Changing forename

Everyone must have at least one and no more than four forenames. Names combined with a hyphen are also considered as one name.  

You can change your forename in Finland, if  

• you live in Finland and your data has been entered in the Finnish Population Information System. 
• you are a Finnish citizen and live abroad outside Norway, Sweden and Denmark. If you live in Norway, Sweden or Denmark and would like to change your name, please contact the authorities in your country of residence. 

You can apply for a change of forename with us when you want to 

• change your forenames 
• change the order of your forenames 
• add or remove forenames 
• add or remove a hyphen in your forename. 

The initial letter in the name must be a capital and the other letters cannot be capitals (for example, Anne and Riitta-Liisa will be accepted, but not ANNE or Riitta-liisa). When writing the name on the application, remember to make a clear distinction between the letters that should be in upper case and those that should be in lower case. 

Change of name abroad 

You do not need to submit an application for a name change to us if you have had your forename changed by a decision of the authorities of another country. Instead, you can ask us to record your new name free of charge. 

How to notify us of a name that has been changed abroad 

Notification and change of your child's name 

If your child's name has not yet been recorded in the Population Information System, it is a matter of notification of the child's personal details. Instead of submitting an application for a name change, notify us of the personal details of your child according to the instructions on a different page.  

The name of a minor child entered in the Population Information System can be changed using the instructions on this page. 

Do the following

Select the most suitable way for you to submit an application for a name change:

1. Electronic name change service

You can only submit an application for yourself in our electronic service if you live permanently in mainland Finland and are an adult.  

Strong identification is required for using the service. Please also note that the processing fee is paid when submitting the application.

Name change service

2. Online form

Use the online form to submit your application, if  

• You are applying for a name change in connection with confirmation of gender
• you are a minor and you have online banking IDs 
• you are applying for a name change for your minor child 
• you are applying for a change of name for several family members at the same time 
• you cannot submit an application in the electronic name change service for any other reason.  

Strong identification is required for using the service.

We will send you an invoice in approximately 1-2 weeks primarily to the Suomi.fi Messages -service. If you do not have Suomi.fi Messages -service in use, the invoice will be mailed. In this case, the invoice will either be directed to OmaPosti-service or to your home address. The application can be processed only if you pay the invoice.

If consent is required for the application, the person giving consent may also sign this form.  

If any of the signatures required for the application are missing, we will request them separately. The application can be processed faster if all required signatures are already there. You can also submit your consent for a change of name separately using the consent form or e-mail.  

Applying for name change on online form

3. Downloadable form

You can also use a printable online form to submit the application.

1. First, upload the blank form to your device and save it. 
2. Open the form in Adobe Reader. You can download the program free of charge from Adobe's website. After completing the form, save it to your device. 
3. If you wish to continue filling in the form later, open it again in Adobe Reader. When you save the form, you can choose to replace the previous version with the new version. If you do not want to replace the previous version, you must save the form with a new name. 

Send the filled-in form to us with all the signatures by post to the following address: Digital and Population Data Services Agency, P.O. Box 1003, 00531 Helsinki, or use encrypted e-mail.

We will send you an invoice in approximately 1-2 weeks primarily to the Suomi.fi Messages -service. If you do not have Suomi.fi Messages -service in use, the invoice will be mailed. In this case, the invoice will either be directed to OmaPosti-service or to your home address. The application can be processed only if you pay the invoice.

Applying for a name change using a form

Frequently asked questions

Acts related to the matter

Anna palautetta ja tee kehitysehdotuksia