A data request is an application for statistical, anonymous data that is delivered electronically and has fewer security requirements compared to individual-level data.
Findata is responsible for all data requests, whether from one or multiple controllers, except for data from Statistics Finland, which follows the Statistics Act (280/2004). For more details, visit Statistics Finland’s website (stat.fi).
Before sending a data request, please read the Permits web page.
What to remember before sending an application
Select the correct application type
There are different types of applications for different information needs
- Data permit application, when you need data on individuals
- Data request, when you need statistical data
- Amendment application, when you are applying for an amendment to a valid data permit
Describe and limit data
Define the data to be applied for at the variable level and remember the principle of minimisation for other information. Utilise the Data Resources Catalogue (aineistokatalogi.fi) and controller’s advisory services
- Where from and how do I extract the target group? Is the definition specific enough?
- Are control subjects/relatives extracted? How will they be defined?
- From which registers will the data be extracted?
- What variables will be included in the extraction?
Other data to be combined
- Have you made sure that the other data is described on the application?
- Are the permits for other data valid or is the permit process pending?
Determine the competent authority
We grant permits for the secondary use of social and health data when the application applies to
- data maintained by several public social and health sector controllers
- data maintained by a single public controller, that has transferred the right to issue permits to Findata
- the register data of one or numerous private social and health service provider, or
- data saved in the Kanta Services
The assessment of the competent authority must consider all the data related to the application.
Check from the application assistant which authority the application should be sent to.
General information on data requests
Data requests and their attachments are confidential. We will share necessary information with data controllers to extract data, form target groups, including applicant details.
Decisions and permits granted by the authority are primarily public. On our Issued permits page we will publish the following information for projects with approved data requests:
- date of decision
- decision recipient (organisation)
- project name
- brief description of data use
- purpose of use according to the Act on Secondary Use
This information may be shared through other communication channels.
We provide either aggregated statistical data in table format or key figures. Data is initially collected at the individual level and then anonymized.
When applying for a data request, include a detailed description of:
- How the statistics are formed
- The types of statistical tables created
Changes to the data request content cannot be made after the decision. Note that anonymization may affect the data, and anonymized results may not be possible for very small target groups.
Logging into the e-service
Submit an application in our e-service (asiointi.findata.fi) using either Suomi.fi e-Identification or Haka login. For more information on logging in, visit the Login page.
Please use the same identification method each time you log in to view your submitted applications and decisions.
Data request applications can be submitted in Finnish, Swedish, or English.
After logging in
- Go to the Submit application tab.
- Choose Data request: statistical data by clicking Fill in the application.
- Complete the application form following the instructions provided and submit it.
Once an application is submitted, it cannot be edited. If you need to supplement a submitted application, email us at info@findata.fi with your application ID (e.g., 2022/53). We will return the application for you to update.
See also:
Dates of monthly maintenance outages in 2025
- 23 January 2025
- 20 February 2025
- 20 March 2025
- 17 April 2025
- 22 May 2025
- 19 June 2025
- 17 July 2025
- 21 August 2025
- 18 September 2025
- 23 October 2025
- 20 November 2025
- 18 December 2025
Instructions for submitting a data request
1 Public information about the data request or the project
- Project name
- The name of the project granted a data request will be published on Findata’s website. Ensure the project name does not include confidential information.
- A brief description of the project
- Provide a concise description of the study or project and the intended use of the requested data. This description, once the data request is granted, will be posted on Findata’s website. Avoid including confidential details in this description.
2 Details of the applicant
- The applicant is the person or organization named in the application to whom the data permit will be issued.
- Enter the contact person’s information only in the next section.
- Enter the applicant’s business ID. If the applicant is an individual, enter 123 in the field. For organizations located in an EU/EEA country other than Finland, provide the name of the official register where the organization is registered.
3 Details of the contact person
- The contact person is the individual responsible for answering enquiries concerning the application. Their contact details may be shared with the data controller if additional information is needed during processing.
- Describe the contact person’s relationship with the applicant, such as employment or a public service appointment.
4 Invoicing details
- E-invoicing is the primary method of invoicing.
- If the invoiced party is different from the applicant, clarify this in the ‘Additional Information’ section if necessary.
- Invoicing details for Finnish payers:
- Use the business ID to form the VAT number. Add the country code “FI” to the beginning and remove any hyphen (e.g., business ID “1234567-8” becomes VAT number “FI12345678”).
- Check verkkolaskuosoite.fi for e-invoice addresses.
