Notifying a move and population registration in Finland

Muuton ilmoittaminen ja väestörekisteröinti Suomessa
Here you will find information on population registration, making a notification of move and municipalities of residence if you are moving to Finland. The same rules also apply to Åland.

Under the Nordic agreement on population registration, all persons living in the Nordic countries must be registered in a population register in one place only in the Nordic countries. On the other hand, the agreement ensures that if you move you do not drop out of the population register entirely. In Finland the authority responsible for population registration is the Digital and Population Services Agency. In Åland registration is done by the State Department of Åland.

Citizens of the Nordic countries do not need any other permits, such as a residence or working permit, to reside in Finland.

Notification of move

If you move to Finland permanently from another Nordic country you must visit the Digital and Population Services Agency in person to notify your move no later than one week from the date of moving. If your stay in Finland is due to last more than three months but less than 12 months, you must make a notification of a temporary move. See below for more detailed instructions.

Please note that your new address will not necessarily be notified to all organisations that send you mail. If you want to make sure that you get all your mail to your new address, you can have it forwarded for a fixed period or notify your new address to the organisations that you regularly get mail from.

Temporary move

Foreigners do not need to notify a stay of less than three months in Finland.

If your stay in Finland is due to last more than three months but less than 12 months, you must make a notification of a temporary move. If you move to Finland from the Nordic countries, you must make your notification of move in person at Digital and Population Services Agency’s service location.

If staying for more than three months, citizens of non-Nordic EU and EEA countries must register their right of residence with the Finnish Immigration Service. You need to have an ID document with you. Citizens of non-EU or EEA countries need a visa or residence permit.

If you reside in Finland temporarily, you do not have a registered municipality of residence in Finland, therefore you do not necessarily have the same rights as persons who live in Finland permanently. However, in certain cases you can get a personal identity code (a so-called temporary personal identity code), if you need one for work, for example. Read more on the page Personal identity code in Finland.

Permanent move

If your stay in Finland is intended to be permanent or if it is due to last or has lasted more than 12 months, you must make a notification of a permanent move. You make the notification of move in person at the Digital and Population Services Agency’s service location. For Nordic citizens, proof of identity is provided by a passport, an official identity card with photo ID indicating citizenship or an equivalent document.

Citizens of non-Nordic EU and EEA countries must also take along their certificate of registration of right of residence, which you get from the Finnish Immigration Service. Citizens of non-EU and EEA countries must produce a valid residence permit. Family members can apply for registration on the basis of family ties.

When details of the person moving are registered in the population register, they are assigned a personal identity code and municipality of residence. Read more on the page Personal identity code in Finland.

Remember that a notification of move alone does not automatically mean you are entitled to Kela (Social Insurance Institution of Finland) benefits and social security. Entitlement to these is decided when benefits are applied for.

Municipality of residence

Everyone who is registered permanently in the population register in Finland has a Finnish municipality of residence. Your municipality of residence affects things like your taxation and healthcare. Once a person has got their municipality of residence in Finland, they can apply for an income tax card instead of a tax at source card and use municipal healthcare services in their municipality of residence.

You can find information on Åland regional citizenship and exemption from military service for persons moving permanently to Åland in the article Population registration in Åland.

Living in more than one country at the same time

If you move and you have homes in two different Nordic countries, the registration authority in the host state (in Finland the Digital and Population Services Agency) decides separately whether you are registered as living in the host state or not.

As a general rule, the state of residence is often taken to be the country where you have substantial connections such as family, home ownership or employment. The registration authority in the host state makes its decision after you have visited the registration authority in your new country of residence to register your stay. 

You can find information on social security if you live in more than one country at the same time on the page Which country's social security system are you covered by?

More information

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NB! If you have questions regarding the processing of a specific case or application, or other personal matters, please contact the relevant authority directly.

Info Norden is the information service of the Nordic Council of Ministers. Here you can find info and tips if you wish to move, work, study, seek support or start a business in the Nordic region.