Acknowledgement of parenthood

Parentage can be declared at a maternity and child health clinic before the birth of the child. If, for any reason, parenthood has not been declared at the maternity health clinic, an advance declaration can be made at the office of the child welfare supervisor in the mother’s municipality. Parents must arrive at their appointment with the child welfare supervisor together. Both must present a valid identification document and the mother must have a maternity record from the maternity and child health clinic (proof of pregnancy). If the pregnancy has started as a result of fertility treatment, you must also bring the original fertility treatment certificate. If parenthood was declared before the child’s birth, the person who has declared parenthood becomes the child’s guardian once that parenthood has been confirmed.

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency informs the child welfare supervisor of the mother’s municipality of residence of children born outside of marriage. If parenthood has not been declared during pregnancy, the child welfare supervisor will send the child’s mother a contact and appointment request.

In order to determine parentage, both parents must visit the child welfare supervisor in person. Usually, parents make a joint appointment for this, but the investigation can also be initiated by the child’s mother or father alone.

If the other parent lives abroad, you must provide the child welfare supervisor with the information required to reach the parent living abroad.

If the paternity of a child is uncertain, paternity can be confirmed by a forensic genetic paternity test. If necessary, a child welfare supervisor can also propose the test to be carried out. The test is free of charge when paternity is being investigated.

Forensic genetic paternity testing is carried out in the laboratory of the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) using buccal swab samples, which are collected under the supervision of a child welfare supervisor. Samples are taken from the mother, child and potential father.

You must not eat, drink or smoke for at least half an hour before the sample is taken. 

DNA testing is necessary if it is not possible for a parent with an immigrant background to obtain an official identity document, as well as in a situation where information on the marital status of the mother is not available.

The paternity of a child born within a marriage can be determined by means of a forensic genetic paternity test at a child welfare supervisor’s office within six months of the child’s birth if the parents jointly request the test. If the test shows that the husband is not the father of the child, the parents may apply for the revocation of the husband’s paternity with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency within one year of the child’s birth.

The paternity of a child born in a marriage can also be investigated by a child welfare supervisor if the parents agree to determine paternity after another man has declared or indicated that he intends to declare paternity of the child. Without parental consent, the child welfare supervisor cannot take any action. Anyone planning to declare paternity must personally obtain the parents’ consent.

You and the other parent must have valid identity documents with you.  

Acceptable documents: 

• a passport (any country)  

• an alien’s passport issued by a Finnish authority or a refugee’s travel document   

• an identity card (issued by an authority in Finland, the European Economic Area, San Marino or Switzerland)  

• a driving licence issued by a Finnish authority after 1 October 1990.  

If the child has been conceived through fertility treatment, the parents must have the original fertility treatment certificate with them.