Data protection

According to section 7 of the Act on the Processing of Personal Data in the Immigration Administration, the Finnish Immigration Service processes

• personal data identifying the person, 
• family relationship information, 
• data on representatives, 
• information describing skills and 
• contact details, and 
• information on travel documents and the card for a pending application pursuant to section 96 of the Aliens Act (301/2004).

When justified for the purposes of the case, the Finnish Immigration Service will process:

1. information arising from an application, request, request or notification or from an enquiry or consultation made in pursuance thereof;
2. information on the proceedings, findings and decisions;
3. information concerning reception services and other reception activities, the identity and contact details of the representative, information concerning the appointment, removal and termination of the representative's mandate, and information necessary for the guidance, planning and supervision of the representative's activities;
4. information on when the foreign national has been placed in the detention facility and when he/she has left the facility, information to ensure the organisation, planning, implementation, monitoring and proper treatment of aliens in detention, as well as information on visitors to the detained alien and other persons visiting the detention facility and other information related to the visit or visit;
5. information on the municipality to which the person is allocated.

The Finnish Immigration Service may also process any observations that it has discovered or been informed of which, due to the circumstances or the person's behaviour, may reasonably be considered to relate to the competence of the Finnish Immigration Service to monitor the conditions of entry and residence of a person, to decide on the acquisition and loss of Finnish citizenship or to the obligation to ensure the safety of persons in its employment. The comments must be accompanied by information on the provider or source of the data and an assessment of the reliability and accuracy of the data. The Finnish Immigration Service does not use the information in the comments as a basis for its decisions.

The Finnish Immigration Service also processes personal data of the applicant's family members, persons living in the same household and recipients in Finland, as well as personal data of the person who employs the foreign worker.

The Finnish Immigration Service processes data belonging to special categories of personal data only if the processing is necessary for the purposes for which it is intended. Such data indicates person's racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, or concerns a person's health, sexual orientation or behaviour, or is genetic and biometric data for the purpose of identifying a person.

The Finnish Immigration Service also processes applications for residence permits, residence cards and residence cards for family members of Union citizens, as well as fingerprints taken for alien passports and travel documents for refugees. 

The Finnish Immigration Service also processes the data stored in the case management system for immigration affairs for purposes other than the original purpose of processing, if the data are necessary for the performance of the statutory tasks of the Finnish Immigration Service, as separately provided by law.

Personal data will also be disclosed to other authorities for the performance of the authority's statutory task to the extent specified in the law, if the recipient has a statutory right to receive such data from the Finnish Immigration Service.

Personal data will be transferred to third countries or international organisations only to the extent permitted by law.

Subject to the provisions on confidentiality, the Finnish Immigration Service shall disclose personal data to the common information systems of the European Union established by the Regulations adopted pursuant to Chapter 2 of Title V of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union in accordance with the provisions of those Regulations.

Subject to an international obligation or the law, personal data processed on the basis of the Immigration Service Personal Data Act should be deleted as follows:

1. the customer number, name, date of birth, personal identity code, foreign identity number, any other code or number issued to identify a foreign person, nationality and the person’s family connections should be deleted from a person’s identification data ten years after they have died, or have acquired Finnish citizenship, or the details of matters relating to that person have been deleted;
2. personal data other than those referred to in paragraph 1 and data relating to personal matters shall be erased at the latest five years after the end of the right of residence or the last entry of data in the last pending case;
3. special categories of personal data are deleted as soon as they become unnecessary to keep;
4. remarks are deleted when six months have passed since they were recorded.

With regard to reception activities and assistance to victims of human trafficking, the Finnish Immigration Service and the reception centres and detention units under the authority of the Finnish Immigration Service act as controllers in the reception's patient register and payment card register in addition to the case management system for immigration affairs (later UMA). In addition to the above, the Finnish Immigration Service's reception centres and detention facilities have recording security cameras, a visitors' register and possibly other systems or registers where personal data are processed on the basis of the statutory tasks of the reception centre and detention facility.

In practice, the processing of personal data relates to the organisation, planning, implementation, monitoring and control of accommodation, reception and subsistence allowances, social and health services, work and study activities and other reception-related activities. The data may also be processed for the planning, organisation, implementation, statistics, monitoring and control of the reception of asylum seekers. Data can be processed both electronically and manually on paper.

