Changes in police service fees: passport price falls, prices of other licences and permits remain the same or rise

NordenBladet — Police licence and permit fees are due to change in 2022. The price of a passport will fall, while most prices of other licences and permits will rise. The prices of identity cards will remain unchanged. The changes reflect the cost-correlation of licences and permits. The fees charged for licences and permits must correspond by law to the costs incurred in issuing these documents.Unlike in previous years, the cost-correlation calculations for 2022 have been made by permit group. This change reflects recommendations of the National Audit Office and of an internal audit of the National Police Board and the Ministry of the Interior suggesting that the cost-correlation of licences and permits should be determined by group.The cost-correlation calculation indicates that while revenues from travel documents (such as passports) exceed operating costs, the opposite is true of other licences and permits. The pricing criteria for licences and permits remain unchanged from previous years.COVID-19 pandemic affects willingness to travel and the number of passport applicationsThe COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020 has affected people’s willingness to travel, and accordingly the number of applications for passports and identity cards. Passport prices were increased last year due to low demand during the pandemic.The number of passport applications is nevertheless expected to rise next year. The price of a traditional over-the-counter passport application will fall from EUR 58 to EUR 50 next year due to an anticipated increase in the number of applications and lower fees for digital passport certificates. The difference between this price and the fee for an online passport application will remain unchanged, meaning that the price of an online passport application will be EUR 44. The price of passports for veterans of Finnish wars will remain unchanged.No change is proposed in the prices of identity cards. The prices of identity cards were already revised in August 2021.Price increases for firearm permits, security sector permits and fundraising permitsThe prices of firearm permits issued by the local police and armaments industry permits issued by the National Police Board will increase, because the revenues raised from issuing these permits do not currently cover the costs of processing applications. For example, the price of a gun licence issued by the local police will increase from EUR 90 to EUR 105. The price of an armaments industry business permit will increase from EUR 375 to EUR 400.The prices of permits for the private security sector will also increase. These increases will include a rise in the price of approval as a security guard from EUR 48 to EUR 55. The price of a security sector business licence will increase from EUR 375 to EUR 400.Increases will also occur in the prices of lottery permits, and prices related to fundraising campaigns, public events and other individual permits and notices. For example, the price of a small-scale money collection notification related to a fundraising campaign will increase from EUR 55 to EUR 63, and the price of an annual money collection notification will rise from EUR 100 to EUR 120.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi