Certification of official competence

A notary public certifies the official competence (authority) of a signatory if the right of the person concerned to act, for example, on behalf of a company or a public authority has to be certified.

When you need to have the competence of the signatory of a document certified, you have to deliver the signed document to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

The right of the signatory of the document to act on behalf of a public authority or a private organisation or the authority of a self-employed person will be examined.

The notary public will check the situation from different registers or directly from the organisation that issued the document. A note confirming the competence will be recorded on the document and the notary public will sign the document.

Do the following

  1. Deliver the document signed by a public authority or a private organisation to one of the offices of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

    You do not need to visit the agency in person, but you can also send the document to the agency by post. 

    Service location addresses

    If you deliver the document personally, book an appointment with a public notary through the appointment service. 

    Appointment services

  2. The right of the signatory of the document to act on behalf of a public authority or a private organisation or the authority of a self-employed person will be examined.

    The notary public will check the situation from different registers or directly from the organisation that issued the document.

  3. A note confirming the competence will be recorded on the document and the notary public will sign the document.

Price

  • 2024: The certification of competence costs EUR 25 per signature.

Processing time

If the notary public is available, you will get the certificate of competence while you wait.

Links to laws related to the matter

Act on Notaries Public (in Finnish)

Frequently asked questions

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