Registration, personal identity code & change of address
At International House Helsinki, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) issues personal identity codes and enters personal data into the Finnish Population Information System. At International House Helsinki you can apply for a personal identity code and register your address as well as your municipality of residence.
You need a personal identity code to take care of many things related to everyday life, such as to open a bank account or to obtain a telephone subscription. Your employer also needs it to fulfill their responsibilities as an employer.
The Local Register Office also decides whether a Finnish municipality of residence (kotikunta) can be entered for you. If you have a municipality of residence in Finland, in most cases you are entitled to use the services provided by the municipality, such as public health care and daycare. A municipality of residence is also needed for obtaining a Finnish identity card and a driving license.
How to visit DVV’s service desk at International House Helsinki?
1) DVV serves customers mainly by appointment only. Book an appointment
- First, choose “Helsinki” as your region.
- Next select your service. Choose “Registration of a foreigner’s personal data”
- Or, if you have received a fast-track residence permit from the Finnish Immigration Service, choose “Fast track service for specialists and growth entrepreneurs.” Read more about DVV’s fast track below.
- When choosing an office, select “Helsinki: IHH: International House Helsinki.”
- Click “Search availability” and then choose the time you wish to reserve from the calendar.
- Click “Select Time.”
- Fill in your customer details
- Check the reservation info and then click “Confirm reservation”
- You will receive a confirmation for the reservation in your email. It will contain the reservation key and the PIN, which you can use to cancel or change your appointment
2) Please bring along the following documents when you visit:
- Valid passport or EU citizen’s ID card
- Employment contract (if your stay is work-related)
- Attendance letter/study certificate (if your stay is study-related)
- Residence permit (if you need a residence permit for Finland)
- Certificate of registration of an EU citizen’s right to reside (if you are an EU citizen)
- Registration information of a foreigner form. To ensure your visit goes smoothly we recommend completing all forms before you visit International House Helsinki. Our General Information and Guidance Services can provide you with assistance in understanding all forms.
3) If you have accompanying family members, please note that all family members need to personally visit DVV in order to get registered. When visiting DVV please also bring:
- For each family member:
- Valid passport or EU citizen’s ID card
- Residence permit (if required for stay in Finland)
- Certificate of registration of an EU citizen’s right to reside (in case of an EU citizen)
- If you are married or in a same-sex registered partnership:
- Original marriage or partnership registration certificate
- Both parties should complete the form titled The registration information of a foreigner, preferably before the visit but also available at IHH
- Appendix form to register marriage or registered partnership, preferably completed before the visit but also available at IHH
- If you have child/children who are under 18:
- Children’s original birth certificates
- EU Member States issue multilingual standard forms for which translation nor legalisation is not needed
- Appendix form to register a child (one form per each child), preferably completed before the visit but also available at IHH
If any of the original documents are in languages other than Finnish, Swedish, or English, an official translation is needed.
The original and translated documents must be legalised unless they are public documents issued by an EU Member State or a certificate issued by a Nordic country.
EU Member States issue multilingual standard forms for which translation and legalisation is not needed.
Fast track service for specialists and growth entrepreneurs
If you or your family member have been granted a residence permit through the Finnish Immigration Service’s (Migri) fast-track service, you can also register your personal data with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s (DVV) fast-track service for specialists and growth entrepreneurs.
You can book an appointment to DVV’s fast track if you or a family member have been granted a fast track residence permit from Migri as a specialist, growth entrepreneur, EU Blue Card senior specialist, specialist based on internal company transfer, top- or middle-level manager, or as a family member of any of the above.
Read more in the following pages:
DVV’s Fast Track service (for registering personal data to receive a personal identity code)
Migri’s Fast Track service (for residence permit applications)
Contact
The Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) mainly serves customers by appointment at International House Helsinki (IHH).
Open: Monday–Friday 9:00–16:00
Useful Links
Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV)
Finnish Population Information System
Moving to Finland or moving abroad from Finland
Legalization of foreign documents
FAQ
A personal identity code consists of 11 characters and is used to identify persons in the registers and information systems of different public authorities as well as private sector actors. For instance, insurance companies and healthcare service providers may need your personal identity code to ensure that information is registered for the correct person. Several people may have the exact same name but there are no two persons with exactly the same personal identity code.
A municipality of residence in Finland can be assigned by DVV on certain grounds. If you plan to live in Finland for at least a year, it is advisable to report the move as permanent. Many public services, such as health care and children’s daycare and education are the responsibility of municipalities.
If you have a permanent address and home municipality in Finland, this municipality is responsible for organizing certain services for you just like for all its residents. A municipality of residence is essential also if you’d like to apply for a Finnish ID card or enjoy discounted fees for public transport, or to be granted certain social benefits.
First, if you have to apply for residence permits, and your family doesn’t come very much later, you should consider applying simultaneously for the whole family. Once your family has arrived in Finland, they must personally visit IHH to register. Registration of children is handled more smoothly if both guardians are present. Information about family ties can be registered either on your arrival or when your family has arrived. Please remember to bring your marriage certificate as well as children’s birth certificates, duly translated and legalized.
If you have been granted a residence permit through the Finnish Immigration Service’s (Migri) fast track service, you can also book an appointment with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV) to register your personal data by using DVV’s fast track service for specialists and growth entrepreneurs.
You are eligible for DVV’s Fast Track service if you have been granted a Fast Track residence permit from Migri as:
- a specialist
- a start-up entrepreneur
- an EU Blue Card holder
- a specialist or manager based in an internal company transfer
- a top- or middle-level manager
- or as a family member of any of the above
For more information, please read the following pages:
DVV’s Fast Track service (for registering personal data to receive a personal identity code)
Migri’s Fast Track service (for residence permit applications)