suomi.fi
Go directly to contents.
Responsible for the service ELY Centre

Authorisation for the transfer of reindeer farms

  • Permit or other obligation
  • Nationwide except the Åland Islands
  • Public service

The transfer of reindeer farms that are subject to the restrictions referred to in section 26 of the Reindeer Farming Act (590/1969), or the transfer of a part thereof (sale, donation, partitioning, division, exchange, lease), is subject to authorisation by the ELY Centre. Should you fail to apply for an authorisation, the transfer shall be considered null and void.

Do the following

Send a free-form application requesting authorisation for the transfer to the Lapland Ely Centre (Lappi or Pohjois-Pohjanmaa) or to the Rural Livelihood Authority of the municipality where the reindeer farms is located. The Rural Livelihood Authority will issue a statement and send the application and the statement to the ELY Centre. You can also use the ELY Centre's application form.

Please attach a document proving that the conditions for transfer are fulfilled (preliminary purchase agreement, deed of donation, deed of partition, deed of distribution of inheritance, etc.). The reasons for the transfer must also transpire from the document.

If you do not have a buyer yet but are planning to sell a reindeer farm or a part thereof, you should make dependable inquiries regarding potential buyers among other reindeer herders before filing the application for authorisation. You should make your intent to sell known to the Rural Livelihood Authority of the municipality in question and to the Reindeer Master of the local reindeer herding cooperative, orally or in writing. You should publish a sale advertisement in your local newspaper and/or online. The advertisement should mention that the property is a reindeer farm or a part thereof. Attach a copy of the newspaper and/or online advertisement to your application.

To whom and on what terms

Owners of reindeer farms that are subject to the restrictions referred to in section 26 of the Reindeer Farming Act (590/1969) must apply for an authorisation to transfer their holdings. If you are uncertain whether your farm is encumbered by transfer restrictions, you should consult the abstract of the charges register or the extract from the land registry to see if there are any restrictions as referred to in section 26 of the Reindeer Farming Act (590/1969) mentioned there. If any doubts remain, you can consult the ELY Centre in the matter.

Authorisation is granted if the recipient is a private person whose main livelihood comes from reindeer husbandry and who lives within the reindeer herding area. If that is not the case, authorisation can only be granted if there are compelling reasons to do so.


Processing time

An average of 1–2 months. Please note that the ELY Centre requests statements from the Rural Livelihood Authority of the municipality and from the Reindeer Herding Association, which requires time.

Period of validity

Unless stated otherwise, the authorisation is valid indefinitely.

The service is provided by

ELY Centre for Lapland, ELY Centre for Kainuu, ELY Centre for North Ostrobothnia

Other responsible organisations

ELY Centre for North Ostrobothnia, ELY Centre for Kainuu, ELY Centre for Lapland

Responsible for the service

ELY Centre
Text edited by: ELY Centre
Updated: 17/8/2020