Registration of Divorce in the Population Information System

If you are a Finnish citizen and you are granted a divorce abroad, you must notify the dissolution of marriage to the Finnish Population System.

In principle, all divorces granted in a foreign state are recognised without a separate confirmation in Finland. If necessary, the Helsinki Court of Appeal(Link to another website.) can by application confirm whether a divorce granted in a foreign state is recognised in Finland. 

Divorces in EU

Divorces granted in the EU area after 1 March 2001 are recognised as such in Finland provided that they are accompanied by a certificate issued in accordance with the EU provisions. The certificate can be obtained from the authority that has granted the divorce. Further information is available on the European e-Justice Portal(Link to another website.) and on the Your Europe website(Link to another website.).

Divorce in other countries

As regards other divorce judgments, the original document or a certified copy, given in the country where the original was issued, must be presented and the divorce judgment must have been duly legalised. The judgment must be translated into Finnish, Swedish or English. Translations that have been made abroad must also be legalised. Documents translated by an authorised translator in Finland are acceptable without a separate authentication.

Where do I send the document?

Divorce judgments can be left with a Finnish mission, from where the document will be delivered or sent to the Digital and Population Data Agency, or you can send the document directly to Digital and Population Data Agency(Link to another website.) (address: Digital and Population Data Agency, P.O. Box 1003, 00531 HELSINKI, Finland). You can also deliver the document yourself to the nearest service point of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency in Finland. Missions charge a fee for sending documents.

Getting divorced in the United States

If you are a Finnish citizen and you are granted a divorce abroad, you must notify the dissolution of marriage to the Finnish Population System by submitting the following documents:

You can mail the documents directly to the Digital and Population Data Service Agency or to the Finnish Mission. If you wish to mail the registration documents to the Finnish Mission, please attach a money order or certified check addressed to the Embassy of Finland in Washington DC, Consulate General of Finland in New York or Consulate General of Finland in Los Angeles.

Transfer of the population data notification through the Finnish Mission to the Digital and Population Data Service Agency is subject to service fee.