What is a victim surcharge?

A victim surcharge is a payment collected from offenders to fund support services for victims of crime. According to Section 1 of the Act on the Victim Surcharge, “The purpose of the Act is to strengthen the state funding allocated to victim support services by an amount corresponding to the revenue from victim surcharges.”

The Finnish Parliament adopted the Act on the Victim Surcharge in spring 2015. The victim surcharge entered into force in Finland on 1 December 2016 and was increased at the beginning of 2026.

The victim surcharge is imposed for offences for which the most severe statutory penalty is imprisonment. The surcharge is 60 euros if the maximum penalty is imprisonment for up to six months. For more serious offences, the surcharge is 120 euros. For legal persons (such as companies, associations or public authorities), the victim surcharge is 1,200 euros. The surcharge is not imposed if it would exceed the amount of the fine ordered to be paid by the offender. It is also not imposed on persons under 18 years of age.

In practice, the victim surcharge is imposed for offences laid down in the Criminal Code of Finland. The single most common offence subject to the surcharge is endangering traffic safety. The surcharge is not imposed for speeding offences that result in a summary fine, nor for other traffic violations under the Road Traffic Act, even if day fines are issued.

A victim surcharge is in place in many EU countries, including Sweden, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Lithuania, Poland and Belgium. The European Commission has recommended its introduction in Member States to finance the general victim support services required under the Victims’ Rights Directive.