Eleven planned property acquisitions by buyers from countries outside the EU and EEA have been denied permission. According to Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen, the decisions are aimed at countering hybrid influence and protecting national security.
According to a press release from the Ministry of Defence Finland, the Defence Minister made the decisions to deny the acquisitions on 24 October 2025. The properties are located in S:t Michel, Pargas, Puumala, Taipalsaari, Nyslott, Simo, Kouvola, Parikkala, Kolari, and Torneå (all in Finland).
– Properties are a channel for hybrid influence. Therefore, we reject such property acquisitions that we assess as threatening national security and supply preparedness, as well as potentially complicating the organisation of defence. The permit system for property purchases, together with the total ban on Russian and Belarusian citizens, which came into effect this summer, constitutes an effective tool for this, says Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen in the press release.
The buyers are citizens of Russia, Israel, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. The acquisitions were intended for various purposes, including business activities, forestry, as well as residential and recreational purposes. The rejections are based on the Act on the Requirement for a Permit for Certain Real Estate Acquisitions (470/2019). The decisions have not yet gained legal force.