Finnish passport. Photo: Santeri Viinamäki
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The Finnish Digital and Population Data Services Agency has recently implemented new characters in the personal identity code system to ensure their adequacy for future needs. The first identity code featuring the new character ‘Y’ was issued on December 19, 2023. This update comes as a response to the limited availability of identity codes for certain birth dates under the old system. Existing identity codes will remain unchanged.
Addressing the Limitations of the Old System
In the previous model, each birth date had a limited number of identity codes available, leading to a shortage for the most common birth dates. “Just recently, we ran out of identity codes for the most common birth date, prompting us to issue the first identity code under the new system this week,” explains Timo Salovaara, a senior director at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.
New Identity Code Characters for Different Centuries
The new identity code characters vary based on the century of birth:
- For those born in 2000 or later: Current ‘A’ and new ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’, ‘E’, ‘F’.
- For those born in the 1900s: Current hyphen ‘-‘ and new ‘Y’, ‘X’, ‘W’, ‘V’, ‘U’.
- For those born in the 1800s: Current plus sign ‘+’, with no new characters.
The Importance of the New Characters
The addition of these characters makes the separator part of the identity code a unique identifier, meaning that identity codes can now be differentiated based solely on different separators. For instance, hypothetical codes ‘100190-999P’ and ‘100190Y999P’ would belong to different individuals, making the separator a potentially distinguishing feature.
Preparation for Organizations
“All organizations using identity codes in their systems had to prepare for these changes well in advance. This ensures that the processing of personal information continues to operate seamlessly across different systems,” emphasizes Salovaara.
Understanding the Finnish Personal Identity Code
The personal identity code is a more precise means of identifying individuals than just a name. It is used extensively in registries and information systems of authorities and private entities for ensuring that information is attributed to the correct person. The code is assigned to individuals registered in the Finnish Population Information System, a practice that began in the 1960s in Finland. The process of obtaining an identity code is automatic for children born in Finland, while Finnish citizens born abroad and foreign nationals moving to Finland receive their codes upon registration in the Population Information System.
This significant update to Finland’s identity code system reflects the country’s commitment to maintaining an efficient, secure, and future-proof method for individual identification in an increasingly digital world.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
