- Certificates
- Updating customer registers
- Sampling and analysis services
- Search services of the Population Information System
- Local Register Office Register search services
- Extracts from registers
- Maintaining the Population Information System
- Suomi.fi services
- Services to promote digitalisation
- Digital security services
- Services of notary public
- Certification of purchase
- Right to officiate weddings
- E-services
Benefits of electronic signature
By using an electronic signature, you can avoid additional printing, scanning and mailing of paper. Electronic signature makes everyday life easier and offers a modern way of confirming the signatory's identity.
Electronic signatures are typically used in PDF documents, such as contracts or orders. It is also possible to sign other types of documents and, for example, e-mails or data files electronically.
Why is it a good idea to use electronic signature?
Electronic signature is reliable
Electronic signatures made using the tools provided by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency are reliable. They guarantee the origin, integrity and indisputability of the signed information.
An advanced electronic signature gives the parties certainty:
- about who signed the document
- that no one has modified the signed information afterwards
- that the signatory cannot deny having made the signature or claim that changes have been made to the document afterwards.
Independent of location and time
An electronic signature can be made anywhere and at any time. Especially as remote work is increasing, it is important that documents can also be signed remotely instead of the signatories having to be present at the office.
Location independence is useful especially when the same document must be signed by several persons. The signatories do not need to agree on meeting in the same place but can all sign the document wherever they are.
Fast and cost-effective
Signing a document electronically is almost as fast as signing it on paper, but time is saved especially in the handling of the document:
Affairs can be managed faster when the documents no longer need to be scanned or printed and sent as paper mail.
The document can be saved in a location where the right persons can access it if necessary.
It only takes a moment to send an electronic document to the recipient. If you send the signed document to the recipient by email, remember to take data security into account. If necessary, use encrypted email.
Less paper – an environmentally friendly choice
An electronically signed document is also processed electronically. The document does not need to be printed, so there is no need to consider its physical storage. Various electronic workspace solutions can be used to ensure that the document can be stored safely for a long period of time. Reducing the amount of paper is also an environmentally friendly choice.
No scanning – the text remains machine-readable
As the document does not need to be scanned between the signatures, the text of the document remains machine-readable. When the content of the document is machine-readable, it can also be read by screen reading software and is therefore accessible. This is useful when the documents are archived and processed as searches can targeted at the content of the documents.
Method of signing across borders
Electronic signature is also a fast and efficient method when documents need to be shared across borders, for example in connection with contracts or competitive tendering processes. In the European Union, electronic signature is guided by the EU’s eIDAS Regulation.
A qualified electronic signature (QES) is valid as such in the entire European Union. It is legally binding and indisputable without separate evidence.
Several applications
A frequently identified use case is the electronic signature of a PDF document such as a contract or a decision. However, electronic signature can be used in several different situations, such as email messages, different data files (e.g. installation packages or application updates), the securing of online traffic or block chains.
Signature options offered by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency
Organisation card
An organisation card is a certificate card intended for the employees of organisations. A signature made using the signature certificate of an organisation card is a qualified electronic signature (QES) as
- the signature certificate of the organisation card is eIDAS approved
- the chip in the organisation card is QSCD certified.
QSCD refers to a qualified signature creation device as referred to in Article 29 of the EIDAS Regulation. For example, the chips on the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s newest certificate cards are QSCD-certified devices.
Certificate cards for social welfare and healthcare service providers
Certificate cards for social welfare and healthcare service providers contain a signature certificate. The cards include ID cards for regulated social welfare and healthcare professionals, ID cards for non-regulated workers, ID cards for non-clinical staff and replacement cards. For example, the signature certificate of the ID card for regulated social welfare and healthcare professionals is used by physicians to sign electronic prescriptions.
Certificates and cards for social welfare and healthcare service providers
If you already use a certificate card
If your organisation already uses a certificate card issued by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, you can start to use electronic signature straight away.
- Individuals
- Marriage
- Examination of impediments to marriage
- Marriage ceremony
- Prenuptial agreement
- Notification of a marriage concluded abroad
- Divorce granted abroad
- Registration of the act applicable to the matrimonial property regime
- Registration of a deed of division of property
- Dissolution of cohabitation
- Removal of marital rights to property
- Extracts issued of the register on the right to officiate at weddings
- Having or adopting a child
- Names
- Moving
- Elections and Right to vote
- Suomi.fi Web Service
- Citizen Certificate and electronic identity
- Guardianship
- Continuing power of attorney
- Appointment of a guardian
- Duties of the guardian
- Guardianship for a minor
- Who can act as a guardian?
- Actions that require the permission of the guardianship authority
- Appointing a substitute guardian
- Termination of guardianship
- Giving up the guardian’s task
- Guardianship authority's means of supervision
- Looking after the interests of an absent person or the future owner of the property
- Restrictions to competency and declaration of incompetence
- Extracts from the Register of Guardianship Affairs
- Certificates from the Population Information System
- Population information in the Population Information System
- Registration of a gift notification
- Services of notary public
- Certification of purchase
- Citizens’ initiative
- Death and estate inventory
- Living abroad
- Moving
- Registration of citizenship
- Divorce granted abroad
- Death abroad
- Registration of a child born abroad
- Registration of a name change performed abroad
- Notification of a marriage concluded abroad
- Registration of the act applicable to the matrimonial property regime
- Legalisation of foreign documents
- Notification of retaining Finnish citizenship
- Moving to Finland
- Public Service Info
- Address service
- Forms
- Marriage
- Organisations
- Certificates
- Updating customer registers
- Sampling and analysis services
- Search services of the Population Information System
- Local Register Office Register search services
- Extracts from registers
- Maintaining the Population Information System
- Suomi.fi services
- Services to promote digitalisation
- Digital security services
- Services of notary public
- Certification of purchase
- Right to officiate weddings
- E-services
- About the agency