As we all know, getting the online banking codes gives you the strong authentication to access many services online. Getting those as a non-EU citizen will take time because you need the Finnish ID card from the Police.

Some years ago, the government released the Finnish Authenticator App which gives you the same access but before having the banking codes. As far as I understand, you start using it even before coming to Finland.

I haven't seen anyone talking about this option and I'm wondering why. Does anyone have experience using it? I'm Finnish myself so I can't really test it myself.

See more here: https://www.suomi.fi/instructions-and-support/identification/how-to-identify-yourself-in-an-e-service/finnish-authenticator-identification-service

by Kippari90

2 comments

  1. It works for limited amount of services at least. Don’t know much more about it. 

    It won’t help with some of the challenges since many of them aren’t actually related to strong ID. Eg renting and getting proper phone subscription are not difficult because of lack of strong id but rather lack of history in Finland. Not having a social security id isn’t solved by strong id. 

  2. Basically Finnish government services relying on authentication method X is not the same as Finnish government service authentication requiring Finnish ID, or Finnish strong authentication stuff relying on bank codes.

    I know its confusing, but don’t mix-up the ideas of what they are. Which being said, you can pretty easily tell which authentication method is which, and where it works.

    90% of important Finnish public shit you cant do without bank account tied strong authentication bs… like paying your phone bill online.

    If you have a Finnish ID with biometric shit you can use various government sites to a point.

    Then there is that thing you linked which involves neither per a glance… no clue what the hell that is, but sure as hell wont work for the 1st bit listed for strong authentication stuff.

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