or Ukrainian photo ID card, a residence permit card or a physical driving licence from the EU, Norway, the UK, the USA, Russia or Ukraine; not Kela or student cardsAlko
Tobacco and nicotineTobacco products, nicotine liquids, nicotine pouches, e-cigarettes and smoking accessories may not be sold to under-18sTobacco Act 549/2016, national

Source: Lupa- ja valvontavirasto, the Finnish Government notice of 7 June 2024 and Alko, read 24 September 2026.

Drink-driving is a crime with severe penalties, and prices are high: alcohol costs roughly 120 per cent more than the EU average, and the general price level of private consumption in Finland is about 26 per cent above it, according to InfoFinland.

Small customs that save embarrassment

A few habits from InfoFinland's official guidance. Punctuality is expected: for a 12 o'clock appointment, arrive a little before 12; at 12.10 you are late. Shoes come off at the door. A handshake is the normal formal greeting for men and women alike, and first names are used even with strangers and colleagues. Silence in conversation is normal, interrupting or raising your voice is rude, and tipping is not expected unless you want to thank someone for particularly good service. Lunch at workplaces and schools is usually 11–12 and dinner around 17.00, and school and day-care meals are free for all children.

What to do now

StepWhatWhen
1Save 112 and 116 117 in your phone and install the free 112 Suomi appYour first day
2Put the 2026 holidays in your calendar and check what your collective agreement says about Midsummer Eve and Christmas EveWhen you sign your employment contract
3Get a debit card: it is how Finland paysAs soon as you have a bank account (part 4)
4Carry photo ID when buying alcohol if you look under 30; shops sell it 9.00–21.00Whenever you shop
5Sort out your right to healthcare so that an emergency does not become a bill (part 8)Your first month

Source: InfoFinland, the Emergency Response Centre Agency and Lupa- ja valvontavirasto, read 24 September 2026.

Official sources

The official pages this guide is based on, read 24 September 2026. Links open the authority’s own website.

Relocate in Europe provides general information, not legal or financial advice for your individual situation. Check with the authority named above before you act – rules change, and your case may differ.