Standard · Finland

SFS 6000 explained: Finland's wiring rules for homes (SFS 6000:2022)

SFS 6000 is the Finnish standard for low-voltage electrical installations, and the current edition, SFS 6000:2022, has been applied since 2023. For a home it requires type A 30 mA RCDs on sockets and lighting, and every job ends with a commissioning inspection (käyttöönottotarkastus). Installation work is done by an electrical contractor, under the supervision of Tukes.

Updated on 22 September 2026Last checked 22 September 2026SFS 6000:2022 · beta

Key facts

01The Electrical Safety Act 1135/2016 (sähköturvallisuuslaki) is the legal basis; SFS 6000:2022 is the standard that shows compliance, applied since 2023.
02Since SFS 6000-4-41:2017 (applied from 2018), type A 30 mA RCDs protect socket-outlets up to 32 A and the lighting of dwellings and their outdoor areas.
03Finnish practice protects 1.5 mm² circuits at 10 A and 2.5 mm² at 16 A.
04A house is typically supplied 3 × 400 V with a 3 × 25 A main fuse.
05A commissioning inspection is required for every job; a third-party verification inspection is needed for residential buildings with more than 2 dwellings or a main fuse above 35 A.

What is SFS 6000 and how does it relate to Finnish law?

SFS 6000, “Pienjännitesähköasennukset” (low-voltage electrical installations), is the Finnish edition of the harmonised HD 60364 series, prepared by SESKO, the Finnish electrotechnical standards association, with Finnish national deviations. The current edition is SFS 6000:2022, applied since 2023.

The legal framework is the Electrical Safety Act 1135/2016. The Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes) supervises electrical safety and the contractors who carry out installation work. Following SFS 6000 is the recognised way for a contractor to show that an installation meets the Act's safety requirements.

According to SESKO, the 2022 revision changed relatively little for homes compared with SFS 6000:2017: the exceptions to RCD protection in part 4-41 were clarified, the fire-reaction class Dca became partly mandatory for cables, the EV charging part 7-722 was updated and the scope of the bathroom part 7-701 changed. According to STUL, new unearthed sockets may no longer be added to old installations, and arc fault detection devices (AFDD) are recommended in timber buildings and on bedroom socket circuits.

Supply: 3 × 400 V and a 3 × 25 A main fuse

Finnish houses are normally connected three-phase, 3 × 400 V (230 V between phase and neutral), with a main fuse of 3 × 25 A as the typical size. Circuits are spread over the three phases and large loads, such as a sauna heater, a cooker or an EV charger, are often three-phase. The Circuia pack assumes TN-C-S earthing and a three-phase 16 A cooker circuit; both are usual defaults that we have not confirmed from a public Finnish source.

RCDs (vikavirtasuoja) and circuit sizes

Protection rules in a Finnish home (SFS 6000)
Rule	Value	Source / confidence
RCD on socket-outlets up to 32 A	Type A, 30 mA	SFS 6000-4-41:2017, SESKO (high)
RCD on lighting	Type A, 30 mA, for dwellings and their outdoor areas	SFS 6000-4-41:2017 (high / medium)
RCD type AC	Not accepted where type A is required	SESKO
Exception to RCD protection	Reportedly only the socket of a fridge or freezer (SFS 6000:2022)	Secondary source, not confirmed
Leakage current per RCD	Sum of leakage at most 1/3 of IΔn (10 mA for a 30 mA RCD)	SKT-säätiö (medium)
AFDD	Recommended in timber buildings and on bedroom socket circuits	STUL (medium)
EV charging	Own RCD, type B or type A with 6 mA DC detection	SESKO (high)

The 1/3 IΔn leakage rule limits the number of circuits per RCD in practice; Circuia uses at least two RCDs and informs above six circuits each.

Largest breaker per cable size in the Circuia Finland pack
Copper section	Largest breaker	Typical use	Status
1.5 mm²	10 A	Lighting, ordinary sockets	Finnish practice (Iz about 13.5 A in wall conduit); low to medium confidence
2.5 mm²	16 A	Kitchen sockets, appliances, cooker (three-phase)	Finnish practice
4 mm²	25 A	Heating, sauna heater, larger loads	European base value
6 mm²	32 A	EV charger, heat pump	European base value
10 mm²	40 A	Sub-boards	European base value

Source for the 1.5 mm² practice: professional discussion and SFS 6000-5-52 values as reported; the standard itself was not read.

Surge protection (ylijännitesuoja) is required mainly for houses supplied by an overhead line; otherwise it follows a risk assessment, and Finland has a national condition reflecting its low number of thunderstorm days. Circuia reminds you of this assessment whenever no SPD is planned. No Finnish limit on the number of sockets per circuit was found.

Bathrooms and saunas: the zone system

Finnish bathrooms follow SFS 6000-7-701, the national edition of the harmonised bathroom part. Its scope changed in 2022; the details were not available in public sources, so Circuia applies the harmonised zones and every bathroom circuit is behind a 30 mA RCD. Saunas are covered by a separate part (7-703) that the Circuia pack does not check.