All persons registered with the reception centre and detention unit and admitted to the assistance system for victims of trafficking in human beings who apply for and receive healthcare services are registered in the patient register. In the patient register, personal and patient data are processed in connection with initial health checks and other health-related healthcare interventions carried out by the reception centre/detention centre operator or by a healthcare service provider on its behalf (so-called "outsourcing"). The data may also be processed for the planning, organisation, implementation, statistics, monitoring and control of healthcare activities.

The patient records referred to in section 12 of the Act on the Status and Rights of Patients (785/1992) are stored in the patient register at the reception. The data to be stored in medical records and the periods for which they are to be kept are governed by the provisions of section 12 of the said Act and the provisions issued pursuant thereto.

In addition to the reception centres of the Finnish Immigration Service, other reception centres also operate within the reception function, each of which is responsible for keeping records of the data they store as a data controller. For information on the processing of personal data and data protection in these organisations, please contact each controller.

The reception centre will initially receive the personal data from the authority that received the asylum application. At the reception centre, personal data are processed in different information systems and are completed at different stages of the reception process. If a client moves from one reception centre to another, the new centre will receive the personal data from the previous centre and the processing of personal and patient data will continue at the new centre.

Privacy policy on the processing of personal data in reception activities (pdf)
Privacy policy on the processing of personal data by representatives (pdf)
Privacy policy on the payment card register (enfuce.com)
Processing of personal data in reception services information (pdf) (in Finnish)

Privacy policy on the processing of personal data in detention (pdf)
Privacy policy on the processing of personal data by representatives (pdf)
Privacy policy on the patient register (pdf)
Privacy policy on the payment card register (enfuce.com)

The purpose of the feedback form is to receive feedback, ideas and suggestions. The form tells customers that the feedback will not include any personal data about the person giving the feedback. Feedback can also be sent anonymously.

The Finnish Immigration Service processes personal data on the basis of Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR. The data subject has given their consent to the processing of their personal data.

Feedback is stored in the Webropol application.

The data stored in the application includes:

• feedback from the customer,
• feedback entered into the system on behalf of the customer; and
• any personal data provided by the customer in their feedback (name, date of birth, personal identification number, e-mail address, telephone number, customer number)

Only the data that the user chooses to provide when giving feedback is stored in the system. If you wish, you can also provide feedback anonymously. In addition, feedback given over the phone or at the customer service desk can be entered into the system by the customer service agent on behalf of the customer.

Data retention period: The data are kept in the database of the information systems for the time necessary for operations and reporting. However, the personal data will be deleted at the latest one year after the date of storage. 

The Finnish Immigration Service processes personal data for the purpose of carrying out customer and stakeholder communications and surveys for the Finnish Immigration Service. 

We process personal data on the basis of Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR. The processing of personal data are based on the customer's consent.

Saved data: All data to be stored is obtained from the data subject.

Disclosure of data: As a rule, no data are disclosed to entities outside the Finnish Immigration Service. In addition, the data will not be transferred outside the EU or EEA, nor to international organisations.

Data retention period: The data will be deleted from the register at the request of the person concerned or when there is no longer a legitimate reason to keep it. The content and timeliness of the register is checked at least every three years. 

Privacy policy for customer and stakeholder communications and surveys (pdf)

Purpose and legal basis of the processing of personal data

The purpose of the processing of personal data in this register is customer services and guidance. When a customer contacts the customer guidance services by phone, the customer is informed at the beginning of the phone call that the call will be recorded. You can also contact the helpdesk by e-mail.

The Finnish Immigration Service uses the data in the register for planning and developing its services and service channels, as well as for securing the quality and controlling the legality of guidance.
The management, persons responsible for reporting and system administrators have access to all personal data stored. Officials only have access to the recordings of the calls they have personally handled.

The processing of customer calls and the identification of callers in connection with disclosure of data are based on Article 6(1)(c) of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU 2016/679).

Categories of personal data

The data stored in the register constitutes personal and company data provided by the customer themselves and those created in connection of guidance provision.

