Everyman's rights: what you may and may not do in nature

What everyman's rights are

According to the Ministry of the Environment, under everyman's rights anyone living in or visiting Finland may use nature regardless of the landowner or holder. There is no need to ask permission or pay a fee. The condition is that the activity causes the landowner, land use or nature no more than minor harm.

Nature reserves, such as national parks, may have their own rules of conduct, so everyman's rights do not apply in them as such. Check the rules of the destination before your trip on the Luontoon.fi service.

What you may do without a permit

Under everyman's rights you may generally:

In winter, skiing and snowshoeing are allowed everywhere you may walk. According to the Ministry of the Environment, skiing can be restricted only for special reasons, for example in areas reserved for a particular use. A hole cut in the ice must be marked, because you can be held liable for danger caused by an unmarked hole.

walk, ski and cycle in nature and snowshoe where walking is allowed
stay and camp temporarily far enough from dwellings
pick wild berries, mushrooms and unprotected plants
to boat, swim and travel on the ice
angle and ice-fish, though not in rapids or flowing waters
make a hole in the ice, as long as it is marked

What you must not do

Everyman's rights do not allow disturbing another person's domestic peace. Camping too close to housing or making noise is prohibited, and you may not enter yards, plantings or cultivated fields. Living trees may not be felled or damaged, and dead or fallen trees, moss or lichen may not be taken.

Birds' nests and chicks must not be disturbed, and motor vehicles must not be driven in nature without the landowner's permission. Littering is prohibited. For fishing and hunting, the licences and fees required in cases other than the everyman's right to fish are needed.

Campfire and wildfire warning

You may not make an open fire on another person's land without the landowner's permission. A campfire can be lit, for example, at marked fire sites in hiking areas and national parks, if no warning is in force. Since the start of 2024, the Finnish Meteorological Institute issues only terrain fire warnings, no longer separate grass and forest fire warnings.

During a wildland fire warning, all open fire is forbidden, including disposable grills placed directly on the ground. Fireplaces raised off the ground, wind-sheltered grills and grill shelters with a flue are not open fire. According to the Ministry of the Interior, the person who lights a fire is always responsible for the fire they have lit, whether or not there is a warning.

Berries, mushrooms and fishing

Picking wild berries and mushrooms is covered by everyman's rights. According to the Finnish Tax Administration, income from selling berries, mushrooms and other natural products you have picked yourself is tax-free when the products are sold as such without processing. Cleaning and packing into boxes are not processing. Tax-free income does not need to be reported on the tax return.

Angling and ice fishing are everyman's fishing rights, but not in rapids and flowing waters. Other fishing, such as lure fishing or net fishing, generally requires the fisheries management fee and the permission of the water area owner. Check current permits and restrictions in the Eräluvat service before a fishing trip.

Dogs and hiking with a group

A dog must be kept on a lead from 1.3. to 19.8. and always in built-up areas, on fitness trails and on someone else's land. Dogs may not be taken to public beaches, children's playgrounds, ski tracks or sports fields.

For a larger group, choose a route with ready-made fire pits, toilets and waste management. If you plan to stay overnight in the same place for longer or the group is large, ask the landowner for permission, because the harm to nature and the landowner grows.

Take everything you brought with you away from the trip, including food scraps. When you are out with children, go through the rules beforehand: why nests must not be disturbed, why branches must not be broken off, and why fires must not be lit outside designated fire pits.

Find a nature destination with Activity Radar

Activity Radar compiles nature sites and national parks by city. The Ministry of the Environment's FAQ service also has over a hundred questions and answers about everyman's rights in Finnish and Swedish.

Frequently asked questions

May you make a campfire on someone else's land?

Not without the landowner's permission. During a wildfire warning all open fires are prohibited, even with permission.

May you camp in nature?

Temporarily, yes, when the camp is far enough from dwellings and does not disturb their privacy. Nature reserves have their own rules.

When must a dog be kept on a lead?

1.3.–19.8. everywhere, and all year round in built-up areas, on fitness trails and on another person's land.

May you make an ice hole on the ice?

Yes, but the ice hole must be marked. The person responsible for an unmarked ice hole may be held liable.

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Sources

The article is general information and does not replace the guidance of an authority, a lawyer or an adviser. Check up-to-date information from the sources.