Documents for Finland

Document services for Finland

Finland is in the Hague Convention. You usually need an apostille, not embassy legalisation. We help with the full chain: Finnish translation, notarisation and apostille.

See services →

Our services for Finland

Pick what you need, or take the package if both translation and apostille are required.

Apostille

Hague Convention: apostille via Notarius Publicus. No embassy needed.

From 499 kr See prices →

Notarisation

Certify signatures and copies. Often required before apostille on private documents.

From 449 kr See prices →

Translation Swedish → Finnish

Authorized translation by a Kammarkollegiet-approved translator for Finnish authorities.

From 1 495 kr See prices →

Translation Finnish → Swedish

Authorized translation for Swedish authorities and companies.

From 1 495 kr See prices →

Bundle: translation + apostille

The full chain in one case. Most chosen when the recipient requires both.

From 1 895 kr See package price →

Correct path

The right path for Finland

Apostille via Notarius Publicus is enough. MFA or embassy legalisation is normally not required for Finland. Keep in mind many Finnish authorities want documents in Finnish even though the country is bilingual.

Official embassy page: Finnish Embassy in Sweden

Overview

How it works for Finland

Swedish documents are frequently used in Finland, but Finnish authorities often require them to be authentic and in Finnish. Because both Sweden and Finland are in the Hague Convention, an apostille via Notarius Publicus is enough. No stamp from the Finnish embassy or the MFA is needed. Although Finland is officially bilingual, many authorities, banks and universities want authorized Finnish translation. VIZA starts from what Maistraatti, DVV, the university, the employer or the bank in Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere, Turku or Oulu actually asks for. Then we run Finnish translation when needed, notarisation of powers of attorney and apostille. Common cases are civil registration and home municipality, studies at Finnish universities, work in the Helsinki region and company registration with PRH.

When needed

When do Finnish recipients want an apostille?

The requirement comes from Maistraatti, DVV, the university, the bank or the employer in Finland. These are the situations we see most:

You move to Finland and DVV or the municipality requires an apostilled personal record for civil registration
A Finnish university or university of applied sciences requires apostilled grades before admission
An employer in the Helsinki region wants an apostilled criminal record certificate or employment certificate
Maistraatti requires apostilled documents for marriage or name change
A bank or PRH (Finnish Patent and Registration Office) requires an apostilled company extract
Inheritance or property matters in Finland require apostilled Swedish documents

Common documents for Finland

Typical documents by category. Collapse a box if you want less.

01 Civil registration, DVV and family

Personal records / extracts
Marriage certificates
Birth certificates
Marital status certificates
Name change certificates
Supporting papers for home municipality and DVV

02 Studies and work

Diplomas and grades
Transcripts of records
Criminal record certificates
Employment certificates
Professional certificates
Study certificates for credit transfer

03 Company, PRH and powers of attorney

Companies Registration Office extracts
Articles of association and minutes
Powers of attorney for a Finnish agent
Bank powers of attorney
Certified passport copies
Agreements and trade documents

From a Swedish document to an accepted Finland chain

The usual chain from review to return. Collapse a step if you want less.

1 Read the requirement from Finland

We start from the Maistraatti list, university requirement or bank checklist. That decides whether Finnish, notarisation or only apostille is needed.
2 Translate into Finnish when required

Many Finnish authorities and banks want authorized Finnish. Swedish is sometimes accepted in bilingual settings, but Finnish is the standard. We can run translation before or in parallel with apostille.
3 Notarise private powers of attorney

Powers of attorney and other private documents are certified by a Notarius Publicus before apostille. Public extracts can often be apostilled directly.
4 Apostille via Notarius Publicus

We place the apostille under the Hague Convention. It replaces MFA and embassy between Sweden and Finland.
5 Return to you

You get the papers back with tracked post, ready for Maistraatti, DVV, the bank or the university in Finland.

Important

Apostille for Finland, not embassy legalisation

Finland is in the Hague Convention. That makes apostille the correct path for Swedish public documents. A separate stamp at the Finnish embassy is not needed. The recipient may still require authorized Finnish translation. Apostille for Finland starts from SEK 499 in Basic.

What typical Finland cases look like with us

Expand a case to see documents, route and timing.

Civil registration and home municipality When you move to Finland, DVV or the municipality wants apostilled Swedish civil documents before civil registration and home municipality can be recorded.

Typical documents

Personal record with apostille
Marital status certificate
Marriage certificate if needed
Authorized Finnish translation

Sweden: translation if needed → apostille via Notarius Publicus

Often a few business days in Basic when originals are ready

Studies at a Finnish university Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences often require apostilled grades and diplomas before admission or credit transfer.

Typical documents

Diplomas and grades
Transcripts of records
Finnish or English translation according to the recipient

Translation if needed → apostille

Often a few business days in Basic

Work in the Helsinki region Employers in Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa often want an apostilled criminal record certificate and employment certificates, especially in the public sector and healthcare.

Typical documents

Criminal record certificate
Employment certificate
Professional certificates if needed
Finnish translation

Translation if needed → apostille

Often a few business days in Basic

Company registration with PRH Finnish banks and PRH (Finnish Patent and Registration Office) often require apostilled company extracts and sometimes notarised powers of attorney.

Typical documents

Companies Registration Office extract
Articles of association
Power of attorney (notarised if needed)
Finnish translation

Notarisation if needed → apostille

Often 3 to 10 business days depending on translation

Translation, timing and embassy

Why Finnish is usually needed

Although Finland is officially bilingual, Maistraatti, DVV, banks and most authorities want authorized Finnish translation. Swedish is rarely accepted outside Swedish-speaking Finnish contexts. We translate with a Kammarkollegiet approved translator from SEK 1,495 and can sync it with apostille. Translation plus apostille package from SEK 1,895.

Timeline before Maistraatti, DVV or a bank in Finland

Apostille usually takes a few business days in Basic once originals are in. Add time for Finnish translation and any notarisation of a power of attorney. The total is affected by:

whether the power of attorney must be notarised first
whether authorized Finnish should run in parallel
capacity at Notarius Publicus
number of documents in the same case
post for originals and return
whether the recipient in Finland wants a specific order of translation and apostille

Finnish embassy vs apostille

For ordinary legalisation of Swedish documents for Finland you do not need an embassy stamp. Apostille via Notarius Publicus is the Hague path. The Finnish Embassy in Stockholm has its own consular services, but that is a different track from apostille. We help you choose the right path from the recipient requirement.

Apostille for Swedish public documents
Notarisation of powers of attorney
Authorized Finnish translation
Ordering Swedish extracts when needed
No MFA or embassy chain for ordinary legalisation
Tracked return to you in Sweden

Finnish Embassy in Sweden →

Other help we provide

Supporting services that often belong in the same case.

Order official documents

Personal records, criminal records, company documents, etc. before legalisation.

Power of attorney & consent

We help draft the document and connect it to notarisation/apostille.

Certified copy

Notarius Publicus certifies copies for use abroad.

Go to notarisation →

MFA & embassy legalisation

Applies to non-Hague countries, not the standard path for Finland. See general legalisation.

FAQ

Do I need embassy legalisation for Finland?

No. Finland is in the Hague Convention, so an apostille replaces embassy and MFA legalisation in normal cases.

In which order should I do the steps?

Private documents are notarised first, then apostilled. Translation can come before or in parallel. The Finnish recipient sets the language requirement, often Finnish.

Can you order official documents for me?

Yes. We often help order personal records, criminal record certificates and company documents before translation/legalisation.

Unsure what you need?

Send a scan and we tell you which chain applies: translation, notarisation and/or apostille.