Data

Findata provides access to social and health register data for secondary use when the data originates from multiple public data controllers, private service providers, or the Kanta Services.

Book a time for personal consultation

You can book a time for personal consultation with an expert from Findata. Appointments are available three days a week and last for 20 minutes. The meetings are held remotely via Teams.

We offer help in the following topics:

General consultation on Findata’s services
Data permit applications, amendments, and data requests
Extraction description form and other forms
Ordering Findata’s secure processing environment Kapseli, pausing, and data storage service

You can see the available times below. Appointment service is on a summer break from June 19 to August 11, 2025.

Make sure you have written your email address correctly. After booking, we will send a confirmation to your email and a downloadable calendar reminder. We will send the link to the Teams meeting later.

If you have not received a confirmation or Teams link, email us at info@findata.fi.

_{The personal consultation service is provided as a part of the FinHITS project funded by the European Union.}

What data are available?

Check out the controllers within the scope of the Act on the Secondary Use of Health and Social Data, the contact details we have collected on controller and links to data descriptions. Read more

Can data be combined to other information?

Other data can be combined to data applied for from Findata. Please list the data to be combined in your application. Read more

Where can the data be analysed?

Data that is subject to data permits and amendment permits can only be analysed in an environment that meets specific requirements. Statistical data accessed via a data request is sent to the customer. Read more

Where do I send an application for a permit?

Select the controllers from whom you need data and check which authority is competent to grant a permit. Read more

What data are available via Findata?

You can apply for access to the data maintained by the controllers listed below via Findata. More details on these data restrictions can be found in the Act on the Secondary Use of Health and Social Data.

Download: Act on the Secondary Use of Health and Social Data (PDF file, 5.4 MB).

Each controller creates descriptions of their register data to help users assess whether the data are suitable for their purposes. For more details on available data, contact the relevant controller directly.

We are working with controllers to standardise data descriptions to improve clarity and accessibility.

Links to data controllers’ websites and data descriptions

Digital and Population Data Services Agency

Data covered by the Secondary Use Act:

Personal basic information (e.g., date of birth, date of death, personal identity code)
Family relationships
Places of residence
Building information

If other information is needed, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency is responsible for processing the application and making the permit decision.

More information (dvv.fi)
Pricing (dvv.fi)

Data resource-level data

Overview of the Population Information System (dvv.fi)

Finnish Centre for Pensions

Data covered by the Secondary Use Act:

Employment and earnings data of individuals
Granted benefits and their grounds, including disability pension diagnoses

If other information is needed, the Finnish Centre for Pensions is responsible for processing the application and making the permit decision.

For statistical inquiries, contact the experts at the Finnish Centre for Pensions: Contact information (etk.fi)

Variable-level data in the Data resources catalogue:

More information: Register data for research use (etk.fi)

Data resource-level data:

Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)

Data covered by the Secondary Use Act

All data resources except those collected by THL as a statistical authority for statistical purposes.

More information: Research use and data permits (thl.fi)

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health

Data covered by the Secondary Use Act

Occupational diseases
Exposure measurements

More information: Data permits for datasets of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (ttl.fi)

Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea)

Variable-level data in the Data resources catalogue (in Finnish)

Can data be combined to other information?

Yes, data provided under the Secondary Use Act can be combined with other information, such as:

Data collected by an individual themselves
Data accessed with another permit

As a rule, Findata or a statistics authority can combine the data.

If you wish to combine data later on to data you have received via Findata, send an amendment application for the data to be combined. For more information, see the Amendment permits page.

If you wish to combine data accessed with an individual’s consent with data that Findata has issued a permit for, the research subject’s notification and consent models must be attached to the application.

If the data were accessed with another organisation’s permit, provide the following details in your application:

Permit record number, issuing authority, and decision date
If the permit is still being processed, the name of the organisation handling it and the date the process started
A brief description of the additional data

Do not attach external permits to your application. Findata will request them separately if needed.

See Data transfers to Findata for submission instructions.

Where can the data be analysed?

Aggregated statistical data obtained via a data request can be analysed freely in line with the data utilisation plan.

Individual-level data requiring a data permit must be analysed in a secure environment.

As a rule, all individual-level data are disclosed to Findata’s secure processing environment, Kapseli. However, under the Act on the Openness of Government Activities, data may also be disclosed to other approved secure environments if necessary.

Regulation on secure processing environments

Findata has issued a regulation specifying the information security requirements for secure processing environments used for secondary use of social and health data.

These requirements apply to all purposes covered by the Act on the Secondary Use of Health and Social Data, including:

Scientific research
Statistics
Teaching (only for preparing teaching materials, not actual teaching)
Planning and investigation tasks of public authorities

Since 1 May 2022, compliance with these requirements has been mandatory for any data processed outside Findata’s Kapseli environment. In addition, the processing environment must be assessed by a data security assessment body that must issue a certificate on the assessment.