Bathroom zones applied for Finland (SFS 6000-7-701)
Zone	Extent	Rule
0	Inside the bath or shower tray	Only equipment designed for it
1	Above the bath or shower up to 2.25 m	Fixed equipment suitable for the zone
2	0.6 m beyond zone 1	No ordinary sockets or switches
Outside the zones	—	Sockets allowed, type A 30 mA RCD

Harmonised values (HD 60364-7-701); the 2022 change of scope in the Finnish edition is not reflected here.

Is there a minimum number of sockets in Finland?

No binding minimum was found. The ST cards (ST-kortisto) published by Sähköinfo give guidance on socket placement and heights (ST 51.22), and building contracts often set equipment levels, but SFS 6000 itself does not require a number of sockets per room. Circuia therefore sets no socket minimum for Finland; plan by use, with several double sockets per bedroom and living room and enough outlets above the kitchen worktop.

Who may do the work: Tukes, contractors and the käyttöönottotarkastus

In Finland, electrical installation work is carried out by an electrical contractor (sähköurakoitsija) registered with Tukes, with a qualified person responsible for the work. Before an installation is used, the contractor performs a commissioning inspection (käyttöönottotarkastus): a visual inspection, measurements and tests, recorded in an inspection report (pöytäkirja). This applies to every job, small or large.

Inspections of electrical installations in Finland (Tukes)
Inspection	When	Who
Käyttöönottotarkastus (commissioning inspection)	Every installation job, before use	The contractor, with a written report
Varmennustarkastus (verification inspection)	Residential buildings with more than 2 dwellings; other installations with a main fuse above 35 A	An independent inspector, ordered by the contractor
Single-family house, 3 × 25 A	Commissioning inspection only, normally no verification inspection	The contractor

Source: Tukes (electrical installations; commissioning-stage inspections). Periodic inspections do not normally apply to ordinary dwellings; not confirmed.

Planning an SFS 6000 installation with Circuia

Choose Finland when you create the project. The editor spreads circuits over three phases, uses 10 A on 1.5 mm² for lighting and ordinary sockets and 16 A on 2.5 mm² for the kitchen and appliances, puts sockets and lighting behind at least 2 type A 30 mA RCDs, flags type AC devices, informs above 6 circuits per RCD and flags a main fuse above 35 A, which calls for a verification inspection. The circuit list, single-line diagram and bill of materials follow.

Open the editor set up for Finland (free, in your browser). Neighbouring countries: Sweden, Norway, Denmark, or the overview of all standards.

Common mistakes

Fitting type AC RCDs where SFS 6000 requires type A.
Leaving outdoor lighting of a dwelling without 30 mA RCD protection.
Protecting 1.5 mm² cable in wall conduit at 16 A: Finnish practice is 10 A.
Putting too many circuits on one RCD, so that normal leakage currents cause nuisance tripping.
Adding a new unearthed socket to an old installation.
Energising an installation before the commissioning inspection and its report.

Frequently asked questions

What is the current version of SFS 6000?

SFS 6000:2022, applied since 2023. It is the Finnish edition of the HD 60364 series with national deviations. According to SESKO, the changes from SFS 6000:2017 were limited: clarified RCD exceptions, a partly mandatory Dca cable class, an updated EV charging part and a changed scope for the bathroom part.

Which circuits need an RCD in Finland?

Since SFS 6000-4-41:2017, applied from 2018, type A 30 mA RCDs protect all socket-outlets up to 32 A and the lighting of dwellings and their outdoor areas. Bathroom circuits and EV chargers are protected too. Under the 2022 edition the only exception reportedly left is the socket of a fridge or freezer, which should be confirmed in the standard.

What is a käyttöönottotarkastus?

It is the commissioning inspection the electrical contractor must carry out on every installation job before it is used: a visual inspection, measurements and tests, recorded in a written report (pöytäkirja). It applies to small jobs as well as new houses, according to Tukes.

Does a new house in Finland need a third-party inspection?

Usually not. A verification inspection (varmennustarkastus) by an independent inspector is required for residential buildings with more than 2 dwellings and other installations with a main fuse above 35 A. A single-family house on a typical 3 × 25 A supply only needs the contractor's commissioning inspection.

Can I do my own electrical installation work in Finland?

Fixed electrical installation work must be carried out by an electrical contractor registered with Tukes, who then performs the commissioning inspection. Check Tukes' guidance on the small tasks a private person may be allowed to do, and never work on live circuits.

Does Circuia certify an installation to SFS 6000?

No. Circuia checks a plan against its Finland rules pack, which is in beta and built from public sources, and produces the circuit list, single-line diagram and bill of materials. Only a registered electrical contractor can carry out, inspect and document the installation.

Design aid

Design the installation with this country's rules

Draw the home or describe it to the AI: Circuia places the points, checks the country's rules in real time and generates the consumer unit, single-line diagram and bill of materials.

Open the editor for this country

Written by

Circuia team

Written by the Circuia team from the sources listed and from the editor's rules pack for this country: the values in the tables are the ones Circuia uses.

Published 22 September 2026 · updated 22 September 2026

Sources

Sources used for this page, official texts first: