Change of name abroad 

If you change your forename or surname abroad, please notify us following the instructions on this page. We will record the name change in the Finnish Population Information System. This way your personal data will be up to date and using the services of the Finnish authorities will be easier. If you are a Finnish citizen, you have the obligation to notify the Finnish Population Information System of your name change.  

You can prove that you have changed your name abroad by means of a document showing your new name, such as a passport or a decision issued by a foreign authority. You can alternatively submit a certified copy of your passport.  

If you got married abroad and changed your surname, we can record your new name in the Population Information System. Your new surname must be shown in your marriage certificate or proof of identity document. Read more about the notification of a marriage concluded abroad and the change of name in connection with it. 

Do the following 

1. Fill in the form below.         

Change/correction/addition to register information - international matters

2. If you are using a document issued by a foreign authority to prove your change of name, check if you need to have the document legalised and/or translated.     

Read more about the legalisation of documents. 

3. Submit the documents either by visiting a service location in person, through a Finnish mission or by sending them by post to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, P.O. Box 26, FI-68601 Pietarsaari, Finland. Unfortunately, we cannot accept scanned documents.

See more detailed instructions for delivering documents.

Required documents: 

• Notification form for a correction of registry data you have filled in    
• the original or a certified copy of the document issued by a foreign authority, legalised if necessary, a certified (and legalised) copy of your passport or passport. (NOTE: Do not send your passport by post.) 
• if necessary, the original or a certified copy of the translation of the document, legalised if required. 

4. Inquiries and email messages will not speed up the processing of notifications. We will contact you if we need further information. You will receive a confirmation from us once your new name has been recorded. Check that your information has been entered correctly. If for some reason we do not record the information you have submitted in the Population Information System, you will receive a decision on this. Instructions for submitting a request for administrative review are attached to the decision.   

N. B.! Cases are processed in their order of arrival. Unfortunately, we cannot speed up an individual case unless there is a very exceptional and very important reason for doing so. For example, opening a bank account is not a sufficient justification for speeding up the process.

Frequently asked questions