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Registration of a foreigner

 

Registration of personal data and personal identity code 

If you are a foreign citizen and move to Finland on a permanent basis, you will be registered in the Finnish Population Information System if the other requirements for entry into the register are met. If you move to Finland only for a short period of time, you can be registered if this is deemed necessary. The general condition for your registration is that your residence in Finland is lawful.

Your key personal data is registered into the Finnish Population Information System to make them available for such purposes as organisation of elections, taxation, healthcare, judicial administration and statistics. This information includes your name, date of birth, gender, native language and nationality, as well your address in Finland. Such information as place of birth, marital status, children, parents, spouse and custody of children may also be registered.

In connection with the registration, you will be issued a Finnish personal identity code, with the help of which authorities can check your personal data in the Finnish Population Information System. You need the personal identity code, when you have transactions with Finnish authorities and sometimes with private companies as well.

Read more about the personal identity code here: http://www.maistraatti.fi/fi/Palvelut/kotikunta_ja_vaestotiedot/Henkilotunnus/

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Request for registration of personal data and personal visit 

You must request for registration in person by visiting the proper authorities. If your whole family is registered, all family members must be present in person.

You can request for a personal identity code:

If you visit the local register office, you can also have your address entered into the Finnish Population Information System during the same visit. If your personal identity code was issued by some other authority than the local register office and you want to have your place of residence registered, you must always visit a local register office as well.

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Temporary address 

If your residence in Finland is only temporary and you are not entitled to a place of residence, the local register office may register your temporary address in the Finnish Population Information System if the requirements for the registration are met in other respects. If you already have a Finnish personal identity code, you can notify your temporary address by filing a notification of move.

https://www.posti.fi/muuttoilmoitus/

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Place of residence  

Your place of residence and permanent home address in Finland can be entered into the register subject to certain conditions. You need a place of residence to be able to access the services that municipalities provide to their own inhabitants only. You sometimes also need a place of residence to be able to use services provided by state authorities, or to be granted financial benefits or support.

When specific conditions are met, you can have your place of residence and address registered as your permanent home address if you intend to live in Finland for at least one year. Depending on your nationality, the following requirements may also apply:

  • if you are a citizen of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you must first register your right of residence at the Finnish Immigration Service.
  • if you are a citizen of other than EU or Nordic countries, you must have a permit entitling you to a continuous or permanent residence in Finland. If you have a valid residence permit entitling you to a temporary residence of at least one year, or the B residence permit, you will be assigned a place of residence only if you can prove that you intend to stay in Finland on a permanent basis. You can prove this, for example, in the following ways:
    • by presenting an employment contract or student certificate according to which your employment or studies in Finland continue for at least two years
    • by presenting genealogy records according to which you are of Finnish descent
    • by reporting that you have had a place of residence in Finland earlier and that this data is visible in the Finnish Population Information System
    • by presenting an account of having lived in Finland continuously for at least one year since you migrated to Finland 

Regardless of your nationality, you are entitled to having your place of residence registered, provided that your residence in Finland is lawful, a member of your family has a place of residence in Finland, and you intend to live in Finland for at least one year.

  • the member of family refers to:
    • your spouse or your registered partner
    • your minor children you have custody of
    • your live-in partner if you have lived in a cohabitation relationship similar to marriage for at least two years, or you have a joint custody of a common child.
  • your children of full age are regarded as family members only in the exceptional case that you have been effectively responsible for their welfare and livelihood. The same applies to your parents if you are of age yourself.

If you are a citizen of another Nordic country, for having a place of residence registered it suffices that you intend to live in Finland for at least one year.

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Moving between Nordic countries

As regards moving between the Nordic countries, or Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark (incl. the Faroe Islands and Greenland), the agreement between Nordic countries concerning the registration of citizens shall apply.

The purpose of the agreement is to guarantee that all individuals moving between the Nordic countries would only be registered in the population register of one country at a time and, on the other hand, that the person moving would not drop out of a population register altogether. The local register authorities of the country of arrival decide on the requirements for registration applied in each case.

If you move from another Nordic country to Finland, you must visit a local register office in person to notify the authorities about your migration no later than one week from the date of move.

Required documents

When you request for registration, remember to bring the following documents with you:

  • a valid passport or an official photo identification card of an EU citizen
  • a residence permit card or other proof of lawful residence in Finland
  • the registration certificate of the right of residence of an EU citizen if you have moved to live in Finland and you want to have a place of residence registered
  • if necessary, a certificate of employment or studies performed in Finland (e.g. an employment contract or a certificate of enrolment issued by an educational institution)
  • if necessary, legalised and translated birth certificates; marital status, marriage or divorce certificates; death certificates and any other official documents that you wish the local register office would enter into the Finnish Population Information System
    • original documents issued by foreign authorities must be legalised. If the issuing country has joined the Hague Convention, the document must be attached with an Apostille Certificate. Information about the Hague Convention and the list of signatories to the convention can be found at: http://hcch.e-vision.nl/index_en.php?act=conventions.authorities&cid=41
    • If the issuing country is not a signatory to the Hague Convention mentioned above, the original document shall be submitted to the foreign ministry of the country in question, which will legally certify that it has been issued by a proper authority. After this the document is sent to a Finnish mission, which, for its part, legalises the document by attaching a certificate of the competence of that foreign ministry official to issue such certificates.

    Important further information on legalisation and translation requirements can be found here: http://www.maistraatti.fi/fi/Palvelut/ohjeita_ulkosuomalaisille/Ohjeita-ulkosuomalaisille/

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Forms

For registration, you must fill in the registration information form of a foreigner. Preferably, fill in the form in advance.

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