Registration of a name change performed abroad

If you change your name abroad, also notify the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of it. It will register the name change in the Finnish Population Information System.

If you have changed your first name and/or surname abroad, the details of the name change can be registered 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.

A name change that has taken place abroad can be registered on the basis of the foreign document indicating the name change, such as a passport or the decision issued by an authority. If necessary, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency will request you to provide additional information for the register entry.

You will receive an extract from the Population Information System when the details of the name change have been recorded. If the Digital and Population Data Services Agency does not record the information you have submitted to it in the Population Information System, you will receive a decision stating it. You can make a claim for a revised decision concerning this register entry to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency within 30 days of having been informed of the decision. The instructions for making a claim for a revised decision are sent to you with to the decision.

This is what to do

• Notify the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of your name change in writing. You can use a form to submit the notification.

• Present the document issued by the foreign authority, in which the name change is indicated.

• If you are a Finnish citizen, you can also deliver the documents to the nearest Finnish diplomatic mission.

• You may need to have the documents legalised or translated.

See separate instructions for legalisation here

Frequently asked questions