Information on deaths to be transferred automatically between Finland and Estonia as of 15 April. Photo: Digital and Population Data Services Agency
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Authorities in Finland and Estonia will begin automatically sharing information on the deaths of their citizens starting 15 April 2025, aiming to streamline official procedures and ease the administrative burden on families.
The new system enables the death of a Finnish citizen in Estonia, or vice versa, to be recorded without the need for a separate notification by relatives.
It ensures faster updates to national population registers, supports the termination of social benefits, and facilitates the closure of services such as banking.
Until now, family members were responsible for reporting such deaths manually to their respective authorities. With the new data-sharing agreement in effect, this obligation will no longer apply.
“In the first phase of the information exchange, we will receive regular information on Finnish citizens who have passed away in Estonia,” said Timo Salovaara, Deputy Director General of Finland’s Digital and Population Data Services Agency. “Later, the exchanges will expand to cover changes in residence, names, marital status, and births.”
The development is based on a bilateral treaty signed in September 2022, which entered into force in May 2024. By the end of 2025, the cooperation is expected to include automated updates for people moving between the two countries. This will ensure that citizens’ address information remains current in both national registers.
Once the changes take full effect, it will only be possible to register a permanent residence in one country at a time. Consequently, residence-based benefits such as social security will be granted by only one country. Finland has operated under similar arrangements with other Nordic countries since the 1960s.
Population authorities in both countries are currently reviewing existing records. Approximately 5,000 Finnish citizens are listed as having permanent addresses in both Finland and Estonia. These individuals will be contacted later this year to confirm or update their registered residence.
Enel Pungas, Head of the Population Facts Department at the Estonian Ministry of the Interior, said: “The vast majority of affected people have their residence correctly registered in one country. However, for those with dual records, the entries will be checked and corrected.”
Finland has shared name, address, and marital status data with Estonia since 2005. With the new reciprocal system, Estonian authorities will now do the same for Finnish residents. This step further deepens cross-border cooperation in civil administration, which began in the 1990s.
Authorities advise citizens moving between the two countries to review and update their residence status. Those living permanently in Estonia but still registered in Finland should file an emigration notice with the Finnish Digital and Population Data Services Agency. Similarly, Finnish residents listed in Estonia should consult the Estonian Population Register for instructions.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
