The Border Guard
Safety in All Circumstances

The Border Guard is responsible for Finland's internal security, subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior.

The main functions of the Border Guard are guarding of the land borders and the territorial waters, passport control at the border crossing points, ports and airports, as well as performing of rescue operations, especially at sea.

After Finland became independent, the government made a decision on 21 March 1919 which provided that the responsibility for guarding the Finnish borders shall rest with militarily organised Border Guard troops subordinate to the Ministry of the Interior. The Border Guard developed into its current form after the wars when the Coast Guard was integrated into it and border control was extended to Finland's western and northern borders. In the past few years, the functions and structure of the Border Guard have been reorganised to respond to the changes in the immediate surroundings.