Life certificate
You can use a certificate of life to give proof of your basic information and your existence at the certificate's time of issue. You need the certificate for purposes such as estate inventory if you are the heir or the beneficiary of the deceased person. You only need a life certificate of yourself for an estate inventory if information about your existence is not stated on the report on family relationships.
The following information is included in the certificate when you order a standard certificate via the self-service. A standard certificate means that the certificate always contains the same information and the selected optional information:
- Information that the person is alive or that it cannot be confirmed whether the person is alive
- Name
- Date of birth (or personal identity code)
- Municipality of residence
- Permanent address
In addition, you can add your previous names to the certificate. If the person has a guardian or a power of attorney, this will also be marked on the certificate.
If you need other information, order the certificate by email, phone or a form.
How to order certificates
You can order a certificate of yourself or another person for an acceptable purpose of use. Please note that you can use the self-service only to order a certificate for yourself or your dependants.
Certificates ordered and delivered through the self-service are cheaper, and you receive certificates quickly. Prices can be found at the bottom of the page.
Self-service
You can order a life certificate through the self-service if you live in Finland permanently. You need online banking codes or a mobile certificate for the order. You pay the certificate by making an online payment.
Ordering a certificate for use in Finland through the self-service is cheaper and is immediately available online.
- The certificate will be sent to you in Suomi.fi Messages. To have the certificate sent to you, you will need to have enabled Suomi.fi Messages.
- If you are not using Suomi.fi Messages, you can download the certificate in PDF format right after paying. Please remember to save the document on your device!
If the certificate is required by a foreign authority, the certificate will be sent to you by mail. Your order will be processed within 2-5 business days, after which the postal service will deliver the certificate.
If you live abroad permanently, you cannot order a life certificate. To get a life certificate, you must visit personally either at the Finnish Embassy or at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency's service point, at the Notary Public’s department. Alternatively you can find out if you can get a life certificate from authorities in your home country.
You can order an extract from the Lomake.fi service. You need online banking codes or a mobile certificate for the order. We recommend that only personal customers order extracts electronically.
You can order a certificate via email. Fill in the order form and send the form by encrypted email to [email protected]. You can also include the information of your order in the email itself.
Please include the following in the email:
• your name, date of birth and address
• what information you need on the extract or certificate
• for what purpose you need the extract or certificate
Send the email as a secure email
If you are ordering a report on family relationships, send an encrypted email to [email protected].
You can order an extract by calling the national service number +358 295 536 230
Service hours:
- Mon-Fri 9-15
Check your data!
You can check your personal data in the Population Information System from the Personal Data service. You can find your current personal data, name history information and property and building ownership information on the service. You can also check your residential history data saved in the Population Information System.
If your personal data contains mistakes, you can correct your own given name, occupation, email address, native language and communication language. In other cases, please contact our customer service by phone at 0295 536 220 or visit a service location.
Processing times
- 1 week (+ mail delivery time)
- You can get an online certificate for use in Finland immediately through the self-service.
Price
Self service
You pay for the certificates when placing your order.
• Electronic certificate from the self-service, €10/document
• Certificate from the self-service by post, €16/document
• Certificate and multilingual EU standard form by post, €28/person
• Certificate and Apostille by post from the self-service, €46/person
Lomake.fi, e-mail, phone and visiting at the service location
We send the invoice separately. If you visit one of our service locations, you pay at the service location.
• Extract/certificate €20/document
• Report on family relationships €30/document and from the digitalized civil / population registers €65/document
• Manually prepared extract/certificate €65/document
• Multilingual EU standard form attached to the extract/certificate (translation assistance form) €12/document
• Apostille €30/document
Delivery of the certificate
Self-service:
When you order a certificate for a Finnish operator from the self-service, you will receive it as an electronic PDF document. You can download the certificate from the My Certificates tab of the self-service to your device immediately after payment. The certificate can be downloaded from the self-service within 24 hours.
The certificate will also be sent to you on Suomi.fi Messages if you have enabled the service before ordering.
No signature will be added to the certificate, and you cannot add a translation form or an Apostille certificate to it later.
Certificates ordered from the self-service are not delivered by paper mail or electronically by encrypted mail.
When you order a certificate for a foreign operator from the self-service, it will be sent to you by paper mail to your home address. In this case, the certificate is stamped and signed. You can also order an EU translation form or an Apostille. Which one you need depends on the area that you need the certificate for. Your order will be processed within 2-5 business days, after which the postal service will deliver the certificate.
If you wish, we can also send you the scanned version of the certificate either to Suomi.fi Messages or by encrypted e-mail to your e-mail address. The scanned copy has a stamp and signature.
If you live abroad, you will receive certificates as electronic PDF documents or by post to your home address, depending on whether you need a certificate for a Finnish actor or abroad.
Order placed by email, phone or online form:
The certificate will be sent to you via Suomi.fi Messages, encrypted e-mail to your preferred address, or by paper mail. You can choose the delivery method yourself when placing the order.
Contact us
Telephone service
Telephone number +358 295 536 230
Service hours:
- Mon-Fri 9-15
Use secure email, if your message contains personal or otherwise confidential information. Choose this address as the recipient: [email protected]
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