Åland Post today announces the 2026 postage stamp programme, spanning six issue dates and featuring motifs that reflect Åland’s nature, culture and contemporary life. “The 2026 stamp year takes you on a journey through art and storytelling, where each stamp offers a window into Åland and the world. The motifs portray our island realm in the past, present and future – from nature and culture to personal stories and current events. We are especially proud to present former President of Finland, Sauli Niinistö’s personal Åland stamp. Five debuting artists join established names from Åland, Finland and Sweden, bringing together fresh perspectives and familiar artistic voices”, says Johanna Finne, Head of Design at Åland Post Stamps.
4 February 2026
The same day sees the conclusion of the three-year stamp series featuring Åland boathouses. The final two stamps portray boathouses that are more than just boat storage – they are also places for creativity and social life. One stamp shows a distinctive brown boathouse with a red roof and blue details, designed and built by its owner Göran Sundblom in the early 2000s. The other features a yellow boathouse overlooking the water, where owner Magnus Lundberg has installed a height-adjustable deck to create a gathering place for family and friends – for both pizza nights and crayfish parties. Åland photographer Kjell Söderlund shot the stamp images.
18 March 2026
Europe’s small postal administrations highlight iconic landmarks in the Sepac 2026 stamp series. The Åland stamp features the sailing ship Pommern in Mariehamn’s western harbour, one of Åland’s best-known sights and a proud symbol of the islands’ maritime heritage. First-time stamp artist Moein Eshghi has photographed the museum ship in its serene winter repose.
On the same day, a new stamp is issued in the Open Edition series, where an artist is given creative freedom to design a stamp based on their own idea and vision. Åland visual artist Lin Simons captures in her stamp Summer shimmer a late-summer evening at the summer cottage, when the air is alive with shimmering dragonflies. The motif portrays the emerald damselfly (Lestes sponsa).
The third stamp of the day draws attention to the financial services sector. Åland illustrator Elin Eriksson has interpreted the theme, inspired by Åland fintech company Enfuce, which has grown into an international player in digital card payments.
8 May 2026
We celebrate the Europa stamp series’ 70th anniversary with two commemorative stamps. To mark the occasion, PostEurop, the association of European postal operators, organised a design competition among its members to create a joint motif. Posti Finland won the competition with a design by visual artist Klaus Welp. The stylised perforated line in the motif symbolises the collaboration among Europe’s postal services over seven decades.
Åland Post also issues its own design contribution for the 70th anniversary. The illustration by Tzenko Stoyanov pays tribute to Europe’s diversity and unity, highlighting how postal services connect people across the world.
The same day sees the release of Island weather, this year’s stamp booklet, featuring stamps in three different formats. Life on an island means living close to the shifting moods and forces of the weather. Finnish visual artist and designer Aino-Maija Metsola – herself an islander – makes her stamp debut for Åland Post with four motifs depicting thick mist, pouring rain, a sunset at sea, and meadow plants swaying in the wind.
9 June 2026
On this day, the Åland Photography Museum celebrates its 25th anniversary with a miniature sheet designed by renowned stamp artist Martin Mörck. The museum holds one of Europe’s largest collections of photographic equipment and showcases the evolution of photographic technology – from the first photograph to today’s digital era. The miniature sheet features some of the historical objects from the museum’s unique collection, along with Olle and Benita Strömberg, the museum’s founders.
The same day also sees the release of a new postal stationery series, Art Classics. The card motifs were selected in collaboration with the Åland Art Museum and present classic paintings with Åland motifs by artists Ellen Favorin (1853–1919), Elin Danielson (1861–1919), Hanna Rönnberg (1862–1946), and Tove Jansson (1914–2001).
21 September 2026
On the International Day of Peace, we are delighted to issue former President of Finland Sauli Niinistö’s personal stamp in the My Åland series. The President chose security as the theme for his stamp, interpreted by art photographer Christoffer Relander. The stamp depicts a scenic view from Bomarsund, in Åland, and a child embraced by two hands, a visual metaphor for the bond between people and place, symbolising safety, closeness and protection. Within the silhouette, a white dove also appears, representing peace, freedom and hope.
The second issue of the day dives beneath the surface to highlight microalgae, vital to Earth’s oxygen production. The stamp features one of the Baltic Sea’s most important algae, the diatom Chaetoceros wighamii, photographed at approximately 400× magnification by Finnish aquatic researcher Tore Lindholm using an inverted microscope with phase-contrast optics.
23 October 2026
The final issue of the year features motifs for winter and Christmas greetings. Under the theme Winter Dreams, Åland–Latvian artist Juta Policja has created three tranquil winter landscapes in oil. One stamp shows a bullfinch resting on a rowan branch, while another depicts a fox quietly moving through the snow. For the first time, a self-adhesive miniature sheet is also released, featuring a third motif centred on a deer. The issue is complemented by a sheet of Christmas seals for decorating letters and parcels.
The stamps become available to order in the webshop approximately one month prior to the respective date of issue: www.alandstamps.com/en.