A certificate of the right granted by the Finnish legislation to enter a marriage in a foreign country 

The examination of impediments to marriage is carried out in the country where you are married. In general, both you and your spouse must prove that neither have a valid marriage or a registered partnership. You can ask us to give you a certificate that certifies that the Finnish legislation gives you the right to enter into the marriage.  

Each country has its own requirements as to what documents are required for examining the impediments or concluding a marriage in that country. Check the country where the marriage ceremony takes place to see if the certificate must be legalised and translated. Also determine whether you need any other documents, such as a birth certificate.  

The examination of the impediments to marriage that we have provided is acceptable in other Nordic countries as such. So if you are going to marry in another Nordic country, you only have to ask for an examination once: either from us or from the authority of the wedding country. The examination carried out in another Nordic country is also acceptable as such in Finland. If the examination is carried out by us, please use the form Request - Marriage in Finland or another Nordic Country. If the examination is carried out in a wedding state, please use the form Request - wedding abroad. 

The certificate we provide is valid for four months.  

When you request a certificate from us, you can also request an EU standard form or an Apostille certificate. Both the standard form and the Apostille are subject to a fee. Check their necessity in the country of the marriage ceremony. 

Are your data in the Population Information System? 

Your information required for the certificate will be checked in the Population Information System. The key information needed is the marital status of the couple, which ensures that you do not have a valid marriage or a registered partnership.  

If you have doubts that your marital status has not been entered in the Population Information System or that it is entered incorrectly, check your marital status from the Check your data service or contact us. 

If your marital status information does not exist in the Population Information System, you must prove your marital status with an appropriate certificate. You can request a certificate of your marital status from the embassy or consulate of your state of residence/citizenship. In such a case, the certificate does not have to be legalised. You can also request a certificate of marital status from the Population Register Authorities of your state of residence/citizenship. In most cases, the document must be translated and legalised. See our instructions for the legalisation of documents.  

After the marriage ceremony 

Finnish citizens and those living in Finland must notify us of a marriage concluded abroad so that we can register the information in the Finnish Population Information System. Read more about reporting a marriage abroad.

Do as follows