Kuolema

When your loved-one passes away, you may need many kinds of help and support. You need not be alone with sorrow and anxiety. Crisis help is available for example in family counselling centres, psychiatric clinics and health centres.

 If a person dies outside of a hospital, notify the police or a doctor immediately.

The police will see to it that the cause of death will be determined, if necessary. Police will also forward the information of the passing to the Population Register Centre. When a person dies in a hospital or a treatment facility, information of the passing will be automatically forwarded to the Population Register Centre as well as Kela and the pension institutions.

Once a medical examiner has established the cause of death he/she will issue a death certificate. A body cannot be buried without the certificate. A local register office or church will issue a burial permit, once the medical examiner has issued the death certificate.

The Kela website contains a list of things to do in case of a death of relative.

Funeral

Religious communities provide help in the organisation of funerals. You can find out more from your church. The website of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church contains information on services they provide. It is also possible to have a civil funeral. More information on civil funerals is available at the Pro-Seremoniat website. Funeral services offer their services for a charge. They take care of all the funeral arrangements, for example provide transport for the deceased, sell coffins and urns and take care of all the other details of the burial as requested by the family. Information on funeral services or available for example on The Finnish Association of Funeral Services (Suomen Hautaustoimistojen Liitto) website.

Grave

Nearly all Finnish cemeteries are owned by Evangelical Lutheran parishes, but a grave can be obtained even if you do not belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Graves are subject to a charge, and more information is available from the parishes. If the deceased person did not belong to a church and did not want a religious burial, such a ceremony will not be arranged. Deceased persons can be buried in coffins or cremated. Many municipalities also include cemeteries of other religions. For example, Orthodox, Islamic and Jewish cemeteries are available in the largest cities. In addition, many municipalities have grave sites for deceased persons who did not belong to any religion. Cremated ashes can also be sprinkled on land or into a body of water if this is permitted by the land owner.

Funeral Allowance

Sometimes the deceased is entitled to funeral allowance due to employment. Ask for more advice from the most recent employer. It is possible to apply for financial assistance from the social services office if the deceased was without means to pay for the funeral.

Family Pension

Family pension (perhe-eläke) can be paid to the spouse or children of the deceased after his or her death. The purpose of the pension is to ensure the livelihood of the widow and children. Two family pension schemes are in place in Finland: Kela’s (the Social Insurance institution of Finland) family pension and the employment pension system’s family pension. If the deceased persons was employed or ran a business in Finland, the widow and children may be eligible for a family pension provided by the employment pension system. Both pensions can be applied for at Kela.

If a person has lived or worked in another country for an extended period of time before moving to Finland, the spouse or children may also be entitled to receive a family pension from this country.

Estate Inventory

Estate inventory must be held within three months of the death. A detailed family history must be compiled from the birth of the deceased to his/her death. Extracts from parish registers are also required from the people who have a share in the estate and will therefore inherit due to the death. Inheritance is subject to tax. The estate inventory must be left with the tax office within one month of the reading of the will. More information is available from the websites of the Judicial System (oikeuslaitos) and the Tax Administration (verohallinto).

Links:

Act on Maintaining Cemeteries
Contact Details for Lutheran Congregations
Care of a Dying Patient and Treatment of the Dead in Accordance with the Islamic Faith in Finland