For incoming and outgoing communications to the Finnish Immigration Service and for communications handled by the service, the following personal identification data are registered:

• The caller’s telephone number or e-mail address
• The name and telephone number of the official or service e-mail address

The calls are recorded automatically and in their entirety. The data content consists of information provided by the customer, and may include, for example,

• name,
• date of birth, 
• personal identity code,
• customer number or case number,
• citizenship,
• language of contact,
• address information, 
• telephone number, 
• e-mail address, 
• housing details, 
• family details,
• information about other service and customer transactions.

The data may include special categories of personal data, including the following personal data:

• data revealing racial or ethnic origin
• data on political opinions
• data concerning religious of philosophical beliefs
• data on trade union membership
• data concerning sex life or sexual orientation
• data concerning health
• genetic data
• biometric data.

The recording of a call begins when a Finnish Immigration Service officer answers the call or makes a phone call to a customer. The recording ends when the phone call ends.

Sources of data

The data is acquired from the caller or the customer over the phone.

Recipients of personal data

As a rule, no data is disclosed to entities outside the Finnish Immigration Service.

Transfer of personal data outside the EU/EEA

No data is transferred outside the EU or the EEA or to international organisations.

Retention period of personal data

The call recordings are stored for one (1) year from their recording. E-mails are stored for six months from receipt. The deleted information is erased using appropriate methods.

The purpose of the processing of personal data contained in this register is to enable making appointments at an Immigration Service Point, to make an appointment providing guidance and contacting the customer for appointments and planning and managing the scheduling and management of officers' appointments.

The Finnish Immigration Service uses the data in the register to serve customers and in the design and development of services and an access channel. In accordance with Article 6(1)(c) of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU 2016/679), the processing is based on the controller's legal obligations. The controller's legal obligation is based on the following regulations:

• Aliens Act (301/2004)
• Nationality Act (359/2003)
• Act on the Processing of Personal Data in the Immigration Administration (615/2020)

Categories of personal data

The following are registered in the Finnish Immigration Service's appointment system the identification of persons:

• Name
• Nationality
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Contact information (either phone number or email address)
• The branch the customer visited
• Type of appointment
• Name, office and email address of the officer

The data content also includes information provided by the time person making the appointment, which may include for example, the identification data of a person:

• Customer number
• Personal identification number
• Telephone number of the officer and the reason for the absence

The data may also include other information provided by the person on his or her own initiative personal data.

Sources of data

The data are obtained from the customer via the online service.

The data on the officer is obtained from persons in managerial positions within The Finnish Immigration Service.

Recipients of personal data

As a rule, no data is disclosed to entities outside the Finnish Immigration Service.

Transfer of personal data outside the EU/EEA

The Finnish Immigration Service does not transfer data from this register outside the EU/ETA.

Retention period of personal data

The personal data processed will be retained for one (1) year after their entry. Deleted data will be archived/destroyed with appropriate methods.

Personal data is collected in the register so that you can use the Enter Finland online service of the Finnish Immigration Service. Enter Finland uses the data in the register when you log in to Enter Finland and use the service.

You can use the service when your matter is related to

• your own application
• the application of your minor child
• a minor you legally represent
• a foreign national you legally represent.

If you notice that the information in your citizen’s account or draft document is incomplete or incorrect, you can supplement or correct it yourself:

• In Enter Finland, you can always supplement or correct
  • your contact information (i.e., your phone number and email address)
  • the details of your draft application or other draft document.
• If you use light identification in logging in to your account, i.e., log in with your username and password, you can also supplement or correct your identification information (i.e., your first and last name and date of birth) 
  • If you use strong identification in logging in to your account, i.e., log in with your Finnish online banking codes, and the error concerns your identification data you must contact the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (dvv.fi).
• You can use Enter Finland to send a request for rectification to the Finnish Immigration Service if the error or change concerns
  • an application or document you have submitted
  • a document the Finnish Immigration Service has submitted to you in Enter Finland.

Data categories processed in relation to the Enter Finland citizen’s account include

• information related to user identification, which includes at least your first name, last name, date of birth and the technical identification number of your citizen’s account, as well as your personal identity code, learner number and customer number, depending on your situation 
• data on family relations
• contact information
• log data that indicates when you have used the citizen’s account or made changes to data.

The processing of personal data in your account is based on Article 6(b) of the GDPR (the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party).

