Ordering a certificate

You can order certificates through the self-service if you are a Finnish citizen, a permanent resident of Finland, or a foreign citizen who has lived in Finland. If you live in Åland, you can only order the examination of impediments to marriage certificate.

To order a certificate, you need a Finnish identification token, such as online banking codes. You can also identify yourself in the service using the electronic identification token (eIDAS) of another EU country. In this case, you will only be able to order a residence certificate or birth certificate for yourself.

What should I do if I cannot order certificates through this service?

Order certificates independently

Before you order a certificate, you can check your current personal data free of charge in the Suomi.fi Web Service on the Personal data page. Depending on the certificate, you can use this service to order the following certificates for yourself, your dependants, or other close relatives:

Birth certificate
Civil status certificate
Examination of impediments to marriage certificate
Life certificate
Marriage certificate
Residence certificate

You can use your birth certificate to give proof of your official date of birth. You may need this certificate, for example, when moving abroad, registering as a resident of another country or registering your dependant in a school or day-care centre abroad. You can order at the same time a certificate both for yourself and your dependants, but the certificate will not include information on the child’s guardians or the parents’ personal identity codes. You get a separate certificate for each individual.

The certificate includes the following information:

Name
Previous names
Date of birth (does not include time)
Municipality of residence at birth
Country of birth
Gender
Citizenship
Current municipality of residence
Your parents’ names, dates of birth, municipalities of residence at birth, countries of birth and nationalities
Your parents’ previous surnames after the age of 15
If you also order an EU translation form, the only previous names the translation shows are the former surnames.
If you were born before 1953, your parents’ personal data might not be in the Population Information System and cannot be included in the certificate.

You can also choose to include the following information on the certificate:

Personal identity code

You can use a civil status certificate to prove your marital status. This certificate shows whether you are married, in a registered partnership, unmarried, divorced or widowed. You can only order a certificate for yourself.

The certificate includes the following information:

Name
Date of birth
Marital status
Municipality of residence

You can also choose to include the following information on the certificate:

Personal identity code

The examination of impediments to marriage is used to verify your right to marry your spouse in Finland or another Nordic country. You will need the examination of impediments to marriage certificate to get married. The certificate is free of charge and valid for 4 months.

The certificate contains the following information about you and your spouse:

First names and surname
Personal identity code or date of birth
Last surname used when not married
Country of residence
Marital status
Number of marriages including this one
Nationality
Surname to be used after the marriage ceremony
Surname jurisdiction and possible legality

Optional information on the certificate:

Information on the completion of confirmation classes arranged by the Evangelical Lutheran Church
Membership in a parish or other religious community

The Marriage Act - A brochure by Ministry of Justice (dvv.fi)Opens in a new window

First, one of you will complete the order in self-service. The other spouse will then receive instructions to their email to verify the order within a week. If we have not received the verification within a week, we will automatically reject the request without a separate notification.

You can use a life certificate to give proof of your basic information and your existence at the certificate’s time of issue. You will only need a life certificate for an estate inventory when the report on family relationships does not indicate that you are alive. You can order at the same time a certificate both for yourself and your dependants, but the certificate will not include information on the child’s guardians. You get a separate certificate for each individual. If you live abroad, you cannot order a life certificate from the Finnish Population Information System because the information on your existence may not be up to date.

The certificate includes the following information:

Confirmation that the person is alive or a statement that it cannot be confirmed whether they are alive or not
Name
Date of birth
Municipality of residence
Permanent address
Information on guardianship or a legal guardianship authorisation, if one is valid

You can also choose to include the following information on the certificate:

Previous names
Personal identity code

You can use a marriage certificate to prove that a marriage is valid in a Finnish register. A marriage certificate may be required, for example, when registering your marriage abroad. You can only order a certificate for yourself. You cannot order a certificate of a marriage that has ended using this service if your marriage has ended in your spouse’s death or a divorce and you need to include the details of your deceased or former spouse on the certificate.

The certificate includes the following information:

Name
Date of birth
Marital status
Address
Municipality of residence
Details of the current marriage
The current spouse’s name and date of birth

You can also choose to include the following information on the certificate:

Previous surnames after the age of 15
Previous surnames of the current spouse after the age of 15
Start and end dates of previous marriages
Personal identity code

You can use a residence certificate to prove your current place of residence. This may be required, for example, when acquiring a parking permit, applying for or terminating a rental contract, dealing with waste disposal, engaging in pastimes that require residence in a certain area or applying for benefits related to such pastimes. You can order at the same time a certificate both for yourself and your dependants, but the certificate will not include information on the child’s guardians. You get a separate certificate for each individual. Your new address is valid from the date which you gave as the moving date in your notification of change of address. Please note that there may be some delay in updating this information to the Population Information System.

The certificate includes the following information:

Name
Date of birth
Permanent address and municipality of residence
Temporary address if it has been entered into the Population Information System
Record of an order of non-disclosure, if one is valid

You can also choose to include the following information on the certificate:

Previous addresses
Previous names after the age of 15
Marital status
Personal identity code

Delivery of the certificate

Certificates from the Population Information System

When you order a certificate from the Population Information System for a Finnish actor or the EU Commission or Parliament, you will be provided with an electronic PDF document. No signature will be added to the certificate, and you cannot add a translation form or an Apostille to it later. You can download the certificate as soon as you have made the payment. You can also order the certificate to Suomi.fi Messages. Certificates will not be delivered by post or, for data protection reasons, by email.

When you order a certificate from the Population Information System for a foreign actor, a paper copy will be mailed to your home address, as most foreign agencies require a signed, physical certificate. Depending on the region where it will be used, you can also order an EU translation form or an Apostille. If the recipient of the certificate is an actor in an EU country, check with the recipient whether they accept electronic or paper certificates. Only the paper certificate contains an official’s signature, and EU translation forms or Apostilles can only be attached to paper certificates. Select an EU authority as the recipient if the recipient accepts electronic certificates.

If you live abroad, you can order certificates from the Population Information System as electronic PDF documents or as paper copies that are mailed to your home address, depending on whether you need a certificate for a Finnish actor or abroad.

Examination of impediments to marriage certificate

The examination of impediments to marriage certificate will be delivered electronically to the Certificate Service page. You will find the certificate on the My orders tab after logging in. The examination of impediments to marriage certificate will be delivered no earlier than 7 days after the order has been confirmed.

Certificate types and price list

You must pay for the certificates online when placing your order. The examination of impediments to marriage certificate is free of charge.

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Certificates from the Population Information System as a self-service