Having or adopting a child
Parents of a child born or adopted in Finland do not need to take any action to obtain a personal identity code for the child. The hospital enters the necessary details of all births into the Population Information System, and when the child’s birth is registered, a personal identity code is issued to the child.
Read more about personal identity code
Adoption
If you want to adopt a Finnish child, you must submit a written application to a court for granting the adoption. Before submitting the application, you must request adoption counselling from the social services of your municipality of residence. Under certain conditions, a court also grants the adoption of an adult. The court enters the details of the adoption into the Population Information System.
Notification of a child’s name
The form ‘Notification of a child’s personal details’ is sent to the child’s mother after the details have been registered. The child’s personal identity code is also given on the form. The names and the native language of the child must be submitted within three months of the child’s birth to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency or to the parish if the child becomes a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church or the Orthodox Church of Finland.
Read more about submitting notification of a child's name
A child born outside Finland
Finnish citizens born abroad are issued with a personal identity code after the Digital and Population Data Services Agency has registered the child in the Population Information System at the parents’ request.
Read more about registering a child born outside Finland
Confirmation of parenthood
The purpose of establishing paternity is to obtain the information required for determining the child’s father. Establishing the paternity is the responsibility of the municipal child welfare officer. Paternity is established by the municipal child welfare officer and confirmed by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. If the child was born during a marriage, the child’s father is automatically the spouse. If you are not married, your paternity must be established and confirmed.
In addition to the mother who gave birth to the child, the woman who has given her consent to fertility treatment can also be confirmed as the mother.
Confirming the acknowledgement of paternity and annulling the spouse’s paternity
Confirming the acknowledgement of maternity
Links to laws related to the matter
Act on the Population Information System and the certificate services of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (661/2009, 11 §)
(in Finnish)
Maternity Act (253/2018)
Valtioneuvoston asetus henkilöllisyyden toteamiseksi hyväksyttävistä asiakirjoista äitiysasioissa (162/2019)
Oikeusministeriön asetus äitiysasioissa käytettävistä lomakkeista (163/2019)
Paternity act (11/2015)
Valtioneuvoston asetus eräistä toimenpiteistä ja asiakirjoista isyysasioissa (1275/2015)
Oikeusministeriön asetus isyys- ja elatusasioissa käytettävistä lomakkeista (1474/2015)
Act on Assisted Fertility Treatments (1237/2006)
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