Tukes reviews the application
If the application is incomplete or there are obstacles arising from the Mining Act, Tukes will ask the contact person to supplement the application or restrict the application area further.
Typical obstacles for a permit are an overlap with another exploration permit area, a highway or its protected areas, or a power line and that every building has not been excluded from the area. These obstacles are described in section 7 of the Mining Act.
The application is entered in the mining register and its map service
After Tukes has found that the application contains all the necessary information and that there are no obstacles to grant the permit, the application is entered in the mining register and the area is entered into the mining register's map service. After this, anyone can view the location of the application area in the map service.
Hearing
Tukes will send a letter to the landowners of the permit application area, informing them of the permit application and their opportunity to comment, as well as information on exploration surveys. The letter will be sent to the persons on the list of landowners, as provided by the applicant.
Tukes will ask the area’s municipality, the regional ELY Centre (from 1 January 2026, to the Finnish Supervisory Authority) and other possible public authorities whose areas of responsibility include the use of the application area.
Other interest groups are notified of the permit application by posting the application on the Tukes website and by announcing it through the official municipal channels. This notification will also include instructions and a deadline for posting an opinion about the application before the decision is issued.
The period of public notice is 37 days. During this period, Tukes will accept statements, reminders and opinions on the application.
Permit review
Once the period of public notice has ended, Tukes will review the statements, reminders and opinions submitted for the matter regarding the application. Based on matters raised in the hearing process, Tukes will consider if it needs to seek an additional statement from the applicant regarding any point or if it can issue a decision on the application as-is. Tukes may also set conditions or restrictions for the permit that allow it to be issued or reject a part of the application.
Issue of the decision
Once the decision to issue an exploration permit has been made, Tukes will e-mail the decision to the applicant. All parties that were asked to comment on the application, and those who have specifically asked for a copy, will also receive a copy. Tukes will notify the landowners by paper mail of where the decision can be viewed. The decision will be available on the municipality’s website and the Tukes website.
The appeal period is 37 days. If an appeal is not submitted, the decision becomes final after the appeal period has ended. If there are any appeals, they will be processed by the Administrative Court that has jurisdiction over the application. Check with the Administrative Court to confirm that your permit is legally valid after the appeal period.