Finland to close Nurmes enforcement office as part of wider consolidation

The Finnish Enforcement Authority will shut its Nurmes office on 20 May 2026, with Iisalmi, Varkaus, and Kotka next in line for closure, public broadcaster Yle reports.

Residents of Nurmes will thereafter be served by the nearest enforcement office in Kajaani. The move is part of a broader restructuring that reduces the authority’s nationwide locations from 64 to 29. In Eastern Finland, offices will remain in Joensuu, Kuopio, Mikkeli, Savonlinna, Lappeenranta, and Kouvola.

The consolidation follows a 2020 reform that merged the former National Bailiff’s Office and 22 regional enforcement agencies into a single national authority. Eastern Finland’s previously independent offices—covering North Karelia, North Savo, South Savo, South Karelia, and Kymenlaakso—were combined into one regional unit.

Basic enforcement operations in Eastern Finland will now be centralised in Kuopio, one of five national hubs. The authority aims to cut costs through organisational streamlining, automation, and expanded digital services. Staff reductions will be managed via transfers and retirements, with personnel costs accounting for roughly 90 percent of operational expenses.