Finnish birth certificate - advice needed

[Jools]

Is it true that Finland stopped issuing birth certificates in the 70s? I am trying to get a copy for my son, who was born here last year.

We need the BC urgently but have only managed to get an extract from the population information system, which IMO, is not a birth certificate.

We also managed to get a printout from TYKS regarding his birth but this paper does not have his name. (I know why that is so but that's a separate discussion altogether) So again, I don't view this as an official document.

I don't know where else to go to get his BC.

Does anyone have any information about this or have been put through a similar situation? Any advice would be much appreciated.

[karen]

When my son was born here in 2001, I got his birth certificate from the hospital. It had my info on it, I think, and his birthdate, sex, ID number, etc. but no name. I took that and my application for a US birth certificate to my embassy and got his US birth certificate. AFAIK, the paper from the hospital is the birth certificate. His KELA card has his name and ID number. I've never seen a Finnish version of what I consider to be a birth certificate.

[Hank W.]

Well, I don't think we ever had such thing as a "birth certificate" - its always been a Church record draft.

I don't have a "birth certificate". I have a few papers from 1970:
- I have my mother's hospital card that has "live birth, a boy".
- I have a copy of a receipt that has the mother's name and my birth date for the KELA to give a Social Security Number (it wasn't automatic then).
- And then I have a baptismal certificate with jebus and angels that has my name on it in wobbly handwriting.

If I want to prove my existance I get a "virkatodistus" from the Church (looks fancier with stamps and seals) or then just a draft of the PRC from the Magistrate.

So in other words, Jools, you have the two records you will get. The draft from the PRC is the "official one" and the draft from the hospital is the "certificate of live birth". You won't be getting anything else off the Finnish officials except funny looks. Now your embassy will accept those, or actually the "PRC draft" in lieu for a BC say applying for a passport and as Tadpole's Mum said atleast the US embassy issues paperwork that will save the sprog from stupid questions in the future, so I suppose other embassies do so as well.

[karen]

I think I remember getting the virkatodistus as well. It's been a while and I'm officially over the hill today so my memory isn't what it used to be.

[Jools]

Thank you Tadpole's Mommy and Hank.

Yes, what we have is the virkatodistus from the Helsinki Magistrate. We have had it attested by both the Finnish Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Malaysian embassy.

Malaysia doesn't allow dual citizenship, so the search for the BC is not for that purpose. It is mainly for nursery/school, residence permit, even for the opening of a banking account , etc.

It's just that I was hoping for a 'more official-looking' one instead of the A4 plain white paper. My son doesn't belong to any church, so we won't be getting anything from them.

I guess we'll just have to make do with what we have.

Thanks again.

[Hank W.]

Will the Malaysian Embassy issue any kind of certificate?

I agree the Finnish document looks about as bland as can be imagined, not "official" at all.

[Jools]

Unfortunately, not.

The Embassy would only certify that the signature on the document belonged to so-and-so from the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

[Hank W.]

Well, I guess then thats it, the "Virkatodistus".