The personal data we process are obtained from the data subject, i.e., from you. The data are not disclosed to recipients outside the Finnish Immigration Service, and the Finnish Immigration Service will not transfer the data from the register outside the EU or EEA.

If you no longer need your citizen’s account, you can ask the Finnish Immigration Service to delete the account. The Finnish Immigration Service will not delete your user account if you have submitted an application in Enter Finland but have not yet received a decision on it or if the decision is not yet legally valid. When your citizen’s account is deleted, all of your account information and any draft documents will be deleted. The Finnish Immigration Service will destroy the deleted citizen’s account and the data that the deleted draft documents contain using the appropriate methods.

Data categories processed in relation to draft documents include

• identifying data of the applicant, i.e. you, your child or a person you are legally representing
• the applicant’s contact information
• details of the applicant’s travel documents
• information on the applicant’s family relations and personal data of family members
• personal data of other persons if they share their household with the applicant or will share their household with the applicant in Finland
• the applicant’s special categories of personal data, if this is necessary for the processing of the application
• log data that provides information about when you created, filled in, and edited the draft document
• information describing your competence if your application is related to work in Finland
• your employer’s personal data if you are applying for a residence permit on the basis of employment.

The processing of personal data in your draft documents is based on Article 6(a) (the data subject has given consent to the processing of his or her personal data) and 6(b) (the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party) of the GDPR. The processing of any specific personal data in the draft documents is based on Article 9, 2(a) of the GDPR (the data subject has given explicit consent to the processing of those personal data).

If you are an adult, the personal data processed in the draft document are obtained from the data subject, i.e., from you. If you are a minor or if you are acting on behalf of a minor, the personal data processed in the draft document will be obtained from 

• the data subject, i.e., the child
• the parent or guardian of the data subject, i.e., the child
• the person legally representing the data subject, i.e., the child.

The data are not disclosed to recipients outside the Finnish Immigration Service. The Finnish Immigration Service also does not transfer data from this register outside the EU or the EEA.

The data contained by the draft document will be removed from the register when one of the following conditions is met:

• You delete your draft document yourself.
• You complete the draft and submit the document to the Finnish Immigration Service.
• You ask the Finnish Immigration Service to delete your citizen’s account.

The Finnish Immigration Service will destroy the data that the deleted draft documents contain using the appropriate methods. 

When you submit the document to the Finnish Immigration Service, the grounds for processing your personal data and the practices for disclosing and storing the data will change. Read more about the privacy of submitted documents.

Does your employer, counsel or representative use Enter Finland?

• If you are applying for a residence permit based on employment your personal data may also be processed in Enter Finland for Employers. 
• If you have a counsel or a representative, your personal data and other information you have provided may also be processed in Enter Finland for Counsels and Representatives.

Any other processors of your personal data

• If you pay the processing fee of your application online, the Finnish Immigration Service will disclose your email address to the Paytrail payment gateway.
• If the Finnish Immigration Service makes a positive decision on your application, it may order a residence permit card or residence card for you. In this case, the Finnish Immigration Service will disclose your personal data to the card manufacturer.
• At the request of the Finnish Immigration Service, the card manufacturer may deliver the cards directly to the company that delivers the cards to you. In this case, the Finnish Immigration Service will share your contact information with the card manufacturer and the delivery company.
• If you apply for a residence permit for a startup entrepreneur and request a statement from Business Finland, Business Finland will process your personal data (businessfinland.fi) in addition to the Finnish Immigration Service.

Personal data are stored in the register and the data in the register are processed when you use the Finnish Immigration Service's Enter Finland online service in the following situations:

• your employee is applying for a residence permit based on employment
• a company or organisation you represent is applying for employer certification
• you submit an employee notification.

The Finnish Immigration Service processes personal data in compliance with Article 6(1)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation (the data subject has given consent to the processing of their personal data).

If you notice that the information in your citizen’s account or draft document is incomplete or incorrect, you can supplement or correct

• your contact information in the Enter Finland online service
• your identifying data, such as your name, by contacting the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (dvv.fi).
• the identifying data of the company or organisation you represent by contacting the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (prh.fi). 

Data categories processed in relation to the Enter Finland citizen’s account include

• data related to identifying you and any company or organisation you represent
• information describing your competence or position
• contact information
• log data that indicates when you have used the citizen’s account or made changes to data.

