Personal data
The Population Information System contains basic information about Finnish citizens and foreign citizens residing in Finland on a permanent or temporary basis. The personal data in the Population Information System is maintained for the purpose of identification of persons as well as for clarification of their status regarding personal and family law and their legal capacity.
Basic personal data recorded in the system includes name, personal identity code, address, home municipality, citizenship, family relations and date of birth and death. Other details registered concern guardianship, restrictions of legal competence and continuing power of attorney as well as native language, communication language, occupation and restrictions on the disclosure of data provided by the person.
Also recorded is information on custody, information required for elections and referenda, membership in a religious community, the relevant register authority, and the electronic client identifier needed for secure electronic transactions.
Based on the statutory duty to provide information, information is received from citizens (for example notifications of move) and from various public authorities. These include local parishes, the Finnish Immigration Service, Finnish embassies and missions abroad, courts of law, municipal social service authorities, hospitals and health care centres as well as marriage authorities. For example, information about a birth is obtained directly from the hospital, after which the Digital and Population Data Services Agency provides the child with a personal identity code. The child’s parents inform either the baptising member of the clergy or the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of the names given to the child for registration in the Population Information System.
When a Finnish citizen lives abroad, their personal and residence details will only remain up to date if they personally make sure they submit information on issues such as marriage, divorce, births of children and changes of address. This information can be submitted either to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency or to the nearest Finnish embassy or consulate in the current country of residence. Keeping details up to date in the Population Information System helps expedite matters such as obtaining a Finnish passport.
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)
(in Finnish)
Government Decree on the Population Information System (128/2010)
(in Finnish)
The Data Protection Act (1050/2018)
(in Finnish)
- Individuals
- Processing times
- Marriage
- Having or adopting a child
- Names
- Moving
- Guardianship
- Life changes while living abroad
- Moving while living abroad
- Registration of a child born abroad
- Marriage concluded abroad
- Partnership registered abroad
- Divorce granted abroad
- Registration of a name change performed abroad
- Gender recognised abroad
- Death abroad
- Registration of citizenship
- Notification of retaining Finnish citizenship
- Legalisation of foreign documents
- Submitting foreign documents
- As a foreigner in Finland
- Registration of a foreigner
- Registration of a foreign student
- Municipality of residence
- Family relationships and Marital Status
- Instructions on arriving in Finland from Ukraine
- Guide for employed persons
- Fast track service for specialists and growth entrepreneurs
- Instructions for legalisation
- Submitting foreign documents
- Foreigner’s move to Finland, in Finland and out of Finland
- Check your own personal details
- Elections and Right to vote
- Suomi.fi Web Service
- Citizen Certificate and electronic identity
- 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
- Public Service Info
- Address service
- Forms
- Digital support for citizens
- Organisations
- Certificates
- Population information services for organisations
- Public administration sampling and updating service
- Private sector information services
- PIS modified data interface
- Modified data update service
- VTJkysely interface
- Browser-based Population Information System query
- Resident sampling services for property management offices and maintenance companies
- Data extraction for municipalities
- Reform of personal identity code
- Conditions for using population information
- Maintaining the Population Information System
- Extracts from registers
- Suomi.fi services
- Services to promote digitalisation
- Digital support
- European digital identity wallet
- Digital security services
- Services of notary public
- Certification of purchase
- Right to officiate weddings
- E-services
- Finnish Authenticator identification service
- About the agency
- Digital and Population Data Services Agency
- Digital and Population Data Services Agency as an Employer
- Use our services electronically
- Contact
- Customer service for private customers
- Customer service for organisations
- Service locations
- Digital and Population Data Services Agency address, switchboard e-billing details
- Digital and Population Data Services Agency Management
- Marriage ceremony premises information
- Contact details for media
- International Affairs
- Invoicing
- Quality policy
- Equality plan for customers
- Data protection
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- Population Information System
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