The regulation allows for different technical solutions. Secure environments may range from:

A physically and technically secure space with an isolated analysis device
Cloud-based solutions, provided they meet the required security standards

Foreign researchers’ processing environments must also comply with these requirements. Compliance can be demonstrated through internationally recognised security certifications, verified by an approved Finnish assessment body.

If a data controller within the scope of the Secondary Use Act grants a data permit for data from their own registers, they must also disclose the data to a secure environment that complies with the Act on Secondary Use.

Amendment permits (modifications to existing data permits) are subject to the same security requirements as data permits, except in cases where only the data processor is changed.

The National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) maintains a public register of compliant secure environments. See Database of secondary-use environments (valvira.fi) for more information, including registration details and fees.

Where do I send an application for a permit?

Statistical aggregated data accessed via a data request can only be obtained through Findata.

Both Findata and individual data controllers can issue data permits and amendment permits.

Public controllers issue permits if the application concerns only their own data and does not involve combining the data with other datasets covered by the Secondary Use Act.
Findata is responsible for issuing permits whenever the application involves combining data from multiple controllers covered by the Act.

Submit your application to Findata if it concerns

Data from multiple public social and health sector controllers
Data from a single public controller that has transferred its permit authority to Findata
Register data from one or multiple private social welfare and healthcare service providers
Customer data stored in the Kanta Services

Use the Application Assistant at the end of this page to determine which authority you should apply to based on the data you need.

Transferred right to issue permits

Some public controllers have authorised Findata to issue permits on their behalf under the Act on Secondary Use. In such cases, Findata processes all permit applications related to these controllers’ register data.

Currently, the following controllers have transferred their permit authority to Findata:

Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) (excluding internal permit administration and THL Biobank permits)
Regional State Administrative Agencies (Southern Finland, Eastern Finland, Lapland, Southwestern Finland, Western and Inland Finland, and Northern Finland)
National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira)

Some public controllers, such as the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), the Finnish Centre for Pensions (ETK), and Statistics Finland, cannot transfer their permit authority to Findata.

What data are available?

Can data be combined to other information?

Where can the data be analysed?

Where do I send an application for a permit?

What data are available via Findata?

Links to data controllers’ websites and data descriptions

Data covered by the Secondary Use Act:

Data resource-level data

Data covered by the Secondary Use Act:

Variable-level data in the Data resources catalogue:

Data resource-level data:

Data covered by the Secondary Use Act

Data covered by the Secondary Use Act

Variable-level data in the Data resources catalogue (in Finnish)

See also

Data covered by the Secondary Use Act

Variable-level data in the Data Resources Catalogue (in Finnish):

Data resource-level data (in Finnish)

Data in the Data resources catalogue (in Finnish)

Data resource-level data

South Karelia Wellbeing Services County

South Ostrobothnia Wellbeing Services County

Data in the Data resources catalogue (in Finnish)

South Savo Wellbeing Services County (Eloisa)

City of Helsinki

Data descriptions in the Data resources catalogue

Helsinki University Hospital (HUS)

Data descriptions in the Data resources catalogue

Kainuu Wellbeing Services County

Kanta-Häme Wellbeing Services County (Oma Häme)

Data descriptions in the Data Resources Catalogue:

Central Ostrobothnia Wellbeing Services County (Soite)

Central Finland Wellbeing Services County

Central Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County (Keusote)

Lapland Wellbeing Services County

Data descriptions in the Data resources catalogue (in Finnish)

Pirkanmaa Wellbeing Services County (Pirha) / Tampere University Hospital (Tays) Research Services

Data descriptions in the Data resources catalogue (in Finnish):

Ostrobothnia Wellbeing Services County

Data descriptions in the Data resources catalogue (in Finnish)

North Karelia Wellbeing Services County (Siun sote)

North Ostrobothnia Wellbeing Services County (Pohde)

Data descriptions in the Data resources catalogue (in Finnish):

North Savo Wellbeing Services County

Data descriptions in the Data resources catalogue (in Finnish):

Päijät-Häme Wellbeing Services County

Satakunta Wellbeing Services County

Southwest Finland Wellbeing Services County (Varha)

Data descriptions in the Data resources catalogue (in Finnish)

Data covered by the Secondary Use Act

Regional State Administrative Agencies in the Data resource catalogue (in Finnish)

Data covered by the Secondary Use Act:

Data covered by the Secondary Use Act

Variable-level data in the Data resources catalogue

Cost estimates

Can data be combined to other information?

Where can the data be analysed?

Where do I send an application for a permit?

Submit your application to Findata if it concerns

Transferred right to issue permits

See also

Ready-made datasets

Submission of data to Findata

Regulation on data descriptions

Application assistant

Select the controllers from which the data will be retrieved