Valvira

Valvira is a national agency operating under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, charged with the supervision of the social and health care, alcohol and environmental health sectors. We provide licensing for social and health care providers and offer guidance to the Regional State Administrative Agencies to achieve harmonised licensing, guidance and supervisory practices throughout Finland.

Our licensing activities

Professional licensing

• Licensing of social welfare and health care professionals, protected occupational titles, fixed-term licenses
• Domestic and pool water hygience testers

Commercial licenses

• Production, import, wholesale and serving of alcohol
• National licenses for private social and health care providers

Health and research

• Tissue licenses
• Licenses for embryology research
• Termination and sterilisation (where relevant)
• Licensing under the Act on Assisted Fertility Treatments
• Adoption

Our supervisory activities

Social care

• Social care professionals
• Social care units

Health care

• Health care professionals
• Health care units

Medical devices

• Safety and compliance

Gene technology

• Safety

Health Protection Act

• Domestic and pool water hygiene tester license qualification providers

Alcohol Act

• Producers, wholesalers and licenseholders
• Product supervision
• Advertising and marketing

Tobacco Act

• Advertising ban
• Hazardou substances and labelling

Adoption

• The Finnish Adoption Board operates in conjunction with Valvira

Biobanks

• Biobank operators, biobank register

We provide guidance to Regional State Administrative Agencies

Valvira is tasked with providing guidance to the Regional State Administrative Agencies on all social and health care related matters. Our aim is to ensure the harmonisation of guidance, licensing and supervisory practices across Finland. Valvira and the Regional State Administrative Agencies undertake supervisory activities on the basis of jointly prepared supervision plans.

National Committee on Medical Research Ethics

The National Committee on Medical Research Ethics (TUKIJA) operates in conjunction with Valvira.