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Responsible for the service Regional State Administrative Agency

Registration of debt collectors

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

If you intend to carry out debt collection activities, submit a notification to the Regional State Administrative Agency for Southern Finland. The applicant (a legal person or a private entrepreneur) must meet the requirements laid down in section 8 of the act on the registration of debt collectors (411/2018).

Sometimes it is necessary to request further clarification or additional information wi ...

Do the following

You can submit your notification to the AVI debt collectors’ register by filling in the registration notification form or with a free-worded written application. The notification form and instructions can be found on the service channels.

The registration notification shall include the following information:

1) A private entrepreneur’s full name and personal identity code or, in the lack thereof, their date of birth, along with business name, auxiliary business name (if any), business ID or another corresponding identifier, and the street addresses of the offices where the debt collection activities take place;

2) a legal person’s (e.g. a company) business name, auxiliary business name (if any), business ID or another corresponding identifier, and the street addresses of the offices where the debt collection activities take place;

3) the complete name and personal identity code or, in the lack thereof the date of birth, of the person in charge of debt collection activities and of the persons in charge named by the legal person; a consent for the assignment from the person in charge, and an account of that person's position in the debt collection agency; and an attached account of the legal expertise of the person in charge, as demonstrated by an applicable degree;

4) handwritten signature of the private entrepreneur or the representative of the legal person, with clarification of signature;

5) an attached account of how the applicant will keep the funds collected on behalf of a commissioner (client funds) and their own private funds separate, and how they plan to store the client funds in a reliable manner;

6) an attached account of how the applicant will ensure the adequate protection of information related to the commissioner and the debtor.

The applicant shall complement their notification with the attachments indicated in the registration notification.

The applicant must, if requested by the AVI, provide all other information needed for evaluating if the conditions of registration have been met.

Notify the AVI Southern Finland without delay if the information provided changes or the activities are discontinued.

The notification and attachments can be sent by mail or email to the registry of AVI Southern Finland.

A claim for a rectified fee can be submitted in writing to the Regional State Administrative Agency, and a decision can be appealed by submitting a written appeal to the administrative court.

To whom and on what terms

The requirements for entry into the debt collectors’ register are as follows:

• The applicant has the right to carry out business operations in Finland.

• The applicant has not been declared bankrupt and, if the applicant is a natural person, the applicant is of age, their legal competence is not restricted, and they have not been appointed a guardian.

• The applicant is trustworthy.

o The applicant cannot be deemed trustworthy if one of the persons in charge has been sentenced to prison in the five years preceding the evaluation or to a fine in the three years preceding the evaluation for an intentional offence that can be deemed to proof that they are clearly unfit to carry out debt collection or act as a person in charge of such activities. The same applies also if the behaviour of the person has otherwise shown in the past that the person is clearly unfit to carry out debt collection activities.

• The applicant is financially sound.

o The applicant is not deemed financially sound if they are, based on information in the enforcement register or some other report, unable to fulfil their financial obligations.

• The applicant has named a person in charge of the debt collection activities who fulfils the requirements laid down in legislation.

o The person in charge of debt collection activities must be a reliable adult, who is not declared bankrupt, whose legal competence is not restricted, and who has not been appointed a guardian. The person in charge must have an applicable degree to demonstrate that they possess knowledge of the necessary legislation concerning debt collection activities.

o The person in charge is required to have an applicable higher education degree, such as a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in law or economic sciences, or a degree in notarial law. If the person in charge does not have an applicable higher education degree as referred to above, professional qualification can be demonstrated with a completed credit degree.

• The applicant is able to manage client funds.

• The applicant is able to ensure the appropriate protection of information related to the commissioner and the debtor.


Deadline

The application for a license must be submitted before the launch of operations or, in case of renewal of the license, no later than two (2) months before the expiration of the old license in order to ensure the continuation of the license without interruption.

Processing time

The aim is to settle registration matters within two weeks from the filing of the matter, i.e. from the date on which the Regional State Administrative Agency receives the notification. Additional information requests due to an incomplete notification may prolong the processing time.

Period of validity

Valid until further notice.

The service is provided by

Regional State Administrative Agency

Responsible for the service

Regional State Administrative Agency
Text edited by: Regional State Administrative Agency
Updated: 12/5/2020