King Felipe and Queen Letizia start state visit to Finland

King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain have started their three-day state visit to Finland.

It is King Felipe and Queen Letizia’s first state visit to Finland. The state visit represents an opportunity to strengthen relations between Finland and Spain as both are partners in the European Union and allies in NATO. They are accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares.

The visit began in Helsinki with a meeting with the Spanish community residing in Finland. Over 3,800 Spanish people are registered as residents in Finland, although there are expected to be more unregistered Spanish people as well.

There is a strong relationship in tourism; in 2025, 216,000 Spaniards visited Finland, while almost 600,00 Finns travelled to Spain.

Photo: © Casa de S.M. el Rey

During the meeting with the community, King Felipe addressed the Spanish residents in Finland, emphasising that “… your presence here is not just about living and working in Finland: it’s about explaining and sharing Spain, and at the same time, getting to know this country and bringing Finland and Spain closer together. It has often been said that those who leave their homeland end up being its best representatives. You, in your work, in your families, in the classrooms, in the laboratories, in the companies, and in all the relationships you establish here, bring Spain to Finland every day …”