- Invoicing details for foreign payers:
- Foreign payers should have a Peppol address for e-invoicing. For more information, visit peppol.org.
- If the payer doesn’t have a Peppol-address, the invoice is sent by mail.
Applicant’s business ID
Enter the applicant’s business ID If the applicant is a private individual, enter 123 into the field. If the applicant organisation is located in a country other than Finland or an EU/EEA member state, provide the name of the official register in which the organisation is registered.
5 Purpose of data use
- The application must clearly outline how the requested data will be used, ensuring it aligns with the purpose specified under the Secondary Use Act.
- The data you request should be relevant and necessary for the stated purpose of processing personal data.
- For the reduced decision price applicable to theses, the thesis must be at least the final assignment for a Bachelor’s degree. The reduced price only applies to individual theses.
- If the thesis is part of a larger project or if multiple theses are produced within the same project, it should be categorized as a research project rather than a thesis work in the Findata application.
Purposes of data use:
Education
When data is to be used for education, the applied for data will be used to prepare teaching materials for personnel and persons studying to become social welfare and health care personnel who process customer data and social welfare and health care professionals. Please note: Data containing identifiers can only be used in teaching situations if teaching cannot be carried out anonymously due to the exceptional nature of the case, the nature of teaching or a similar reason. The person providing teaching must inform their students of the confidentiality provisions in legislation and the sanctions resulting from their violation.
Planning and reporting duty of an authority
As a rule, only an authority may carry out the planning and reporting duties of an authority. If an authority does not act as the applicant in a data permit application, the authority must be the controller of the data. As a rule, when work is commissioned, the commissioning party will be the processor of personal data.
Scientific research
When data is to be used for scientific research, attach an up-to-date research plan and a research permit from the responsible/target organisation to your application. Also attach an opinion from the Ethics Committee, if the legislation applying to the research and/or the research setup so requires.
Criteria for scientific research (in general):
- an appropriate research plan
- responsible person or group
- results to be published as a scientific publication
- research produces new information.
Statistics
When data is to be used to form statistics, state in the application which party will compile the statistics and for what purpose.
Development and innovation activities
Development and innovation activities refer to application and use of technical and business data and other existing data together with the personal data referred to in the Secondary Data Act for the purpose of developing new or significantly improved products, processes or services.
In addition, the purpose of the activities must be to
- promote national health or social security
- develop social welfare and health care services for service systems
- protect individuals’ health or well-being or
- secure for them their related rights and freedoms.
Knowledge management
Knowledge management refers to the processing of data carried out by a service provider in their customer, service and production processes for the purpose of supporting
- operations, production and financial control
- management and
- decision-making.
Steering and supervision of social and health care by authorities
A social and health care regulatory or supervisory authority may request aggregated statistical data from Findata by means of a data request if it needs data under the Secondary Use Act in order to carry out its steering or supervisory task.
Upon reasoned request, the data may also be provided in identifiable form if the supervisory authority is entitled to receive them under other legislation, irrespective of confidentiality obligations.
6 Description of the data request
- Provide a clear rationale for why the requested data are required for the stated purposes.
- Indicate whether it is a one-off extraction or recurring.
6.1 Defining the extraction criteria for the target group
- The target group refers to individuals for whom the statistics based on the data request.
- Clearly describe how the target group is formed. Ensure the target group is restricted according to the purpose of use.
- Provide the size of the target group.
- If the size of the target group is unknown, contact the data controllers and/or estimate the size rather too large than too small.
- List the registers the target group is extracted from.
- Name the data controller, register and/or possible data set.
- Describe the inclusion and potential exclusion criteria for target group extraction.
- For example, a geographic area location may refer to a place of residence, a place of birth, a place of work, or a place of use of services.
- Provide the size of the target group.
6.2 Extraction description and compilation of statistics
- Purpose of the extraction description:
- To grant the request, we need a detailed, register-specific list of variables for all requested data and the time period from which the data will be extracted.
- Provide this information on the extraction description form:
- Download the form: Extraction description form (Word file, 57 kB)
- Complete a separate form for each data controller.
- If the extraction involves controls and relatives, include the detailed variable information on the form.
- Mention age- or gender-related data if required and specify the register.
- If the extraction involves multiple stages, describe the extraction order.
- Contact data controllers to review and confirm the extraction description before submitting the application to Findata.
- The data controller will also provide an estimate of the extraction costs. Note that even if you do not receive cost estimates from the controllers in advance, you can still send your application and the extraction description form to Findata.
