Finland has blocked 14 real estate transactions involving foreign nationals or companies owned by them. Defence Minister Antti Hakkanen announced the decisions in a press release. The cases were rejected after authorities concluded that the planned acquisitions could pose a risk to national security or hinder the organisation of national defence.

According to the announced decisions, the applicants were citizens or companies owned by nationals of China, Ukraine, Turkey and India. The properties were spread across Finland, from Imatra in the east to Rovaniemi in the north. The broad geographic range suggests the review was not limited to one region but covered sites in several parts of the country.

The rulings were made under Finland’s Act on Permit Requirements for Certain Real Estate Acquisitions, which entered into force in 2019. The law allows authorities to deny a permit if a purchase is considered capable of endangering national security, obstructing defence arrangements or threatening security of supply, a key concept in Finland’s preparedness policy.

Oversight of foreign real estate acquisitions has become a more visible security issue in Finland in recent years. The latest decisions show that the permit system is being used when authorities judge the risks to be serious enough to stop a transaction. Hakkanen’s announcement framed the denials specifically as matters of national security.