Changes in services provided by Finnish missions abroad

From 1 May onwards, estate services will no longer be handled at Finnish missions abroad. Address inquiries and inquiries concerning extracts from the population register will be handled only in special cases. After the amendment has entered into force, certain notarial services may also be outsourced to external service providers.

Inquiries concerning extracts from the population register and address inquiries

From 1 May onwards, Finland's diplomatic and consular missions abroad will accept address inquiries and inquiries concerning extracts from the population register only if there is a special reason for it, such as a situation in which a representative of the authorities in the country in question would not give information to other than diplomatic agents. 

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs and its missions abroad will continue to help and advice clients in the Finland abroad online service. It is a source of contact details and tips for searching information in the countries where population information is available, including in the United States. For countries that do not maintain a national population information system, such as Afghanistan, standard format letter templates suitable for various cases are available, such as for obtaining an extract from the personal register for an estate inventory. 

Services related to the estate of a deceased person

The provisions of the Consular Services Act applying to estate services will be repealed and estate services will no longer be handled at Finnish missions abroad. 

Notarial services

Lakimuutos mahdollistaa myös sen, että ulkoministeriö voi sopia tiettyjen konsulipalvelulaissa säädettyjen notaaripalveluiden ja niihin liittyvien avustavien tehtävien antamisesta ulkoisen palveluntarjoajan hoidettavaksi.

The amendment belongs to central government productivity programme 

The aim of the amendment is, firstly, to ensure that good governance materialises in the provision of consular services that fall within the purview of the Foreign Service as agreed under the government productivity programme and, secondly, to make the services more streamlined, economical and effective.
The amendment is part of a project under way in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, which concerns the development of consular services and of the Government’s key project aiming to deregulate provisions and streamline regulation processes.