Civil Status Matters 

Population registration

The Population Register Centre develops and controls the registration, maintenance and delivery of population information together with the local register offices. It is responsible for the national information services and permit decisions relating thereto. Information services are developed and tailored to meet the needs of the customers.

Please remember to keep your personal information up to date, this will facilitate in voting, birth, marriage, citizenship etc. issues.

Local register offices

In order for the Registry Office in Finland to submit personal information (such as births, marriages, deaths etc.) to the population registry system, they require the paperwork to have an Apostille authentication.

Birth

In order to register a child born in the United States (to Finnish parents/ Finnish parent) to the population registry in Finland, you need to send the Embassy in Washington DC, the Consulate General in New York or Los Angeles consular section the following:

• the "birth registration" form filled out AND signed by custodian(s)
  http://www.suomi.fi/suomifi/english/eservices/forms/maist_vrk175/index.html

• certified birth certificate with an Apostille authentication
  (PLEASE NOTE: A notarized document does not qualify as Apostille authentication.)

The Finnish Embassy in Washington DC, the Consulate General in New York or Los Angeles will forward the documents to the Population Register's Office in Finland. The registration process takes approx. 2-3 weeks.

Please remember that prior to this your marriage should also be registered in Finland.

If only the father is a Finnish citizen and the parents are not married, the child cannot be registered as a Finnish citizen before an acknowledgment of paternity and a citizenship declaration has been made. Please contact the Embassy in Washington DC or the Consulate Generals in New York or Los Angeles regarding this.

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Marriage

To register your marriage to the population registry in Finland, please send the Embassy in Washington DC, the Consulate General in New York or Los Angeles the following:

• "marriage registration" form filled out AND signed by Finnish citizen
  http://www.suomi.fi/suomifi/english/eservices/forms/maist_vrk176/index.html

• certified marriage certificate with an Apostille authentication (PLEASE NOTE: A notarized document does not qualify as Apostille authentication.)

If both spouses are Finnish citizens, both have to fill out their own marriage registration form.

The Finnish Embassy in Washington DC, Consulate General in New York or Los Angeles will forward the documents to the Population Register Center's Office in Finland. The registration process takes approx. 2-3 weeks.

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Death

To register a death of a Finnish or former Finnish citizen to the population registry in Finland, please send the Embassy in Washington DC, the Consulate General in New York or Los Angeles the following:

•  "death registration" form filled out AND signed by informant
  http://www.suomi.fi/suomifi/english/eservices/forms/maist_vrk177/index.html

• certified death certificate with an Apostille authentication 
  (PLEASE NOTE: A notarized document does not qualify as Apostille authentication.)

The Finnish Embassy in Washington DC, Consulate General in New York or Los Angeles will forward the documents to the Population Register Center's Office in Finland. The registration process takes approx. 2-3 weeks.

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Address change

Please remember to keep your personal information up to date at the Population Registry (Local Register Office) in Finland. This will facilitate in voting, birth, marriage, passport, military service, crisis situations etc. issues.

The Population Registry (Local Register Office) in Finland, maistraatti

When a Finnish citizen changes address while living abroad, he/she should inform the Local Register Office either with the address change form, by letter or electronically online. The notification can also be submitted to the nearest Finnish Embassy or Consulate.

Download the change of address form from the suomi.fi website, fill it out and send it to the local registry office in Finland.

 or

Fill in a change of address form and send it straight to the Finnish registry office system using the secure electronic link given above. No authentication by the Consular Section is required.

change of address form

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Personal data check

Finnish citizens can check their personal information from the Finnish population registry free of charge once a year.

To check your personal information please fill out the request form called "Tarkastusoikeuden käyttäminen" and send it to your local magistrate office of the municipality of your most recent residence in Finland.

Tarkastusoikeuden käyttäminen (PDF, 120 kt)

Magistrate

The registry office will send back an extract from the population registry with the personal information that they have on you.

In case you do not know which your local magistrate office is, please mail the request form to the registry office in Vaasa

Vaasan maistraatti
Pietarsaaren palveluyksikkö
Kauppiaankatu 8
PL 26
68601 PIETARSAARI
Finland

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Apostille authentication

In order for the Registry Office in Finland to submit any personal information (such as birth, marriage, death, Finnish social security number etc.) to the population registry system, they require all paperwork to have an Apostille authentication.

The US Department of State is responsible for providing authentication service to U.S. citizens and foreign nationals on all US documents that will be used overseas.

PLEASE NOTE: A notarized document does not qualify as Apostille authentication.

Information on where to obtain an Apostille authentication in the US:

• contact the appropriate State Authentication Authority for State-issued documents (for example: certified death, birth or marriage certificates)
  
  State Authentication Authority for State-issued documents
  http://www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=authorities.details&aid=353(scroll down to find the appropriate authority for the state that issued the document) 
• contact the US Department of State Authentication Office in Washington DC for documents that have been signed by a federal official with the official Seal of that agency, American Consular Officer, Military Notary or Foreign Consul (for example: the US naturalization document that has been certified by the Department of Homeland Security)
  
  http://www.state.gov/m/a/auth/index.htm

More information on the Hague Convention and Apostille authentications can be obtained at http://www.hcch.net

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