Genealogy report for settling
a Finnish estate
A statutory genealogy report typically requires several certificates from different registers. The single parish certificate you may have been asked to order is rarely enough on its own.
You get all the certificates the estate inventory and the distribution of the inheritance require, covering the deceased, the spouse and the heirs, so you don't need to work out which certificates your situation calls for and where to order them from.
One order covers the whole estate.
A statutory genealogy report typically requires several certificates from different registers. The single parish certificate you may have been asked to order is rarely enough on its own.
You get all the certificates the estate inventory and the distribution of the inheritance require, covering the deceased, the spouse and the heirs, so you don't need to work out which certificates your situation calls for and where to order them from. One order covers the whole estate.
Choose your situation
The page content adapts to your choice.
We complete the genealogy report you have already started
You have ordered some of the official certificates yourself. We go through what you already have, order the missing ones from the right registers and verify that the whole set has no gaps.
Situations that are easy to miss when ordering yourself
Each of these affects which certificates are needed.
The deceased or the surviving spouse may have been outside the church for certain periods. Gaps are left in the parish certificates, and they have to be covered from other registers.
If the deceased or a spouse has lived part of their life in Sweden or elsewhere abroad, official certificates are needed from Sweden or other countries.
An heir died before the deceased. The share of the inheritance passes to the deceased heir's children, and a separate unbroken genealogy report is needed for the deceased heir.
By law the inheritance goes to the parents or siblings. A separate report is needed for each, and if one of them has died, the chain continues to the next generation.
The heirs' living details don't necessarily appear in the other documents. Separate certificates are needed for them.
Those who disclaim need their own unbroken genealogy reports, so that their children can be established. Separate certificates may also be needed for those children.
In certain cases information is needed from the National Archives, which requires a separate archive request.
How the completion proceeds
IYou tell us what you have already ordered
On the order form you mark which certificates you already have or are on their way, and give the basic details of the deceased and the heirs.
IIWe go through the material
Our experts check what the genealogy report still needs and which registers the missing certificates are requested from.
IIIWe order the missing certificates from the right registers
From the Evangelical Lutheran parishes, the Orthodox Church, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, the National Archives or, where needed, from Sweden. You pay the authority fees at actual cost.
IVYou receive the finished, verified set
Once all the certificates have arrived, we go through the chain once more to confirm it has no gaps and deliver the finished genealogy report for the estate inventory and the bank.
The genealogy report establishes the deceased's heirs
The estate inventory, the distribution of the inheritance, dealings with the authorities and the banks all require a genealogy report, whose purpose is to establish the deceased's heirs. The report must cover every year of the deceased's life from the age of 15, the spouse's details for the duration of the marriage and confirmation that the heirs are alive. In addition, separate genealogy reports are needed for children who died before the deceased and for anyone disclaiming the inheritance, so that their heirs can be verified in the same way.
Certificates are typically needed from more than one register. This is because each register can only certify the period during which a person belonged to it. Most people belong to the church for part of their life and to the civil register for another part. And if the deceased belonged to a different register than the heirs, separate certificates are needed for the heirs, because their living status does not appear in the deceased's certificate. Certificates are typically needed from at least two registers.
In Finland the certificates are issued by the Evangelical Lutheran and Orthodox parishes, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and the National Archives, and where needed by Sweden's Skatteverket (the Swedish tax authority) and Riksarkivet (the Swedish National Archives).
Ordering the certificates yourself is not difficult. What is difficult is knowing which certificates each situation requires and how to read them, so that you can be sure nothing essential is missing. Certificates are also often needed from more than one country, because the deceased may have lived abroad or an heir lives there now.
We wanted to offer a simple way to obtain the genealogy report the estate inventory and the distribution of the inheritance require, so that you don't have to work out what is needed and from where. By placing one order you authorise us to order the required certificates from every register your situation calls for. With a single order you get everything you need from the parishes, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, the National Archives and, where needed, the Swedish registers. From the details you fill in, we know where certificates are needed from, and we order them.
Example case
The deceased was married and had left the church in the 2000s. They had three children, one of whom had died before the deceased. In this situation the genealogy report required six certificates:
- The deceased's official certificate from the parish for the period of church membership.
- The deceased's official certificate from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency for the period after leaving the church. The same certificate also showed the widow's details and the details of the living children.
- A genealogy report for the deceased child from the parish, because their share passed to their own children.
- Certificates of being alive for the deceased child's three children, because they did not belong to the church: three certificates in total.
An incomplete genealogy report halts the estate inventory, the distribution of the inheritance and all banking
The genealogy report is the set of official certificates that shows the estate inventory administrator, the authorities and the banks that every heir is known for certain. Gaps typically come to light only when you try to get the estate's affairs done.
