Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia to make first state visit to Finland in 37 years

The Office of the President of the Republic confirmed on Friday, 25 September, that Their Majesties King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will pay a state visit to Finland on 6–7 October 2026 at the invitation of President Alexander Stubb. The last Spanish state visit to Finland took place in 1989, underscoring the symbolic importance of the upcoming trip for bilateral relations. A 100-strong Spanish delegation—including ministers, senior business leaders and cultural figures—is expected to accompany the royal couple. Programme highlights include official talks at the Presidential Palace, a Finland–Spain business forum focusing on sustainable smart-city solutions, and visits to Aalto University and the Alvar Aalto “Visions of Finlandia” exhibition. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has already issued a circular to diplomatic missions clarifying accreditation, visa and customs procedures for advance parties and accompanying media. Holders of Spanish official and service passports will be granted expedited entry at Helsinki Airport, while commercial delegates travelling on standard EU passports will undergo normal Schengen checks. The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) has reserved air-space slots for the Spanish Air Force Airbus A310 carrying the royals, and parking positions at Helsinki-Vantaa. For multinational companies operating in the Iberian and Nordic markets, the visit offers a high-visibility platform to announce new joint ventures. Enterprise Finland and ICEX Spain Export and Investment are co-hosting a matchmaking event aimed at technology start-ups looking for R&D partners or Nordic expansion. Mobility teams should prepare invitation letters early—the presidential chancery expects security-screening cut-off to fall on 1 October. Travel managers should also note that temporary traffic restrictions will be in force in central Helsinki, Espoo and Turku during the two-day programme. Hotels near the capital’s South Harbour are already reporting limited availability; early booking is advisable if executives need to be on-site.