What Finnish Border Guard does

The Finnish Border Guard (Rajavartiolaitos) is a statutory government agency, founded in 1919 and operating under Finland's Ministry of the Interior, responsible for integrated border security, maritime safety, and national defence support across land borders, territorial waters, the exclusive economic zone, and airspace. It is structured around four border guard districts (Southeast Finland, North Karelia, Kainuu, Lapland), two coast guard districts (Gulf of Finland, West Finland), the Vartiolentolaivue Air Patrol Squadron (bases at Helsinki-Vantaa, Turku, Rovaniemi), and the Border and Coast Guard Academy in Imatra. Headcount sits in the 1,001–5,000 range.

The agency's operational capabilities span physical infrastructure and advanced sensor systems: an eastern border barrier fence (~4.5 metres tall, ~200 km of the 1,340 km eastern border) integrating cameras, roads, and technical surveillance; a nationwide counter-UAS network under development with Nokia (evaluation 2027–2028); the Gulf of Finland Maritime Surveillance Centre using seabed sensors and AI-based maritime traffic analysis; distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) for subsea cable monitoring jointly developed with Elisa; EU Smart Borders systems (EES and ETIAS) for automated biometric border control; and a fleet comprising Super Puma, AB/B 412, AW119 Koala helicopters, DO228 Dornier aircraft (to be replaced by Challenger 650 multipurpose aircraft in 2026–2027), and patrol vessels Turva, Karhu (2026), and MT1407 (2027).

The Finnish Border Guard is funded through annual state budget appropriations and EU programmes; it does not generate commercial revenue. Its "customers" are the Finnish state, non-EU travellers at Schengen external borders, transport operators subject to carrier obligations, and Baltic Sea partner agencies operating under joint action plans against undersea infrastructure sabotage and hybrid threats. Industrial delivery is provided through long-term consortia (Nokia, Saab, Marine Alutech, 61N Solutions) and lifecycle services partnerships (e.g., Wärtsilä's 10-year vessel support agreement).

Name

Finnish Border Guard

Legal name

Rajavartiolaitos

Website

https://raja.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Finnish Border Guard (Rajavartiolaitos) is a statutory Finnish government agency providing integrated border security, maritime safety, and national defence support across land borders, territorial waters, and airspace. It serves the Finnish state, non-EU travellers, and Baltic Sea partner agencies through sovereign, EU/NATO-aligned capabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Border and Maritime Security Services

NAICS

National Security (928110), Security Guards and Patrol Services (561612), Police Protection (922120), National Security (92811), International Affairs (92812)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Border Security & Homeland Security (BPAIAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Customs, Immigration & Border Processing Services (TLAHAEAF), Maritime Security Technology & Surveillance Systems (CCTV, Radar, AIS, Perimeter Intrusion) (TLAHANAC), Regulatory & Sanctions Compliance Screening for Maritime Operations (Trade Controls, AML) (TLAHANAL), Harbor & Coastal Patrol / Waterborne Security (BPAKALAC)

Keywords

• Border security services
• Maritime search rescue
• Coast guard operations
• Border surveillance systems
• Customs enforcement services

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. State Budget Appropriations: As a government agency, the Finnish Border Guard is funded primarily through annual state budget appropriations allocated by the Finnish Parliament and Ministry of the Interior. Operational funding covers personnel, equipment, infrastructure, and capability development programmes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Finnish Border Guard (Rajavartiolaitos) is a government agency that delivers sovereign border and maritime security services for Finland, including border surveillance and checks, the EU Smart Borders package (EES/ETIAS), counter-drone operations, maritime search and rescue, environmental incident response, criminal investigations, and national defence support. It also operates patrol vessels, helicopters and surveillance aircraft, and is constructing the Eastern Border Barrier Fence along the Russia border.

Product overview

The Finnish Border Guard (Rajavartiolaitos) is a government agency responsible for border and maritime security, operating under Finland's Ministry of the Interior. The agency provides comprehensive border management services rather than commercial products. Its core systems include Smart Borders (Älykkäät rajat) comprising EES and ETIAS EU border management systems, counter-drone capabilities developed with Nokia, maritime surveillance with AI capabilities, and secure email services. Infrastructure includes the eastern border barrier fence (approximately 380 million euro project), patrol vessels (Turva, Karhu, MT1407), aircraft (Super Puma, AB/B 412, Koala helicopters, DO228 Dornier, and new Challenger 650 multipurpose aircraft), and the Border and Coast Guard Academy providing training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Smart Borders (Älykkäät rajat) EU Smart Borders initiative implemented by the Finnish Border Guard, consisting of the Entry/Exit System (EES) and ETIAS, providing automated border control and enhanced border security management for non-EU travellers at the Schengen external border.
• EES (Entry/Exit System) - Rajanylitystietojärjestelmä EU border crossing data system that electronically registers third-country nationals' entry and exit dates and locations, replacing passport stamping. It collects identity, travel document, and biometric data (four fingerprints and facial image) for border crossing verification.
• ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) Pre-registration system for visa-exempt third-country nationals to determine eligibility before travelling to the Schengen area, assessing security risks, illegal immigration risks, and serious epidemic disease risks.
• Secure Email Service (Turvasähköposti) Secure email service for confidential communications between the Finnish Border Guard and the public, featuring email registration, PIN-code authentication for message retrieval, and attachment support.
• Border Surveillance Systems (Rajavalvonta) Comprehensive border monitoring and surveillance capabilities including automated border control systems, radar, cameras, sensors, and patrol operations across Finland's land and sea borders.
• Eastern Border Barrier Fence (Itärajan esteaita) Physical barrier infrastructure on Finland's eastern border with Russia, approximately 4.5 metres tall (3.5 m metal mesh fence with two cylinder obstacles on top), with an integrated road, cameras every 50 metres, and technical surveillance systems; estimated €380 million total project cost.
• Maritime Security Services (Meripelastus ja merivalvonta) Maritime search and rescue operations, marine pollution response, and coastal surveillance. Services include patrol vessels (Turva, Karhu, MT1407), maritime rescue coordination, and environmental protection in the Baltic Sea.

Quantifiable outcome

• EES automated border control has improved border check quality and efficiency, eliminating the need for passport stamping and enabling reliable tracking of lawful stay duration for non-EU nationals.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, significant, supporting and strategic.

