Get to know Valvira
Valvira is the central agency within the administrative sector of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, which provides guidance, supervision and grants licences.
Guidance
- guidance for Regional State Administrative Agencies and wellbeing services counties in social welfare and health care tasks
- guidance for Regional State Administrative Agencies in early childhood education and care tasks
- guidance for Regional State Administrative Agencies on alcohol administration tasks
- guidance for municipalities on health protection and tobacco control tasks
Licences and registrations
Professional rights
- licensing, title protection and temporary licences for social and health care professionals
- licence to operate as a hygiene tester for household and swimming pool water
Engaging in business
- licences for the manufacture, import, wholesale and use of alcohol
- national registration of service providers and service units in health care and social welfare
Health and research
- licences for pregnancy termination and sterilisation (in some cases)
- licences under the Act on Assisted Fertility Treatments
Supervision
Social welfare and health care
- the activities of social welfare and health care professionals and organisations
- compliance with the essential requirements of patient and customer information systems
Alcohol Act
- the activities of manufacturers, wholesalers and licence holders of alcoholic beverages
- alcohol product control
- marketing and sales promotion
Tobacco Act
- marketing ban
- tobacco product control
Health protection
- the activities of competence testers for household water and swimming pool water hygiene
Early childhood education and care
Valvira also includes the Finnish Adoption Board (link), which issues adoption licences, and the National Medical Research Ethics Committee, Tukija.