A Child Born in Finland 2026 — Notifying the Name, the Surname, the Residence Permit and Citizenship
A child born in Finland starts two three-month clocks: the name to DVV, a residence permit application to Migri. Citizenship replaces neither.
Short answer
For a child born in Finland two separate three-month deadlines start on the same day. The first is the notification to DVV: the child's names and mother tongue must be notified within three months of the birth. The second is the application to Migri: for the Finland-born child of a foreign parent, a residence permit application on the basis of family ties must be submitted within three months of the birth. The permit application is required even if citizenship has been applied for the child and no decision has yet been made. In the name notification a child may be given between one and four forenames; a name that is likely to give offence or cause harm or that is inappropriate as a forename cannot be given, and only one mother tongue can be entered in the Population Information System. A child cannot be given the surname of a person whose parenthood has not been confirmed; once it is confirmed, the surname can be changed to the other parent's surname or a compound surname, free of charge. Both parents sign the residence permit application, or a written consent is attached; after the application is submitted in Enter Finland an appointment is booked to prove the child's identity, and the child must be present. The fee for a minor's first residence permit is 400 euros for an electronic application and 430 for a paper one. A child born in Finland to foreign parents becomes a Finnish citizen on the basis of place of birth only in exceptional cases.
1. The two three-month deadlines that start at birth
For a child born in Finland two separate notifications go to two separate authorities, and both have a three-month deadline. The child's names and mother tongue are notified to DVV. Where the parent is a foreign national, a residence permit application on the basis of family ties is submitted to Migri for the child.
It is worth knowing that neither process replaces the other. Even if an application for Finnish citizenship has been made for the child and no decision has yet been given, the residence permit application must still be submitted. In the same way, the permit application does not stand in for the name notification to DVV.
2. Notifying the name and the mother tongue
The notification form for the child's personal details, with instructions, is sent automatically by post to the child's mother after the birth; the form arrives within 2–4 weeks of the birth. You can also make the notification on the online form, which requires online banking codes or a mobile certificate and is confirmed by the guardian, or by both guardians if the child has two. If you cannot deal with it online, the form is sent to DVV by post.
The naming rules are simple but strict: a child may be given between one and four forenames; a forename or a combination of forenames that is likely to give offence or cause harm, or that is inappropriate as a forename, cannot be given. Only one mother tongue can be entered in the Population Information System. The lawfulness of the name is investigated only after the form has reached DVV; DVV does not give an opinion on the names before the form has been returned.
3. The surname and the confirmation of parenthood
This is where families most often get stuck. If the child has only one parent at the moment the child's details are submitted, the child may only be given the surname of that parent. A child cannot be given the surname of a person whose parenthood has not been confirmed.
The obstacle is not permanent. Once parenthood has been confirmed, the child's surname can be changed to the other parent's surname or a compound surname; the change application is submitted to DVV free of charge. So if the confirmation of paternity or of second motherhood is slow, the notification is made without waiting out the three-month name deadline and the surname is corrected afterwards.
4. The residence permit for the child
The application is one for a residence permit on the basis of family ties, and it must be submitted within three months of the birth. Both parents sign it; where a signature is not possible, a written consent form is attached to the application.
Once the application has been submitted in Enter Finland, an appointment is booked at a Migri service point to prove the child's identity, and the child must be present at that appointment. If the child does not yet have a valid passport, the application can still be submitted; when the passport has been issued, you must visit a Migri service point together with the child and present it there.
5. Citizenship by place of birth: all four conditions
A child born in Finland to parents who are foreign nationals may become a Finnish citizen alone, without a parent obtaining Finnish citizenship, only in exceptional cases. In those cases the child acquires citizenship on the basis of the place of birth.
Migri lists the requirements in four points, and all of them must be met together. The other route is to add the child as a co-applicant to the citizenship application of a parent or guardian; the child must be under 18 and you must have custody. If your child is born while your application is pending, you can add the child as a co-applicant by filling in a supplement form.
Checklist
- The child does not get citizenship of any other country on the basis of the parents' citizenship
- The child does not have even a secondary right to citizenship of another country on the basis of birth, for example through the confirmation of paternity or by declaration
- The child's parents have refugee status or they have been granted protection against the authorities of their country of nationality
- The child would not be granted the citizenship of either parent without the assistance of the authorities of their country of nationality
6. Fees, timelines and checking the result
Checklist
- Notification of the name and mother tongue: 3 months from the birth
- Arrival of the notification form by post: 2–4 weeks after the birth
- Residence permit application for the child: 3 months from the birth
- Number of forenames, minimum and maximum: 1–4
- Number of mother tongues entered in the Population Information System: 1
- First residence permit for a child, electronic application: 400 euros
- First residence permit for a child, paper application: 430 euros
- Change of surname after parenthood is confirmed: free of charge
- Confirmation of the name entry: no separate notification is sent; the details are checked in Suomi.fi
7. Common mistakes
Checklist
- Skipping the residence permit application because citizenship has been applied for
- Taking the two three-month deadlines to be the same notification
- Missing the three-month deadline while waiting for the form to arrive by post
- Delaying the name notification while waiting for paternity to be confirmed
- Writing more than four forenames
- Assuming more than one mother tongue can be entered in the Population Information System
- Trying to get DVV to say in advance whether the name will be accepted
- Submitting the permit application with one parent's signature and no consent form
- Not bringing the child to the identity appointment
- Not applying for the residence permit at all because there is no passport
8. Checklist for the weeks after the birth
Checklist
- Did the notification form arrive within 2–4 weeks, and if not, was the online form used?
- Are there at most four forenames, and do they meet the naming rules?
- Has a single mother tongue been chosen?
- Has the notification been confirmed by the guardian, or by both guardians?
- If parenthood is not confirmed, has the surname been chosen accordingly?
- Has the free change of surname been planned for once parenthood is confirmed?
- Was the residence permit application submitted within three months of the birth?
- Did both parents sign the application, or was a written consent attached?
- Has the identity appointment been booked and the child's attendance planned?
- Has it been noted that the passport must be presented at a Migri service point once it is issued?
- Have the child's details been checked in Suomi.fi?
Common questions about this topic
I have applied for citizenship — is a residence permit still needed?
Yes. Even if Finnish citizenship has been applied for the child and no decision has yet been made, a residence permit application on the basis of family ties must be submitted; the deadline is three months from the birth.
Can I give the child the father's surname before paternity is confirmed?
No. A child cannot be given the surname of a person whose parenthood has not been confirmed, and if the child has only one parent, only that parent's surname can be given. After confirmation, the change of surname can be applied for from DVV free of charge.
What if the child has no passport?
The application can be submitted even without a valid passport. When the passport has been issued, you must visit a Migri service point together with the child and present it there.
How do I know the name has been registered?
No separate confirmation is sent. You can check the child's details on the personal data page of the Suomi.fi service; as the child's guardian you see the child's name, date of birth, personal identity code and the number of guardians.
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