Where are the public shelters in Finland and how do I find mine?

Short answer. Finland has about 50,500 civil defence shelters with room for about 4.8 million people, according to the Ministry of the Interior (February 2023) ¹. Most are property shelters inside blocks of flats, offices, shops, industrial and public buildings; large cities add public shelters ¹². Your building's emergency plan should tell you where your shelter, or the nearest public shelter, is ⁴.

How many shelters does Finland have?

The Ministry of the Interior counted about 50,500 civil defence shelters with places for about 4.8 million people in February 2023 ¹. The capital is the largest single network: the City of Helsinki reports about 5,500 shelters with about 900,000 places, including shelters dug into bedrock ³.

What kinds of shelters are there?

Two kinds exist side by side:

• Property shelters, built inside or near residential blocks, offices, shops, industrial and public buildings for the people who live or work there ¹². They are the bulk of the network.
• Public shelters, which complement that capacity. In the words of the government guide: "Public civil defence shelters have been built in large cities to complement shelter capacity." ²

Not every municipality has public shelters. The City of Salo, for example, states that it has none ⁵. Your regional rescue department's website explains sheltering in your area ².

How do I find my shelter?

Start with the building you live or work in:

1. Read your building's emergency plan. In a housing company, the emergency plan should contain information on the property's shelter or on the nearest public shelter ⁴. Ask the property manager or the board if you cannot find it.
2. Check your regional rescue department's website. It explains how sheltering is organised in your area ².
3. In Helsinki, use the Helsinki Service Map, which shows public and shared shelters ³.
4. Look for the sign. Shelters are marked with a blue equilateral triangle on an orange background ².

If your building is small, it may have no shelter of its own: the obligation to build one applies only to larger new buildings (see Building a shelter in Finland).

When do shelters open, and who decides?

Shelters are activated only if the rescue authorities order it ². Once ordered, they must be ready for use within 72 hours ²⁴. When the general warning signal sounds, the official advice is to go indoors and take shelter straight away, then follow the emergency warning on radio, TV or the 112 Suomi app; see Emergency alerts in Finland.

Our guide Shelter in place or evacuate after a nuclear emergency? explains why going indoors first is the standard advice.

Who maintains property shelters?

Building owners and occupants must keep the shelter usable so it can be taken into use within 72 hours ⁴. The housing company's emergency plan must include the shelter ⁴. The legal duties and technical rules are on Building a shelter in Finland and Finland's shelter standards.

Frequently asked questions

Does every building in Finland have a shelter?

No. Most shelters are property shelters in larger buildings, and smaller buildings may have none ¹². Your building's emergency plan should contain information on your shelter or the nearest public one ⁴.

How do I recognise a shelter entrance?

By a blue equilateral triangle on an orange background ².

Can I go to a public shelter at any time?

Shelters are activated only on the order of the rescue authorities, and must be ready within 72 hours of that order ².

Does my municipality have public shelters?

Large cities have built them; not every municipality has. Salo, for example, has none ⁵. Check your regional rescue department's website ².

Sources

1. Ministry of the Interior (valtioneuvosto.fi) — Finland has civil defence shelters for about 4.8 million people — https://valtioneuvosto.fi/en/-/1410869/finland-has-civil-defence-shelters-for-about-4.8-million-people (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. Ministry of the Interior / Suomi.fi — Military conflicts and civil defence - Preparing for Incidents and Crises — https://www.suomi.fi/guides/preparedness/how-to-prepare-for-incidents-and-crises/military-conflicts-and-civil-defence (accessed 2026-10-20)
3. City of Helsinki — Civil defence — https://turvallisuus.hel.fi/en/civil-defence/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
4. Ministry of the Interior / Suomi.fi — Preparedness in housing companies - Preparing for Incidents and Crises — https://www.suomi.fi/guides/preparedness/preparedness-is-about-cooperation/preparedness-in-housing-companies (accessed 2026-10-20)
5. City of Salo — Civil defence shelters — https://salo.fi/en/city-and-decision-making/safety-and-security/civil-defence-shelters/ (accessed 2026-10-20)