Grouse permit

To purchase a grouse permit, first select a small game area and buy the desired number of days for it. You can pay for your permit directly using most methods of payment. If you are interested in a seasonal permit, submit an application for the hunting area of your choice in spring: for more detailed instructions, see the bottom of this page. 

If you have a grouse permit, you may hunt all small game except beavers. This means that in addition to the capercaillie, black grouse, hazel grouse and willow grouse, you may also hunt waterfowl, hares and small predators. In some hunting areas, beavers are also included in the seasonal grouse permit. 

The open seasons vary by species, year and region. The open seasons are decided by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and they are always published just before the hunting season in late August or early September.

• Winter permits for birds for January 2025 and willow grouse permits for January–March 2025 will become available on 16 December 2024. Read more in the news item!
• Hunting permits for the hunting season 2025–2026 will go on sale in June and August on dates to be announced later.

Before purchasing a grouse permit, you should read Metsähallitus’ terms of purchasing and cancelling permits. Each hunting permit is an investment in nature, as the permit revenue is spent on game management. Complete your investment in nature by submitting a catch report (saalispalaute.eraluvat.fi).

Day Permit

Grouse permits are very popular. The most popular dates (usually the first week of the season) and areas often sell out quickly. All grouse permits are never sold out, however, and you should go ahead and plan a hunting trip for the late autumn, or choose areas with little demand.

Hunting experts limit hunting by setting quotas for each permit area. Permits are sold until this quota has been reached. This ensures that hunting is sustainable. Bag quotas are also set for each hunting area and announced in the permit terms on the introductory page of each area. On this page you can also find any special conditions applicable to the hunting area.

• Day permit, 1 day (adults) = EUR 20
• Day permit, 1 day (under 18s, youth permit) = EUR 5

The grouse permits go on sale in June. Only some of the day permits come on sale in June, however: their number corresponds to around one half of the permit days sold in the previous autumn. The rest of the permits are available in late August as the results of game inventories and the dates of open seasons are known. Before restarting in August, the sale of permits is suspended for one to two weeks, during which the permit quotas to be sold are updated in the system. In June, permits are sold for all areas for the period between 10 September and 10 October. In August, permits will be sold for the open season proposed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

Permits can be purchased online by selecting a grouse hunting area and buying the desired permit or by calling Eräluvat service line at +358 20 69 2424 from 9:00 on the day the permit sale starts. On Eräluvat.fi, you can pay for your permits using all the most common methods of payment. You can reserve permits for at most seven (7) days. If you pay for your permits immediately, this number is not limited. By calling Eräluvat service line, you can order permits for at most ten people for seven days (10 * 7 days). Any permits ordered by telephone will be invoiced to the customer. Eräluvat service line is open at +358 20 69 2424 between 9:00 and 15:00 on weekdays.

Before making your purchase, please read the terms of buying and cancelling hunting permits.

Youth permit

If you are aged under 18, you can buy a more affordable day permit (youth permit). For example, a young person pays EUR 5 a day for grouse permits, whereas adults pay four times as much.

If you are aged under 15, you can hunt small game without a personal permit in the company of a person who is aged over 18 and who has the necessary hunting permit and a licence to possess a firearm. In this case, any catch of a hunter aged under 15 is included in the bag quota of the person who accompanies them. If you are aged under 15, you must also be under this person's direct supervision while hunting.

Seasonal permit

You can apply for a seasonal permit in the spring preceding the hunting season. Permits are available for a number of hunting areas managed by Metsähallitus. A seasonal permit may be granted to you if you have no other opportunities to hunt. As other opportunities are deemed membership in a hunting club, a right to hunt on state-owned land in your home municipality referred to in section 8 of the Hunting Act, and a right to hunt on land owned by you. If any of the seasonal permit quota is left over after applicants with no other hunting opportunities have been granted their permits, these permits may also be issued to others.

Check the page of each hunting area to see if seasonal permits are available for the area in which you are interested. A seasonal permit is a good option if you want to hunt in the same area often and you have no access to the lands of any hunting club. You can select a primary and a secondary area in your application, but a permit can only be granted for one area. 

If you live in Kemi or Tornio in the county of Lapland, you have the right to hunt in Metsähallitus-designated areas, for which you can obtain a city resident's seasonal permit. You can apply for a seasonal permit in April using the permit application system or, alternatively, purchase one by calling Eräluvat service line on or after 16 June 2025.

A dedicated seasonal permit, which is cheaper than a normal seasonal permit, is available for those hunting with a bow and arrow.

Seasonal permits for small game are valid from 1 August to 30 April. However, the open season for grouse varies from year to year, which is why you should check the open seasons laid down in the Hunting Decree and comply with them. Once the open seasons have been decided, they will be updated to the Finnish Wildlife Agency’s website (riista.fi).

A grouse permit does not usually allow you to hunt beavers, and a specific season permit exists for them. In some hunting areas, however, holders of a seasonal permit for grouse may hunt beavers.

Applying for a seasonal permit in 2025

You can always apply for a seasonal small game permit in the spring preceding the hunting season. The application period for the next hunting season will begin on 1 April 2025 and end at 16:00 on 30 April 2025.

A list of areas for 2025 and more detailed instructions for applying will be published later.

It is advisable to apply for a seasonal permit online. You can also print out the form that needs to completed and return it to the branch in the relevant permit area during the application period. The applications are received and processed by Metsähallitus’ hunting experts. The decision will be sent to you by e-mail or letter, depending on the delivery method you select in your application. You will receive the decision by the end of May.