Europe
Finland.
Finnish law has both a criminal offense for failing to help a person known to be in mortal danger and a general duty in the Rescue Act to alert those in danger, call for emergency help and take rescue measures according to one's ability. The Rescue Act also covers volunteer fire brigades and volunteer rescue work, and provides state-funded accident compensation for people who step in to rescue on their own initiative.
Is there a legal duty to help a stranger?
YesRikoslaki (Criminal Code) chapter 21 section 15, Pelastustoimen laiminlyönti (failure to take rescue action), punishes with a fine or up to 6 months in prison a person who, knowing another is in mortal danger or serious danger to health, fails to give or obtain the help that, given their possibilities and the nature of the situation, can reasonably be expected of them. Pelastuslaki (Rescue Act, 379/2011) section 3, Yleinen toimintavelvollisuus (general duty to act), says anyone who notices or learns of a fire or other accident that has happened or is threatening, and cannot immediately put it out or avert the danger, must without delay alert those in danger, make an emergency call and take rescue measures according to their ability.
Are people who help protected?
LimitedPelastuslaki section 103 provides compensation from state funds, on the same basis as the workers' accident and occupational disease act, for accidents in rescue operations, and its list of eligible people includes those who took independent rescue measures on the basis of the section 3 duty to act and those who took part in rescue operations voluntarily as described in section 51. No general civil-liability shield for good-faith helpers was located in the texts reviewed.
How the government promotes giving and service
Ways to give and volunteer
Finland has a strong tradition of association-based volunteering, and the Finnish Red Cross and many other registered associations run most community help. Fundraising for the public generally needs a permit, so check that before giving to a collector.
Check a charity before you give
The state office that keeps the association register and handles money collection permits, so you can check whether a group is registered.
Give your time
Give money, blood or a donation
In an emergency or a crisis
Before you act
- Public money collection normally needs a permit, so ask a collector for the permit number and check it with PRH. Be careful with unsolicited calls, texts or emails asking for card details or quick transfers.
- Visitors are free to give to registered groups, but ask a local association what it actually needs before bringing goods.
This list covers a few national starting points, not every local group, and sites can change. Checked 2026-10-28. Listing an organization is not an endorsement, and none of them has endorsed this site. Some official sites block automatic checks, so a link may need a second try.
One thing worth knowing
Talkoohenki, a word for team spirit in which everyone chips in, is discussed on the official promotion site as possibly linked to Finnish happiness; the same article cites Statistics Finland as showing about 18 formal volunteer hours per person a year, and notes that much help is informal.
What this does not mean
Statutes are read from the Finnish originals on Finlex and paraphrased by this guide; no English translation text was retrieved. Talkoot is a custom, not a government program. The Tax Administration item is a proposal, not enacted law. This is not legal advice. This is a plain-language summary of public sources, not legal advice, and it does not rank countries. No government named here has endorsed this site. Not reviewed by a lawyer. Statutes were read in public sources and may have changed. Last checked October 26, 2026.