· Camilla Pesonen · accounting  · 7 min read · Suomi / Русский

Collecting an unpaid invoice in Finland step by step

Your client has not paid. What should you do next, what does a collection agency handle, and when do court proceedings and enforcement become an option? Six straightforward steps for following up an unpaid invoice in Finland.

Your client has not paid. What should you do next, what does a collection agency handle, and when do court proceedings and enforcement become an option? Six straightforward steps for following up an unpaid invoice in Finland.

The payment deadline has passed, but your client has not paid. Start with a reminder. If that does not resolve the problem, you can ask a collection agency to handle the invoice. Going to court and applying for enforcement are separate decisions you may need to make later.

These steps apply to ordinary invoices for work and services in Finland. Once the client pays the outstanding invoice and any valid interest and costs, the matter is settled. You do not have to go through every stage.

The stages and how long they may take

The timings below are a guide, not a promise of when you will get paid. The specific minimum waiting periods for consumer collection must still be observed.

  1. Check the payment and send a free reminder: once the invoice is overdue. Give the client enough time to pay or respond before taking further action.
  2. Agree a payment plan if appropriate: you can discuss this as soon as the client replies. Instalments may spread payment over several months, depending on your agreement.
  3. Instruct a collection agency: if the reminder deadline passes without payment or a workable arrangement. You can submit the case once your documents are ready; ask the agency how long its own processing will take.
  4. The agency sends a payment demand: allow for a stage lasting weeks. For a consumer invoice, at least 14 full days must have elapsed since the reminder before the first demand can be sent. Delivery and response time also affect the schedule.
  5. Consider court action if payment still does not arrive: plan in months. A disputed claim can take considerably longer than an undisputed one.
  6. Apply for enforcement after the judgment if necessary: the authority’s demand normally gives the client about two weeks to pay from when it is sent. Recovering the full debt may still take months or longer, and recovery is not guaranteed.

1. Check the payment and send a reminder

Make sure the invoice is correct, the client received it and the payment has not already arrived. Then send a polite reminder without adding a reminder fee. Include the invoice number, the outstanding amount and the date by which you are asking for payment. Attach the original invoice.

Allow enough time for the client to pay or respond. Reminders that carry a fee have additional conditions. Our detailed guide to overdue invoices explains the timing and fees for consumer and business clients and includes an email you can adapt.

2. Agree a payment plan if it would help

If the client agrees they owe the money but needs more time, you can agree a new payment date or payment in instalments. Confirm the dates, amounts and any interest by email. Keep track of whether each payment arrives.

If the client does not respond or misses the agreed payments, consider using a collection agency. A payment plan is an option, not a compulsory step before collection.

3. Hand the invoice over to a collection agency

Choose an agency and authorise it to collect the debt on your behalf. Give it:

  • the client’s details and the unpaid invoice
  • the contract or accepted quote, plus the client’s approval of the completed work
  • the reminders you have sent and any replies
  • details of payments already received and any payment arrangements.

A written agreement and confirmation that the client accepted the work help show why the money is owed. Arrange these before invoicing. See our guide to client contracts.

Check what the agency will charge you, including if it cannot recover the money. Its fee to you is not the same as the collection costs it can claim from the client. Tell the agency immediately if the client pays you directly.

4. The agency sends a payment demand

The agency sends the client a formal demand showing the unpaid debt, any late payment interest and collection costs. The client can pay, request a payment plan or explain why they dispute the invoice.

This is voluntary collection: the agency is trying to obtain payment without court proceedings. It cannot seize the client’s money or property itself.

If the client bought the service for personal use, the agency can send its demand only after the overdue invoice has been followed up with a reminder and at least 14 full days have elapsed since that reminder was sent. Business debts follow different rules. See KKV’s explanation of consumer debt collection.

A consumer must also have at least ten days to pay or raise an objection after receiving the letter. Allow for delivery time on top of that. This also matters when setting the response deadline in your reminder. See KKV’s decision on the timing of collection letters (in Finnish).

5. Decide whether to take the claim to court

If the money still does not arrive, you may consider legal collection. You can bring a claim for payment before a Finnish district court yourself or use an authorised representative. The client has an opportunity to respond.

An ordinary invoice for work or services generally needs a court judgment before it can be enforced. Court action is not automatic. First weigh the amount owed against the legal costs and the client’s ability to pay. Oikeus.fi explains debt cases.

Allow for court proceedings to take months. In 2025, summary civil cases, a category that includes undisputed debt claims, took an average of 3.7 months. That is a historical average, not a forecast for your invoice. See Table 11 of the Finnish Courts’ 2025 financial statements (in Finnish).

6. Apply for enforcement after the judgment

Once you have a judgment, you or your authorised representative can apply for enforcement. The judgment does not start enforcement proceedings by itself.

Finland’s enforcement authority, Ulosottolaitos, sends the client a demand for payment. If they do not pay, the authority can recover money from their income or assets within the limits set by law. See its explanation of how enforcement begins.

The payment deadline is normally about two weeks after the demand is sent. This is the client’s payment window, not a promise that you will receive the money within two weeks of applying. See the authority’s guidance on its demand for payment.

If there is no income or property from which the debt can be recovered, the authority may return the case to you because the client lacks means. Neither a collection agency nor a judgment guarantees that you will get paid. Read the authority’s guidance on the end of enforcement.

What if the client disputes the invoice?

Ask them to explain their objection in writing and address the disagreement. Voluntary collection must stop if they dispute the obligation to pay on grounds that could affect that obligation. Inform the agency as well. The dispute may need mediation or a court decision. This rule comes from section 4 b of Finland’s Debt Collection Act (in Finnish).

Was the invoice issued through Bisse without your own Finnish Business ID? Contact Bisse support first and agree on reminders and next steps. Do not independently send the same invoice to another collector or change its payment details.

Ready to invoice for your work? Explore Bisse’s invoicing service or register with Bisse.fi.

Official sources

Published on 14 October 2026.

Share:
Back to Articles

More articles

View all articles »