The processing of personal data in your account is based on Article 6(b) of the GDPR (the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party).

The personal data we process are obtained from the data subject, i.e., from you and your employee. The data are not disclosed to recipients outside the Finnish Immigration Service, and the Finnish Immigration Service will not transfer the data from the register outside the EU or EEA.

If you no longer need your citizen’s account, you can ask the Finnish Immigration Service to delete the account. When your citizen’s account is deleted, all of your account information and any draft documents will be deleted. The Finnish Immigration Service will destroy the deleted citizen’s account and the data that the deleted draft documents contain using the appropriate methods.

Personal data categories processed in relation to draft documents include

• data related to identifying you
• contact information
• information describing your competence or position
• the personal data, contact details and information describing the competence or position of an employee hired by the company or organisation you represent
• log data that provides information about when you created, filled in, and edited the draft document.

The processing of personal data in your draft documents is based on Article 6(a) (the data subject has given consent to the processing of his or her personal data) and 6(b) (the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party) of the GDPR.

The personal data we process are obtained from the data subject, i.e., from you. The data are not disclosed to recipients outside the Finnish Immigration Service. The Finnish Immigration Service also does not transfer data from this register outside the EU or the EEA.

The data contained by the draft document will be removed from the register when one of the following conditions is met:

• You delete the draft document.
• You complete the draft and submit the document to the Finnish Immigration Service.
• You ask the Finnish Immigration Service to delete your citizen’s account.

The Finnish Immigration Service will destroy the data that the deleted draft documents contain using the appropriate methods.

When you submit the document to the Finnish Immigration Service, the grounds for processing your personal data and the practices for disclosing and storing the data will change. Read more about the privacy of submitted documents.

Any other processors of your personal data

• If you pay the processing fee of your application online, the Finnish Immigration Service will disclose your email address to the Paytrail payment gateway.

Personal data is collected in the register so that you can use the Enter Finland service of the Finnish Immigration Service when you act as an attorney, counsel, guardian or representative of a customer of the Finnish Immigration Service.

The Finnish Immigration Service processes personal data in compliance with Article 6(1)(a) of the General Data Protection Regulation (the data subject has given consent to the processing of their personal data).

If you notice that the information in your citizen’s account or draft document is incomplete or incorrect, you can supplement or correct

• your contact information in the Enter Finland online service
• your identifying data, such as your name, by contacting the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (dvv.fi).

Data categories processed in relation to the Enter Finland citizen’s account include

• data related to identifying you
• your contact information
• identifying data of the customer you are assisting or representing
• log data that indicates when you have used the citizen’s account or made changes to data.

The processing of personal data in your account is based on Article 6(b) of the GDPR (the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party).

The personal data we process are obtained from the data subject, i.e., from you. The data are not disclosed to recipients outside the Finnish Immigration Service. The Finnish Immigration Service also does not transfer data from this register outside the EU or the EEA.

If you no longer need your citizen’s account, you can ask the Finnish Immigration Service to delete the account. When your citizen’s account is deleted, all of your account information and any draft documents will be deleted. The Finnish Immigration Service will destroy the deleted citizen’s account and the data that the deleted draft documents contain using the appropriate methods.

Personal data categories processed in relation to draft documents include

• data related to identifying you
• your contact information
• identifying data of the customer you are assisting or representing, data describing competence, contact information, information on family relations, personal data of the customer’s family members, and information obtained from the customer’s travel documents
• the personal data of your customer’s employer if your customer is applying for a residence permit based on employment
• log data that provides information about when you created, filled in, and edited the draft document.

The processing of personal data in your draft documents is based on Article 6(a) (the data subject has given consent to the processing of his or her personal data) and 6(b) (the processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is a party) of the GDPR. The processing of any specific personal data in the draft documents is based on Article 9, 2(a) of the GDPR (the data subject has given explicit consent to the processing of those personal data).

The personal data we process are obtained from

• the data subject, i.e., from you
• the data subject’s counsel or representative, i.e., from you.

The data are not disclosed to recipients outside the Finnish Immigration Service. The Finnish Immigration Service also does not transfer data from this register outside the EU or the EEA. 

