What to do

Guardianship and continuing power of attorney

To get the best help for your situation, first answer the questions on the Preliminary questions page.

Help with managing finances

What can I do if I can no longer manage my finances?

You can get help with management of your finances in different ways. Below is a list of ways in which a loved one or other trusted person can act on your behalf:

powers of attorney (banking and official matters)
Suomi.fi e-Authorizations
bank account user rights
continuing power of attorney

Additional information about how to manage the affairs of a close person on the website of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. Opens in a new window.

If your financial situation is difficult, financial and debt counselling can help you with your financial concerns.Opens in a new window.

Continuing power of attorney and guardianship are two different things. For example, it involves less official supervision than actual guardianship. By granting a continuing power of attorney, you can make an advance decision on how your affairs will be managed in the future.

You can make a continuing power of attorney if you can understand the content and significance of the power of attorney and are at least 18 years old. Another person cannot grant a continuing power of attorney on your behalf. Instructions for making a continuing power of attorney can be found in this same guide.

If you have already made a continuing power of attorney, the person authorised by you can start managing your affairs when you are no longer able to do so. For this, they must apply for the continuing power of attorney to be validated. There must be a health reason for validating a continuing power of attorney.

The validation of the continuing power of attorney does not remove your right to manage your financial affairs. If you fear that your use of money will not remain under control, applying for guardianship may be a more appropriate option.

If you want to authorise a person close to you to act on your behalf with the authorities online, you can do so using Suomi.fi e-Authorizations. A mandate granted via Suomi.fi e-Authorizations is an electronic power of attorney. If a guardian is appointed to you at a later time, some of the Suomi.fi e-Authorizations you have already granted may expire. With certain restrictions, you can also grant Suomi.fi e-Authorizations during guardianship.

Updated: 29/1/2024

Guardianship is the last resort

If the aforementioned methods cannot help you manage your affairs, you can get a guardian. A guardian can only be appointed if that is the only way to manage your affairs.

A guardian is usually appointed to manage the property and finances of the client. Management of finances may also include applying for support from Kela, for example. The guardian will also be in contact with health and social services and ensure that you will receive appropriate care and rehabilitation.

Guardianship means the management of other persons’ finances and looking after their interests when they are no longer able to do it and their affairs can no longer be managed in any other way.

A guardian is a person that has been appointed by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency or a court to manage the property and finances of another person and to look after the interests of this person. The activities of the guardians are supervised by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

Client is the person whose interests are looked after. The guardian looks after the interests of the client. If you are assigned a guardian, you will become a client.

Guardianship and informal care are two different things. In guardianship, the focus is on financial matters whereas informal care focuses on health and everyday routines.

Updated: 17/6/2022

Do I need a guardian?

You may be assigned a guardian if

you cannot protect your interests or manage your finances and assets for health reasons
and you cannot deal with your financial affairs in any other way.

Situations in which a person is unable to manage their financial affairs may include a severe illness, disability or gambling addiction.

For information on the prerequisites for appointing a guardian, see the Digital and Population Data Services Agency's website.Opens in a new window.

Updated: 19/4/2023

Which matters are outside the scope of guardianship?

There are misconceptions about guardianship. For example, a person does not automatically need a guardian when they move to a nursing home. Your loved one’s need to access information about your health is not a justification for applying for guardianship either.

A guardian cannot use the MyKanta service on your behalf. If you want to enable your loved one to act on your behalf in MyKanta, you can grant them a mandate via Suomi.fi e-Authorizations.

Updated: 25/4/2023

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