Service suppliers: issues to consider in Suomi.fi Messages integration

From 2026, Finland will transition to primarily digital communication with the authorities. The authorities must send notifications to Suomi.fi Messages. In the future, Suomi.fi Messages will become increasingly important, as more than 4 million people will be reached through the service. This will change the way the authorities of municipalities, government agencies and wellbeing services counties, among others, manage their client communications. It will also change what organisations expect from system suppliers. As a system supplier, you have the opportunity to help public administration organisations in this change.

This blog post discusses key things to consider when planning the integration of Suomi.fi Messages into the system you provide.

Why integrate Suomi.fi Messages into the system?

Statutory obligation

Under the Support Services Act (571/2016), public administration organisations have been required to use Suomi.fi Messages to send electronic messages to their clients since 2017. In 2026, the obligation will be specified to notifications referred to in section 54 of the Administrative Procedure Act, such as decision served by the authorities to their clients.

In addition to serving notifications, public administration organisations may use Suomi.fi Messages for other client communications, such as invoices, appointments or other client advice. In other words, the authorities can use a single channel to send all important messages to their clients.

Competitive advantage

When Suomi.fi Messages has been built into the system you provide, your client organisation in public administration can fulfil its legal obligations seamlessly. At the same time, you stand out from your competitors with a ready-made solution that saves time and costs for your client organisations.

Efficiency and time savings

Official communications are part of almost every client process: confirmations of receipt, applications, decisions, appointments, invoices and notifications. When electronic messages are sent directly from your system, your client organisation's employees avoid manual data transfer and jumping between different systems.

Suomi.fi Messages is not just an API

The integration of Suomi.fi Messages is not just about the technical construction of the REST API but about understanding processes:

• in which situations the organisation sends notifications or other messages
• which messages can be converted into electronic format
• how automation, content tools and different functionalities facilitate staff work while improving the service experience of the end user
• how to make it easier to obtain personal identity codes and address information directly through the system to send messages

When you consider these issues already when planning the REST API for Suomi.fi Messages in your system, Suomi.fi Messages will become a tool for your client organisations to support everyday work, not just a legal obligation.

Focus on the organisation's processes

The result is technically sound, user-friendly and genuinely useful when the integration is planned around the organisation's processes. The REST API for Suomi.fi Messages enables the following main functionalities:

• sending messages (electronic and paper)
• monitoring the state information of message
• receiving messages
• checking the status of the end user's mailbox

When planning the REST API for Suomi.fi Messages in your system, determine:

• which functionalities would benefit your client organisation, and
• how the implementation of these functionalities would support your client's processes.

Successful implementation and utilisation of the functionalities are always based on the client's activities and needs. Together with your client organisation, you should determine:

• at which stages of case management messages are generated or which stages should be communicated to the client,
• which messages can be partly or fully automated,
• how the content and notifications support the service experience,
• whether a decision or other notification is sent to the end user in Suomi.fi Messages or whether the end user is directed from the message via a link to the e-service where the notification can be found, and
• how the employee sending the message can monitor the need for follow-up, e.g. whether the message arrived at the recipient and whether the recipient has read the message.

Efficiency from automation

Suomi.fi Messages already includes automation. By using a multi-channel endpoint, the message can be sent to Suomi.fi Messages, which automatically distributes it to the electronic channel or paper mailing, depending on the recipient's choice. Suomi.fi Messages sends an automated notification of unread messages to the recipient if the message has not been read within 7 days. Unread message notifications can be turned off.

In addition, system suppliers can build their own additional automation around Suomi.fi Messages functionalities. For example, you can build automation around the State information functionality to free up staff time from manual monitoring.

For example:

• The employee receives a notification/alert if the message has not been opened by the deadline.
• The employee receives a notification/alert when the recipient has acknowledged receipt of the electronic verifiable notification.
• A notification from the system is sent to the client also by SMS if the electronic message sent to Suomi.fi Messages has not been opened by the deadline.

There are many different processing stages that can utilise automated messages.

For example:

• An automated message is sent to the end user when the matter is registered and being processed.
• When a decision is complete, it is automatically sent to the parties concerned.
• The end user is automatically informed of an appointment or changes to the appointment.
• A payment reminder is sent to the end user if the invoice has not been paid by the deadline.

Content of electronic messages and client experience

Formatting, titling and clarity of messages have a direct impact on how end users experience communicating with the authority. As a system supplier, you can support organisations in clear client communications by providing tools and ready-made templates for managing messages.

The system you provided could, for example, enable the following:

• Formatting and content of electronic messages: the system supports title and text editing, including bold text and lists.
• Titling and content of email notifications: automated title generation from metadata, allowing the end user to identify the meaning of the message directly from the email notification
• For example, if numerous messages are sent every day, editing the title of each notification is laborious. Your system could provide a solution by generating titles based on the document's metadata (e.g. "Reminder: dentist's appointment 3.12.2025", "Incoming invoice, early childhood education and care fee"). 

Pre-made templates can be used to ensure that messages are always both informative and consistent. Time is also saved when the relevant information is automatically added to the template and the employee only needs to check and edit the text content, if necessary.

Frequent message content include:

• confirmations of receipt
• decisions
• appointments
• invoices
• payment reminders

Please ensure that the system you produce generates identifiable file names for possible attachments. This saves time for the organisation's staff by eliminating the need to edit file names separately. In addition, the end user knows what the attachment contains, and saving and finding the attachment later on the device is easier.

• File names should describe the content and include a unique identifier, such as the date. Examples of good file names: decision_schoolplace_2025-08-15.pdf or invoice_boatberth_2025-06.pdf
• Frequently used file names, such as attachment.pdf, decision.docx or invoice.pdf, do not provide enough information about the content. Instead, they cause confusion when the end user tries to save multiple files with the same name on the device.

Summary

Authorities have a statutory obligation to use Suomi.fi Messages, but instead of merely fulfilling the obligation, you have the opportunity to build a seamless entity around official communications in your system.

Designing the integration around the client organisation's processes will result in a service that saves your clients' time and reduces mistakes. A well-functioning entity is also clear to your client organisation's own clients, who will then receive better service from the authorities.

Please read the instructions published on the Suomi.fi for Service Developers page (Deploying Suomi.fi Messages as an intermediary) and, if necessary, contact viestit-kayttoonotot@dvv.fi with questions about the deployment. 

Sanna-Maria Jukkola, Senior Specialist, Digital and Population Data Services Agency