Certificates from the Population Information System as a self-service

The Finnish term “virkatodistus” refers to an extract/certificate from the population register containing personal and/or family relationship information. Parishes use the term “virkatodistus” for these certificates. A “virkatodistus” could mean, for example, a life certificate or a report on family relationships. Always find out from the party requesting the certificate what information the certificate must contain, and order it accordingly.

The information shown on the certificates are retrieved from the Finnish Population Information System. You can check your personal data in Suomi.fi Web Service on page Personal data.(Opens in a new window) If you have any errors in your personal data, please contact the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s customer service for private customers(Opens in a new window).

You can order a certificate for yourself. You can also order a life certificate, birth certificate and residence certificate for any of your dependants. You can select the dependants you wish to obtain certificates for once you have signed into the service. You can access of your dependants’ information for your period of custody.

You can order a life certificate from the Finnish Population Information System only if you live in Finland permanently. This is because the information on your existence is not automatically updated in the Finnish system from abroad. If you live abroad and need a life certificate,

• you can use services in person while visiting Finland at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s notary public, or abroad, you can visit a Finnish embassy
• to find out whether you can obtain a life certificate from a notary public or other authority in your country of residence.

Book an appointment with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s notary public(Avautuu uuteen ikkunaan)

A person aged 15–18 can order a life certificate or a residence certificate. A person under 15 cannot order any certificates themselves. The certificate will only include valid data. If you also need to include historical information in the certificates or a minor needs other certificates, the guardian may order the certificate on behalf of the minor, or the minor may contact the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s customer service for individual customers.(Opens in a new window)

If you are of adult age and are subject to an order of non-disclosure for personal security reasons, you can order certificates for yourself as normal. You cannot order certificates through this service if

• if you are aged 15–18 and have a valid order of non-disclosure for personal security reasons
• if you want to order a certificate for your dependant and they have a valid order of non-disclosure for personal security reasons.

If your dependant is taken into care by the child welfare authorities, you cannot order certificates through this service.

If you cannot order the certificate you need independently using this service, visit the Certificates from the Population Information System page of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency to read about

• other ways of ordering certificates
• other certificates from the Population Information System.

The information provided by you is sent to the certificate service. The service automatically checks the information, and after payment your information is sent to the Population Information System, which then creates the requested certificate. Digital and Population Data Services Agency can also access the information from automatically processed applications.

The information you enter is processed at Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

The service uses cookies and does not require separate consent. Cookies must be enabled in order for you to log in to the service and order a certificate. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer from websites you visit. For an unidentified user, the service cookie remembers whether the user has closed the top banner of the home page. The cookie is deleted when you close your browser. When you log in to the service, the cookie remembers your session. The cookie is deleted when you close your browser. In addition, we use cookies to collect information about fault situations. By continuing to use the site, you consent to accepting cookies.

The Suomi.fi identification service identifies the user and fetches the user’s basic personal data for use in the service. We obtain information from Suomi.fi Messages(Opens in a new window) as to whether the user is using that service or not. We send information such as guidelines and notifications as messages which the user can read in Suomi.fi Messages. We send payment information to the Suomi.fi Payment.

All personal data is protected from unauthorised access, accidental or unlawful destruction, manipulation, disclosure or transfer, and other unlawful processing.