Registration in the Finnish Population Register Centre

All Finnish citizens living abroad have the duty to inform and update the Register Centres in Finland of all amendments and changes regarding their personal details. These include children born abroad, marriage, change of name, change of address etc.

Registration of birth

A Finnish citizen born abroad should be registered via the consulate section with the following documents:

• A fully completed registration form (PDF-form).

      Notification of a Finnish Citizen Born Outside Finland

• The original and Apostille legalised birth certificate issued by the British authorities. The full version of the certificate which also states the parents’ names. Please note! Any certificate of registration issued by the British authorities must be legalised (an ‘Apostille Certificate’) by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.Registration cannot be made in the Finnish population data system without an Apostille certificate.

            For more information on legalisation: Foreign and Commonwealth Office

• Photocopies of the parents’ passports.

The registration form and all the required documents listed above should be delivered to the Embassy Consular Section by post for the authentication of the attached documents and for sending then to the Local Register Office in Finland. Also, attach a prepaid Special Delivery envelope in order to return all the original documents.

Each part of the form should be filled in carefully and signed. When a child’s birth is being registered, all dual or multiple nationalities should be entered on the form. Only one mother tongue can be entered in the register system.

The registration process and the authenticating of documents is free of charge. The registration is processed at the Local Register Office in Finland. All the related enquiries should be done directly to them.

Local Register Offices

Registration of marriage or civil partnership

A Finnish citizen married abroad should register the marriage via the consulate section with the following documents:

• A fully completed registration form (PDF-form).

       Notification of a Marriage of a Finnish Citizen Outside Finland

       Notification of a Civil Partnership Registered Outside Finland

• The original and Apostille legalised marriage certificate issued by the British authorities. Please note! Any certificate of registration issued by the British authorities must be legalised (an ‘Apostille certificate’) by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Registration cannot be made in the Finnish population data system without an Apostille certificate.

            For more information on legalisation: Foreign and Commonwealth Office

• Photocopies of both spouse's/partners’ passports.

The registration form and all the required documents listed above should be delivered to the Embassy Consular Section by post for the authentication of the attached documents and for sending then to the Local Register Office in Finland. Also, attach a prepaid Special Delivery envelope in order to return all the original documents.

Each part of the form should be filled in carefully and signed. In case one's surname changes after the marriage, you should  inform of this on the same registration form. If one intends to change their surname after civil partnership one should also do a official name change.

The registration process and the authenticating of documents is free of charge. The registration is processed at the Local Register Office in Finland. All the related enquiries should be done directly to them.

Local Register Offices

Registration of death

A Finnish citizen deceased abroad should be registered via the consulate section with the following documents:

• A fully completed registration form (PDF-form).

          Notification of a Finnish Citizen Deceased Outside Finland

• The original and Apostille legalised death certificate issued by the British authorities. Please note! Any certificate of registration issued by the British authorities must be legalised (an ‘Apostille certificate’) by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Registration cannot be made in the Finnish population data system without an Apostille certificate.

            For more information on legalisation: Foreign and Commonwealth Office

• Photocopy of the passport.

The registration form and all the required documents listed above should be delivered to the Embassy Consular Section by post for the authentication of the attached documents and for sending then to the Local Register Office in Finland. Also, attach a prepaid Special Delivery envelope in order to return all the original documents.

Each part of the form should be filled in carefully and signed.

The registration process and the authenticating of documents is free of charge. The registration is processed at the Local Register Office in Finland. All the related enquiries should be done directly to them.

Local Register Offices

Registration of divorce

A Finnish citizen divorced abroad should register the divorce with the following documents:

• Original certificate of divorce (decree absolute) or a certified copy with an EU certificate (Certificate referred to in Article 39 of Council Regulation (EC) No. 2201/2203 of November 2003 concerning judgments in matrimonial matters). 

If the EU certificate is missing it is necessary to have:

• Original certificate of divorce (decree absolute) or a certified copy with an official Finnish or Swedish translation.
• Both the certificate and the translation should be apostille legalised.

 For more information on legalisation: Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Change of address

A Finnish citizen living abroad should fill in a change of address form and send it straight to the Finnish registry office system using the secure electronic link given below. No authentication by the Consular Section is required.

 Change of address form

Providing personal details in crisis situations

In a crisis situation, a Finnish mission will continue operating and prepare to provide the assistance laid down in the Consular Services Act. This assistance also applies to Finns living abroad. Assistance primarily means protecting a person’s life and health; protecting private property, on the other hand, is not the mission’s responsibility.

In a crisis, it is easier for the mission to provide help if it has contact data on all the Finns living in its area of operation. Provision of personal data is voluntary, and information obtained is always treated as confidential in accordance with the law on data protection and the Consular Services Act.

The easiest way is to submit travel notification via this Ministry for Foreign Affairs link:

Travel Notification

Change in the pension taxation of Finns living abroad

The pensions of Finns resident abroad are now being taxed as if they lived in Finland. As of 2006, their tax rates, deductions and tax declaration method have been the same as for pensioners resident in Finland instead of the final 35 per cent source tax previously usually levied on pensions paid to people resident abroad.

More details: The Finnish Tax Administration