Finland welcomes international film and TV productions with up to 40% support

International film, TV, documentary, and animation producers can benefit from Finland’s national audiovisual production incentive, which reimburses up to 25% of eligible local production costs incurred in the country. The scheme is designed to attract international productions, increase local spend, and make Finland one of the most competitive filming locations in Europe.

“International interest in filming in Finland continues to grow, with productions seeing the value of our incentive and the opportunities Finland offers,” says Merja Salonen, Chief Funding Advisor at Business Finland, the government organization overseeing the incentive.

In 2024, Business Finland granted audiovisual production incentives to 20 organizations totaling €11.9 million. About half of the funding went to foreign applicants.

Several high-profile international projects have filmed in Finland with support from the incentive, including "The Summer Book" starring Glenn Close and "The Dead of Winter" led by Emma Thompson.

Funding remains available: “A few million euros in funding for 2025 is still available for applications as of late-September,” says Salonen.

To meet growing international demand, Finland has proposed a €10 million budget for the national incentive in 2026, pending final approval by Parliament in December 2025.

In addition to Business Finland’s scheme, several Finnish regions offer their own funding programs. “By combining our national scheme with regional incentives, producers can access up to 40% support in Finland. This makes filming here highly competitive internationally, while also bringing direct benefits to regional economies and local crews,” says Film Commissioner Teija Raninen from the West Finland Film Commission.

Beyond financial support, Finland offers diverse locations from the Arctic to the archipelago, forests to vibrant cities. Skilled English-speaking crews, together with modern studios, post-production and VFX facilities, ensure reliable filming conditions year-round in Finland’s safe, well-functioning environment.

Funding for the AV incentive is granted by Business Finland and paid retrospectively against reported costs.

For eligibility criteria and application details, visit: https://www.businessfinland.fi/en/for-finnish-customers/services/funding/cash-rebate