• Nokia (Nokia Oyj)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2026Nokia's Defence unit was selected by the Finnish Border Guard to build a nationwide counter-drone (counter-UAS) network equipping patrol vehicles and boats with advanced detection and response capabilities. Nokia delivers an intelligent network enabling protected, high-speed connectivity, real-time data sharing, and interoperability between sensors and command-and-control systems. Solutions will be evaluated during 2027 and early 2028 as part of Finland's sovereign integrated counter-UAS programme.
• Elisa (Finnish telecom operator)significantStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2026Elisa completed testing of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) technology for subsea cable monitoring, developed in collaboration with the Finnish navy and Finnish Border Guard. The technology can detect threats such as ships dragging anchors. After experiencing subsea cable damage in the Baltic Sea (December 2025 incident suspected to involve a Russian vessel), Elisa developed this capability to alert authorities and critical infrastructure owners during exceptional situations.
• WärtsiläcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 19 May 2026Wärtsilä signed a 10-year lifecycle agreement with the Finnish Border Guard covering three patrol vessels: Turva, Karhu (entering service in 2026), and MT1407 (entering service in 2027). Wärtsilä supplies scheduled spare parts, provides operational support, assigns a dedicated contract manager, and manages maintenance planning to reduce unplanned repairs and downtime while enhancing operational efficiency, reliability, and sustainability.
• Marine Alutech Oy AbcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarine Alutech Oy Ab participated in the Finnish Border Guard-led industrial consortium to develop next-generation counter-drone capabilities for patrol vehicles and boats nationwide. The consortium includes the Finnish Border Guard, Marine Alutech, Saab AB, Nokia Oyj, and 61N Solutions Oy.
• Saab ABcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSaab AB participated in the Finnish Border Guard-led industrial consortium to develop next-generation counter-drone capabilities. Saab brings its defence and security technology expertise to the programme alongside Nokia, Marine Alutech, and 61N Solutions Oy.
• 61N Solutions OysupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner61N Solutions Oy participated in the Finnish Border Guard-led industrial consortium to develop next-generation counter-drone capabilities, alongside the Finnish Border Guard, Marine Alutech Oy Ab, Saab AB, and Nokia Oyj.
• Baltic Sea States and European CommissionstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinland's Border Guard established a maritime surveillance centre in the Gulf of Finland to prevent damage to critical undersea infrastructure, working in cooperation with other Baltic Sea states and the European Commission. This is part of a broader EU joint action plan following a series of power cable, telecom link, and gas pipeline outages in the Baltic Sea since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
• Finnish Defence ForcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Finnish Defence Forces introduced temporary aviation restrictions in the eastern Gulf of Finland to enhance airspace security amid increased drone activity linked to Ukraine's defensive operations against Russia. The measures include enhanced surveillance with fighter jets and Navy vessels, and coordination with the Finnish Border Guard for anti-UAS operations and enforcement of airspace restrictions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Frontex (European Border and Coast Guard Agency): EU agency coordinating operational cooperation between national border and coast guard authorities including Finland; not a direct substitute but defines the framework, funding and standards that the Finnish Border Guard operates within.
• German Federal Police (Bundespolizei): Germany's federal police force responsible for border protection, railway policing and aviation security; operates on a much larger scale but shares the multi-domain border-and-transport-security mandate at EU external borders.
• UK Border Force: UK Home Office agency responsible for immigration and customs enforcement at ports and the frontier; comparable on automated/EES-style border control transformation and the operational handling of high-volume travel flows.

Others

• Leonardo S.p.A. Italian-headquartered defence prime providing maritime patrol aircraft, radar and integrated border surveillance systems to coast guards and border agencies across Europe; comparable as a technology supplier into the same mission space.
• Saab AB: Swedish defence and security prime supplying surveillance, command-and-control and counter-UAS technologies; a current co-development partner of the Finnish Border Guard and a comparable supplier to other Nordic and Baltic border agencies.

Direct peers

• Polish Border Guard (Straż Graniczna): Poland's centralised border guard under the Ministry of Interior, responsible for Schengen external border control with Belarus, Russia (Kaliningrad) and Ukraine; directly comparable in mandate, scale and eastern-flank threat profile.
• Norwegian Police Service (border division): Norway's unified police service incorporates border policing responsibilities at Schengen external borders, including the northernmost EU-adjacent crossing points; comparable on Nordic border mandate, although combined with general policing.
• Estonian Police and Border Guard Board: Statutory national authority combining police and border guard functions across Estonia's land, sea and air borders; comparable in mandate, EU/NATO alignment and joint Baltic Sea subsea infrastructure cooperation with the Finnish Border Guard.
• Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (VSAT): Statutory Lithuanian border agency guarding the EU's external border with Belarus and Russia; comparable in mandate, hybrid-threat exposure (instrumentalised migration), EU Smart Borders rollout and NATO/EU cooperation profile.
• Swedish Coast Guard: Sweden's civilian maritime law enforcement and search-and-rescue agency operating in the Baltic Sea; directly comparable on maritime surveillance, SAR, environmental response and EU border-coordination tasks in the same sea basin.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rajavartijat
• YouTubeyoutube.com/raja
• Facebookfacebook.com/rajavartiolaitos
• Instagraminstagram.com/rajavartiolaitos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rajavartiolaitos-the-finnish-border-guard

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Finnish Border Guard