Registration of a child born abroad

When a child is born abroad, the child’s details should be notified to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency for recording the child in the Population Information System. The child’s original birth certificate must be attached to the notification. It may be necessary to have the birth certificate legalised and translated.

Notify the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of the birth of your child outside Finland. The child will then be registered in the Population Information System. A Finnish personal identity code can be issued to a child if the child lives in Finland and the prerequisites for the registration are fulfilled or if the child lives abroad but is a Finnish citizen.

A child born and living abroad but whose parent resides in Finland can be recorded as a child under the parent in the Population Information System. However, a personal identity code will not be issued until the child moves to Finland.

Under the law, the person who has given birth to the child is the child’s mother and guardian.

Child born in a marriage to parents of opposite sexes

If the child’s parents are of opposite sexes and married to each other and the child was born during their marriage, the mother’s spouse is the child’s father. Both parents are also automatically the child’s guardians. The child will automatically be given Finnish citizenship if one or both parents are Finnish citizens. To establish paternity on the basis of marriage, the parents’ marriage must have been recorded to the Finnish Population Information System. If the marriage has not been recorded in the Population Information System, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency must first be notified of it.

Child born out of wedlock to parents of opposite sexes

If the child is born out of wedlock, paternity must be confirmed before it can be recorded in the Finnish Population Information System. Subject to certain conditions, a decision on paternity and guardianship that has been issued abroad can be acknowledged in Finland without a separate confirmation. If the child and both parents reside in Finland and paternity has not been confirmed anywhere else, it can usually be confirmed in also Finland. If only the father is a Finnish citizen, the child will not be automatically be given Finnish citizenship even after paternity has been acknowledged and confirmed. A declaration of citizenship must be submitted to the Finnish Immigration Service for obtaining citizenship.

A child with two mothers

If the child has two mothers, the mother that gave birth to the child is the child’s parent and guardian. A decision issued abroad on the parenthood and guardianship of the non-birth mother can be recognised subject to certain conditions. The child will automatically receive Finnish citizenship from the birth mother. If only the non-birth mother is a Finnish citizen, the child can be given Finnish citizenship by declaration. A declaration of citizenship must be submitted to the Finnish Immigration Service for obtaining citizenship. When the child’ details have been recorded in the Population Information System, you will receive an extract from the system.

Do the following

• Fill the notification form

Notification form for a child born abroad

• Submit the child’s original birth certificate and the original documents confirming parenthood to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.
• If you are a Finnish citizen, you can also deliver the documents to a Finnish diplomatic mission.
• Read the separate instructions for having documents translated and legalised.

See separate instructions for legalisation

Instructions for submitting foreign documents

Frequently asked questions