Finland's 72-hour home supply (kotivara)
Finnish households are asked to keep enough supplies to manage on their own for at least 3 days (72 hours), with at least 2 litres of drinking water per person per day. The list is in the national preparedness guide on Suomi.fi.
Three days, in Finland's words
The guide puts it plainly: "Suositus on varata tarvikkeita sen verran, että sinä ja muut taloudessasi asuvat pärjäävät niiden avulla ainakin 3 vuorokautta." In English: the recommendation is to store enough supplies that you and the others in your household can manage with them for at least 3 days.
It calls that stock kotivara, the home supply. Three days gives the authorities time to get the situation under control, the guide says, and it treats the figure as a starting point that serves well in many situations. The Ministry of the Interior launched the guide on Suomi.fi in November 2024. We read it on 11 November 2026.
The figures at a glance
Five numbers from the Finnish guide.
| What | Finland's figure |
|---|---|
| How long | At least 3 days (72 hours) |
| Drinking water | At least 2 litres per person per day |
| Water for 3 days | 6 litres per person, more for cooking and pets |
| Iodine tablets | For anyone aged 40 or under, and pregnant or breastfeeding women |
| Emergency number | 112, the only one in Finland |
Source: Suomi.fi preparedness guide and its water page. Checked 11 Nov 2026.
The kotivara checklist
Eleven items, in the order the guide gives them.
- Bottled water, and clean containers with lids to store more.
- Food you can eat as it is or make easily, the kind you already use day to day.
- A radio that runs on batteries or otherwise without mains power.
- A lamp or other light that works without mains power.
- A charged power bank.
- Essential medicines for a little longer than usual.
- Iodine tablets, if anyone at home is 40 or under, pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Hygiene supplies for keeping clean without water.
- A small amount of cash.
- Duct tape for sealing windows and vents.
- Food and water for pets.
Drinking water for a family of four
24 litres
Three days at Finland's figure
The guide counts at least 2 litres of drinking water per person per day. Keep some extra for cooking and for pets.
Drinking water for your household
People times 2 litres times 3 days.
| People | Per day | 3 days |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 L | 6 L |
| 2 | 4 L | 12 L |
| 3 | 6 L | 18 L |
| 4 | 8 L | 24 L |
| 5 | 10 L | 30 L |
| 6 | 12 L | 36 L |
Drinking water only, at 2 litres per person per day (Suomi.fi). Cooking, washing and pets come on top. The water calculator adds them for your home.
If the water is cut off or unsafe
The guide's water page covers both cases.
01Before: store it
- Keep ready-to-drink water in the home supply. The guide calls that the best choice.
- Have clean containers with lids, or buckets, for carrying and storing water.
Source: Suomi.fi
02When the water looks wrong
- Don't use water with an unusual colour, smell or taste.
- Report it to your local water utility.
- Under a boil-water notice, the water is fine to drink once boiled.
Source: Suomi.fi
03Under a usage ban
- Stop using the tap water completely.
- Tape the tap shut and add a warning label so no one uses it by mistake.
Source: Suomi.fi
04When it comes back
- Run the tap until the water is clear before you use it again.
- Until then, wash with stored water, wet wipes or hand sanitiser.
Source: Suomi.fi
Questions people ask
How many days of supplies does Finland recommend?
At least 3 days, which the guide also writes as at least 72 hours.
How much water per person in Finland?
At least 2 litres of drinking water a day, so 6 litres each for three days. A family of four needs 24 litres to drink.
What is kotivara?
The Finnish word for a home supply: water, food, medicines and other essentials kept at home so the household can cope through a disruption.
Who should have iodine tablets?
Households with anyone aged 40 or under, or anyone pregnant or breastfeeding.
Where can I test my own supply?
The Suomi.fi guide links to 72tuntia.fi, run by the Finnish National Rescue Association (SPEK), which has a home-supply self-test.
Read next
Sources
- Suomi.fi: Yleisohjeet varautumiseen, kotivaraan sekä häiriöissä ja kriiseissä toimimiseen The 3 days, the kotivara checklist and 112. Checked 11 Nov 2026.
- Suomi.fi: Vesikatko ja veden saastuminen At least 2 litres of drinking water per person per day.
- Suomi.fi: Muistilista
- Ministry of the Interior (valtioneuvosto.fi): Väestön varautumista häiriöihin ja kriiseihin ohjeistetaan uudella oppaalla Launch of the guide, 18 Nov 2024.