Certification of purchase

If you are buying, selling, giving as a gift or exchanging immovable property, you will need the services of a public purchase witness, an attesting notary.

If you are buying, selling, giving as a gift or exchanging immovable property, such as a plot, you will need the services of a public purchase witness, an attesting notary. The attesting notary will certify the transfer of the property.

In some situations, you can sign a deed of sale in the electronic service of the National Land Survey of Finland instead of using an attesting notary.

When the property is transferred, both parties and the attesting notary must be present at the same time. The attesting notary will verify the identity of the parties and confirm that the deed of transfer is formally correct. The parties will then sign the deed of transfer in at least three copies.

Do the following

• Digital and Population Data Services Agency always ensures certification of purchase at their location. You can also search for a public purchase witness in the National Land Survey's (in Finnish and Swedish) purchase witness search for purchases taking place elsewhere.
• Make an appointment with the attesting notary in advance  
  • by email: Use the secure mail of the agency to send the email so that your data remains encrypted. Select [email protected] as the recipient in the secure mail. Send the email as a secure email. 
  • by phone: ask for a purchase witness at 0295 536 000 (DVV switchboard).
• Both parties have to be present when the certification of the purchase takes place or a person authorised to represent a party must present a special power of attorney.
• The attesting notary will verify the identity of the parties and confirm that the deed of transfer is formally correct.
• After this, the parties sign the deed of transfer in at least three copies.

Frequently asked questions