The data contained by the draft document will be removed from the register when one of the following conditions is met:

• You delete the draft document.
• You complete the draft and submit the document to the Finnish Immigration Service.
• You ask the Finnish Immigration Service to delete your citizen’s account.

The Finnish Immigration Service will destroy the data that the deleted draft documents contain using the appropriate methods. 

When you submit the document to the Finnish Immigration Service, the grounds for processing your personal data and the practices for disclosing and storing the data will change. Read more about the privacy of submitted documents.

Personal data categories processed in relation to the documents of the customer you are assisting or representing include

• your and your customer’s identifying data
• your and your customer’s contact information
• data describing your customer's competence
• data obtained from your customer’s travel documents
• information on your customer’s family relations and personal data of their family members
• personal data of other people if they share their household with your customer or will do so when coming to Finland
• the personal data of your customer’s employer if your customer is applying for a residence permit based on employment
• your customer’s special categories of personal data, if this is necessary for the processing of the application

The personal data we process are obtained from

• the data subject, i.e., from you and your customer
• the data subject’s counsel or representative, i.e., from you
• the Finnish Immigration Service.

The data are not disclosed to recipients outside the Finnish Immigration Service, and the Finnish Immigration Service will not transfer the data outside the EU or EEA. 

You will have access to your customer’s records until one of the following conditions is met:

• The credentials you have submitted to the Finnish Immigration Service are no longer valid.
• Another counsel or representative informs the Finnish Immigration Service appropriately that they are your customer’s new counsel or representative.
• Your customer notifies the Finnish Immigration Service that you are no longer their counsel or representative.

Your access to your customer’s records will not affect the duration of the storage period of your documents or your customer’s data. Read more about the storage period of your customer’s data.

If you notice deficiencies or errors in the data in your customer’s documents, ask the Finnish Immigration Service to supplement or correct the data. Your customer may also request this.

Purpose and legal basis of the processing of personal data 

The purpose of the data is to hire interpreters and process the availability of interpreters.

The processing of the personal data of interpreters is necessary for establishing contracts between interpreters and the Finnish Immigration Service (Article 6.1.b of the General Data Protection Regulation [EU 2016/679]). Directive 2013/32/EU of the European Union lays down that asylum seekers are to be provided with an interpreter. Provisions on the right of customers of the Finnish Immigration Service to use an interpreter and the authority’s obligation to ensure interpretation or translation in the matters it processes are laid down in the Aliens Act (sections 10, 97 and 203 of the Aliens Act). 

Personal data groups  

Interpreter data  

• Name of person (interpreter)   
• Interpretation company  
• E-mail address   
• Telephone number  
• Address  
• Gender  
• Country of birth  
• Time of performing a security clearance and the period of validity of the security clearance  
• Travel costs  
• Interpretation languages (incl. dialect area, special vocabulary managed by the interpreter)  
• Completed training provided by the Finnish Immigration Service and possible sector-specific training   
• Absences and availability  

No personal data defined as special personal data of the data subjects (interpreters) are processed in the system, but by combining these data, it may be possible to deduce special personal data of individual persons.

In addition, the following data on each interpreter based on the user’s actions are stored in the system:

• Interpreter booking - booking an interpreter for an event, calendar view, and list of events  
• Longer absences of the interpreter 
• Information about the interpreter’s late arrival at an event 

Information on the interpretation recipient  

The data on the interpretation recipient stored to the system includes only their UMA customer number which is used as the identifier (reference number) of the interpretation order. Individual interpretation recipients cannot be identified of the interpretation assistance system without data combined from other systems. 

Event logs are kept on the use of the register (system).

Sources of data  

The data are obtained from interpretation service providers. In addition, some of the information is provided by the person themselves.  

Recipients of personal data  

The processed personal data are only regularly disclosed to the controller from this data file. The data may only be disclosed to other authorities in accordance with the valid legislation.

Transfer of data outside the EU or EEA  

The Finnish Immigration Service does not transfer data from this register outside the EU or the EEA or to international organisations.  

Storage period of personal data  

Personal data are deleted from the system when they are no longer needed to fulfil the purpose of use unless otherwise laid down in valid legislation related to the storage of personal data.  

