Getting married in Finland — how it works legally

Finland is rather easy country in Europe to get legally married in. Of course there is some paperwork you need to submit but it is not excessive and you can always get help from the officials. You just need to give some time for the authority to process your application but that's usually just few weeks or a bit over a month. So whether you are planning to elope or have a wedding in Finland, there is few things you need to know.

Who can marry in Finland?

First of all, foreigners can legally marry in Finland. Neither of you needs to be citizen nor resident to get married in Finland. Finland is also LGBTQ+ friendly what comes to marriage. Queer marriages have been legal in Finland since 2017.

In Finland there is age restriction and restrictions on how close relatives can marry. Both of you need to be 18 or over. You can't marry some one who is closely related to you like your cousin, half sister or if you are related through adoption.

Paperwork needed for getting legally married in Finland

Getting legally married in Finland you need to request an examination of impediments to marriage. The authority responsible for the  examination of impediments to marriage is Digital and Population Data Services Agency, locally known as DVV. Request should be made three to five months prior the wedding day. Examination takes usually three to five weeks and once it's done you'll receive certificate of the examination by e-mail or by mail.

This is what you need for your request:

• original certificate of your marital status

• its legalization and translation, if needed

• official form to a request for the examination of impediments to marriage, you'll find it from DVV's website

• a copy or photo of the passport of the spouse whose data is not available in the Finnish Population Information System (meaning both of you if you are not Finnish residents)

• a certificate that you can enter into the marriage in question in Finland, if neither of you is a Finnish citizen and neither of you has a place of residence in Finland

Before filing in your request of the examination of impediments to marriage

Before filing in the request it's a good idea to verify from DVV if you need the legalization and translation of your marital status certificate. Legalization is usually needed when the certificate is admitted by any other authority than your home countries local embassy or consulate in Finland.

You also need to decide what surnames you are going to use after you are married, so it's good idea to start to think about it already. When you have all the paperwork in hand and you have made the decision regarding your surnames then it's time to mail or e-mail your request to DVV.

Receiving  the examination of impediments to marriage

When DVV has processed your request, you'll receive certificate by mail or e-mail. Certificate is valid for four months from the date it was issued.

Ceremony

You can book ceremony time already when you are waiting for your paperwork to be processed but you need to keep in mind that if all the papers are not correct the processing will take more time than expected. So it's best to book your ceremony within three to four months from the time you filed your request.

Where to have the ceremony?

You can have your wedding ceremony basically anywhere in Finland. DVV and District Courts offer marriages ceremonies at their premises free of charge. If you want to get married somewhere else, whether it's in nature or a lovely venue of your choice, it's also possible. Cost for the officiant coming to you varies between 150-250 € plus travel expense. Though during the busiest summer season it might not always be possible to get an officiant to come to you. Also if you are planning to have your ceremony in place with difficult access, finding an officiant might be tricky.

What do I need for the ceremony?

Both of you need to be present in the ceremony of course. If one or both of you don't speak any of the official languages of Finland (Finnish, Swedish and Samean languages) or English you need to have an interpreter with you. You'll need two witnesses, 15 years or older, and they also need to understand the language of the ceremony. I've been a witness several times to couples whose elopement I've photographed and can help you to figure out where to find an other witness if you are not having anyone with you.

If your officiant is from DVV you don't need any other documents with you except your passport or ID card. When you are married by officiant from District Court or from religious community you need to take your certificate of the examination of impediments to marriage with you also. Your witnesses should also have they passport or ID card with them.

During the ceremony

The official civil ceremony is very short, it takes just couple of minutes. There is no need to stress about it. Only thing you need to do is to say "I do" when asked during the ceremony. If you wish you can personalize the ceremony with your own vows, speech from your guest, music or you can ask the officiant read something that is meaningful to you like a poem.

After the ceremony

After the ceremony you will immediately receive marriage certificate signed by your officiant. You don't need to sign anything yourselves. And ta-daa you are legally married!

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Hi! I'm Suvi, a professional wedding and elopement photographer from Finland. I'm happy to help you with your photography needs and share my expertise on what comes to intimate wedding and elopement planning. Don't hesitate to contact me!