Banks always check the genealogy report before the deed of estate inventory or the distribution of the inheritance. If there is, say, a one-year gap in the deceased's records or certificates are missing for some heirs, the bank will not act until the gap has been covered. The reason is that without a complete chain these parties cannot say with full certainty whether all the heirs are known.
Another common situation arises when the deceased's home is being sold. The buyer's bank asks to see the genealogy report and notices that it is incomplete. The sale is delayed, and at worst the buyer pulls out.
Every genealogy report is reviewed by a lawyer specialising in inheritance law
You don't need to know which certificates your particular situation requires or where to order them from. Through us you get every certificate the genealogy report needs for the estate inventory.
By ordering the genealogy report through us, you can be sure it contains every certificate the estate inventory or the distribution of the inheritance requires.
A lawyer is responsible for each genealogy report and reviews it before delivery. If anything is unclear, you can call +358 45 144 2299 (Mon–Fri 9–16).
You receive a finished, verified genealogy report
You get everything the estate inventory, the distribution of the inheritance, the authorities and the banks require: a genealogy report compiled from every register your situation calls for, with its completeness verified by us. Neither you nor any other heir needs to place a single order yourselves. You make one order to us, and we handle the entire genealogy report on your behalf. The same finished report serves all parties to the estate.
In other words, you receive all the required official certificates for the deceased and for heirs who have died, the certificates for anyone disclaiming the inheritance, and certificates of being alive for those heirs whose details are not included in the other certificates.
You only answer simple questions about the deceased and the heirs. We ask only for the details we need to order the full set. We don't ask for the heirs' details unless they are needed to compile the report.
Ordering certificates is simple; knowing which registers and which certificates your situation requires is not. Before delivery we read every certificate and verify that the chain is unbroken from the age of 15 until death and that the required details are found for every heir.
The registers' document fees come on top of the service fee
The document fees are the registers' own charges for the certificates, and they are the same as if you ordered the certificates yourself. We add no margin to them; we invoice them as they are. A single official certificate costs about 25–85 euros depending on the register.
We cannot promise an exact total in advance, because it depends on your situation: how many certificates are needed and from which registers. We only ever order the certificates the estate inventory actually requires, so you don't pay for anything unnecessary. The same certificates would be needed even if you ordered them yourself.
Just below we set out what the genealogy report costs in total in different situations. We send one invoice for all the document fees when the finished report is delivered, together with instructions on how the invoice can be paid directly from the deceased's bank.
The price of compiling and verifying the report
The price consists of two separate parts:
- The service fee is our charge for ordering the certificates and for the completeness check carried out by our experts. It is 79, 99 or 159 euros (incl. VAT 25.5 %) depending on the situation.
- The document fees are the registers' own charges for the certificates. We invoice them separately at actual cost, in the same amounts as if you ordered yourself.
The service fee is determined by how wide a circle of heirs has to be established. The more people and registers certificates are needed from, the more work compiling and verification involve.
| Situation | Service fee |
|---|---|
|
The deceased has children, and all of them are living Typically requires certificates from at least two registers, such as the parish and the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. Usually around 2–5 certificates are needed. |
79 € |
|
The situation involves one of the following
|
99 € |
|
The deceased has no children or grandchildren The inheritance then goes to the parents, the siblings or their descendants. A separate unbroken genealogy report is needed for each of the deceased's heirs who has died. Typically 10–30 certificates are needed. |
159 € |
If you wish, we also deliver the genealogy report on paper by post (+10 €). The final service fee is confirmed in the order before payment.
With the registers' document fees added to the service fee, the whole genealogy report typically costs:
- about 180–280 €, when the deceased has children and all of them are living
- about 250–500 €, when the situation involves one of the factors above (a child who has died, Sweden, a will or a disclaimed inheritance)
- about 400–800 €, when the deceased has no children and 10–30 certificates are needed
Both the service fee and the document fees are paid from the estate's assets, and both are deductible in inheritance taxation.
How the order proceeds
Ordering is made simple. Anyone handling the estate's affairs can place the order, for example the spouse or a child. When you order, you authorise us to make all the required certificate orders on your behalf.
IYou place the order
You answer a few questions about the deceased and the heirs. It takes about five minutes. A confirmation and a receipt for the service fee arrive in your email straight away.
IIWe order and verify
We obtain everything your situation requires, verify that everything is in place, and send the finished genealogy report to you.
IIIYou receive the finished material
Once all the certificates are in and verified, you receive the finished genealogy report through a secure download link. It comes with a single invoice for the registers' document fees.
The material is accepted as it is in the estate inventory and at the bank. If you wish, we also post it on paper (+10 €).
After that you hand the genealogy report to the estate inventory administrator or use it yourself at the bank and with the authorities. One big task is done.