When the person’s (interpreter’s) assignments to the Finnish Immigration Service have ended due to either the prohibition of use or the termination of the interpretation agreement, the interpreter will be deactivated in the system and their personal data other than their name, language of interpretation and booking history will be erased. The name, language of interpretation and booking history of the deactivated interpreter are displayed in the system as deactivated for one year due to the need to check interpretation events and invoicing. After this, the name of the interpreter is pseudonymised for four years for statistical purposes. After five years of initial deactivation, the interpreter’s data will be completely removed from the system.

Right to access personal data  

You have the right to receive confirmation from the controller whether or not personal data concerning you are being processed, and if such personal data are being processed, you have the right to access your personal data, this privacy statement and other information listed in Article 15.  

Right to rectify, add to or erase your data  

If you notice that some of your data is missing or wrong, you can ask the Finnish Immigration Service to correct them. In this case, we ask you to let us know which data are incorrect and why as well as tell us how the data should be changed, or to let us know which data should be complemented and how. 

You have the right to have the controller delete personal data concerning the data subject without undue delay unless the controller has the right to process personal data despite the request for erasure pursuant to Article 17.  

Right to restrict processing  

If you have informed us that your data are incorrect, you have the right to ask that their processing is restricted until their correctness has been checked.  

Report concerning personal data processing and right to complain to the supervisory authority  

If you want to report a problem with the processing of your personal data, you should first of all contact a representative/data protection officer of the controller of this data file or the Finnish Immigration Service (see contact details above). You also have the right to complain about the processing of your data to the supervisory authority. In Finland, this supervisory authority is the Data Protection Ombudsman.   

You can find the website of the Data Protection Ombudsman at www.tietosuoja.fi.

No exceptions will be made to the rights of the data subject.

Every year, the Finnish Immigration Service requests the Digital and Population Data Services Agency to extract from the Population Information System data on persons registered as Finnish citizens aged 18 or over in the year in question for whom the Population Information System has an address where the person can be contacted. Persons who have had a municipality of residence in Finland for a total of at least seven years are not included in the sample. The person whose data has been obtained by this extraction will be instructed on how to proceed in order to retain Finnish citizenship when he or she reaches the age of 22. The instructions are issued in the year in which the person turns 18.

The Finnish Immigration Service processes personal data both for the purpose of informing about the retention of citizenship and for the purpose of informing about the circumstances under which a person loses Finnish citizenship directly by law on reaching the age of 22.

The processing is based on compliance with a legal obligation pursuant to Article 6(1)(c) of the GDPR. This task is laid down in section 37, subsection 2 of the Nationality Act, which obliges the controller to inform about the threat of losing Finnish citizenship and the possibility of retaining it. 

Data to be processed

For the purpose of informing persons, the Finnish Immigration Service processes the following personal data: 

• personal identity code, 
• name, 
• the code of the population register authority
• your address in Finland or abroad (permanent, temporary or postal address), 
• the latest migration dates,
• the possible start and end dates of the different addresses, and
• native language.

The Finnish Immigration Service processes separately the data of persons with and without an address data security ban.

Disclosure of data

The data will not be disclosed outside the Finnish Immigration Service. In addition, the data will not be transferred outside the EU or EEA, nor to international organisations.

Data retention period

Personal data will be properly destroyed after the sending of customer letters. 

The Finnish Immigration Service's newsletters may be subscribed to directly from the website to your e-mail. By subscribing to the newsletter, the customer gives permission to store his/her contact details for the purpose of sending the newsletter. The data are entered into the Finnish Immigration Service's information system or entered by the staff of the Finnish Immigration Service.

The purpose of the press release distribution list is to distribute press releases and event invitations from the Finnish Immigration Service by e-mail to the media and other persons who have subscribed to the press releases. The collected contact information can also be used for other communications from the Finnish Immigration Service. The communication is based on the consent of the individual.

We process personal data on the basis of Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR. The processing of personal data are based on the customer's consent.

Saved data

The following customer data are stored in the distribution list for press releases:

• name of the subscriber 
• the organisation represented by the subscriber, if provided 
• subscriber's email address

Disclosure of data

The data will not be disclosed outside the Finnish Immigration Service. The data will not be transferred to a third country or international organisation.

Data retention period

The data will be deleted from the register at the request of the person concerned or when there is no longer a legitimate reason to keep it. The content and timeliness of the press release distribution list is also checked every three years.