Compiling the genealogy report typically takes 2–6 weeks
It pays to start ordering the certificates in good time, because the processing times of the parishes, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and the other registers are long. After a certificate is ordered, it typically takes 2–6 weeks before the certificates arrive.
When ordering yourself, you typically order first from one place and wait 2–6 weeks. When the certificates arrive, they often come with a letter explaining that the register can only certify its own membership period and that more certificates are needed from other registers.
Then an order goes to the next register, and possibly to a third. It soon turns out that compiling the genealogy report has taken many weeks.
When you order through us, we know from your answers straight away where certificates are needed from, and we order them all at once. This way you avoid ordering in stages and make sure the three-month deadline for the estate inventory does not hinge on the genealogy report.
Frequently asked questions
Is the service right for my situation?
The service also covers situations more complex than usual: a childless deceased, heirs who died before the deceased and whose share passes to their children, will beneficiaries, disclaimers of inheritance, adoptions, the surviving spouse's certificates for the duration of the marriage, and certificates from Sweden.
From abroad, we handle certificates from the Swedish registers. If the deceased or the heirs have connections to other countries, we will contact you before sending the orders. The order form adapts to your situation.
I already ordered an official certificate. Why isn't it enough?
One certificate covers only one register's records, which usually means only part of the deceased's life. The estate inventory and the banks require genealogy-format official certificates from every register the deceased belonged to from the age of 15 until death. Certificates for the spouse and the heirs are often needed as well.
The certificates you have already ordered will not go to waste. Choose a completion order, and we will check what you already have and order only the missing certificates.
How do I know whether certificates are needed from Sweden?
Certificates from Sweden are needed in three situations: the deceased lived in Sweden at some point in their life, a spouse lived there during the marriage, or one of the heirs currently lives there. If an heir lives in Sweden, we order a certificate of being alive for them from the Swedish authorities.
The certificates are issued by two Swedish authorities: Skatteverket (the Swedish tax authority, which maintains the population register) and Riksarkivet (the Swedish National Archives). Skatteverket covers the more recent register data, Riksarkivet the older church records.
Is the genealogy report accepted in the estate inventory and at banks?
Yes. We order the official certificates from every required register and verify the whole set before delivery. The genealogy report we compile is accepted as it is in the estate inventory and at banks. We deliver the original certificates issued by the registers, not summaries of our own.
Does the service work even if a bank or law firm handles the estate inventory?
Yes. Contrary to what many think, a genealogy report ordered in advance often makes the estate inventory administrator's work easier. When the parties to the estate are known from the start, the administrator can focus on drafting the deed of estate inventory.
How long does delivery of the genealogy report take?
Delivery time depends on the registers' processing times, which are typically 2–6 weeks. We deliver the finished genealogy report as soon as everything needed is in and verified.
What are the fees the registers charge for the documents?
The registers charge a fee for each certificate according to their own price lists, typically 40–85 euros per certificate, and the fees are the same whether we order the certificates or you order them yourself. In a simple situation 3–5 certificates are needed and the fees total about 120–250 euros; in the most extensive situations 10–30 certificates are needed and the fees total about 400–800 euros.
We invoice the fees at actual cost when we deliver the finished genealogy report. We order only the certificates the estate inventory and the bank actually require.
Who pays for the genealogy report?
Both the service fee and the registers' fees are debts of the estate: they are paid from the deceased's assets and are deductible in inheritance taxation. The service fee you pay is reimbursed to you from the estate's assets at the latest in the distribution of the inheritance, and we provide instructions for recording the costs in the deed of estate inventory and paying the invoice from the deceased's account.
If the estate does not have sufficient assets, the orderer is responsible for the fees.
What if I don't remember all the deceased's details?
You don't need complete information. We trace the missing residence and membership periods from the registers and make sure the chain has no gaps. If something essential is missing, we will contact you. Responsibility for the report's completeness rests with us, not with your memory.
What does the completeness guarantee mean?
We verify that the certificate chain has no gaps before delivery. If the set we deliver is missing an official certificate that should have been included, we obtain it without a new service fee. Even then you pay only the register's document fee at actual cost.
Can I cancel the order?
You can cancel the order and get the service fee back up until we send the certificate orders to the authorities (chapter 6, section 16 of the Finnish Consumer Protection Act). After that, cancellation is no longer possible, because the registers charge for certificates already ordered.
How is my data handled?
We process and store your data in Finland, protected with encryption (AES-256-GCM). We use the data only for compiling the genealogy report. Payment is handled by the Finnish Paytrail, and your card details are never passed to us.
You get the finished genealogy report with a single order
We complete your genealogy report
Ordering takes about five minutes. We ask only for the essentials and work out the rest on your behalf.
Tell us your situation, and we will check the material and order the missing official certificates.
Start the order Start a completion order