- Describe the statistics generation in the tabulation plan:
- Download the form: Tabulation plan (Excel file, 19,2 kB)
- For each statistics you request, provide an empty example table with row and column variables defined.
- For each table, record:
- Register to be used
- Target group
- Data needed (variables)
- How to form variables not directly available from the register
- Direction for percentage aggregation
- Table generation order if new tables are based on existing ones
- Any other relevant factors for generating the table
- Make sure to use same terms in both documents.
7 Additional information and attachments
- List all sources of funding under the question regarding project funding. The sources of funding influence the decision on the data request fee.
- A lower data request fee applies if:
- The applicant’s place of operation is in Finland or another EU/EEA country.
- The research is research-driven and funded without external funding or with funding from a public healthcare unit, university, research institution, or other public or non-profit entity.
- A lower data request fee applies if:
- Specify any details from previous sections of the application, such as invoicing.
- If your application is linked to a previous data request granted by Findata, provide the diary number of the previous data request decision.
- If you have discussed in advance with Findata or the data controllers, provide the names of the persons with their organisation information.
- Include all relevant attachments that do not have a designated place on the application form. Do not attach data to the application.
8 Confirmation of information
- Confirm the information provided on the application form.
- The permit decision will be subject to a fee according to the current fee decree. See the current pricing.
- The final costs also depend on:
- The data controllers’ expenses for extracting data
- The time Findata spends processing the material.
How to speed up the processing of your data request
The processing time for your application depends on several factors, including the clarity of your data request description, our current processing load, and response times from data controllers. To expedite the process:
- Complete the application carefully: Ensure all sections are filled out thoroughly and accurately.
- Clearly define information needs: Specify the data extractions for each register and provide an empty sample table for each requested statistic, marking row and column variables clearly.
- Contact controllers directly: Reach out to data controllers if you need more details about the data or variables. They offer advisory services and can provide the best information on their datasets.
- Utilize advisory services: Use Findata’s advisory service for additional support and clarification.
For more information, visit the Data page or check the Data Resources Catalogue (aineistokatalogi.fi).
Processing of the data accessed via a data request
A data request can only be used to acquire a ready analysis, the results of which are aggregated data. We deliver the data in CSV format (semicolon as separator, UTF-8 encoding). We provide either aggregated statistical data in table format or key figures.
The controllers extract data at the individual level, which Findata then anonymises. Please note that anonymisation may affect the content of the compiled statistics and may not be possible for very small target groups.
Findata delivers the statistical data to the customer via the Nextcloud transfer service.
How to order a Nextcloud user ID for receiving aggregated data:
- Login to Findata’s e-service (asiointi.findata.fi).
- Choose Order of a Nextcloud user ID by clicking Fill in the application.
- Fill out the form. In the Identifier field write “Data request”.
- Click Send Application on the right side of the page under the “Actions” header.
We will contact you if additional information is needed for registration.
How is anonymisation implemented?
Anonymisation is carried out so that no individual can be directly or indirectly identified from the data, and data relating to an individual cannot be linked to other data. The process also considers if a group’s data could be exposed when all members share the same sensitive value.
Anonymisation is done using a threshold of five, meaning aggregated data must be based on at least five people. This rule applies to both statistical tables and key figures.
If a table cell contains data from fewer than five people, the data will be adjusted to prevent identification.
Data may be generalized or blacked out if necessary. Blacking out removes values to avoid revealing sensitive information. Primary blacking out hides sensitive data directly and supplementary blacking out prevents exposure through marginal sums.
Can I make changes to the tabulation afterwards?
Yes, changes to the tabulation outside the original tabulation plan can be made after the decision if:
- The changes align with the intended use described in the data request decision.
- The changes can be made with the data described in the decision.
- The level of coarseness of the tabulation is not reduced.
Submit the change request by email to data@findata.fi within 30 working days of the release of the statistical data.
Each delivery allows for one change request, applied to the latest statistical table. If the work required exceeds the maximum cost estimate provided in the decision, additional charges will apply at the hourly rate for data processing.
Information on costs
The costs for data requests consist of the following:
- Decision fee: Charged according to the pricelist.
- Hourly fee: For data processing carried out at Findata.
- Data controller costs: Costs for the extraction and delivery of data, based on each controller’s provisions.
When processing a data request, we will obtain a maximum cost estimate from the controller for extracting the necessary data and provide our own maximum cost estimate for data processing by Findata. These estimates will be forwarded to the applicant before making a decision on the data request. The final price of the statistical data will be confirmed after disclosure and will not exceed the maximum cost estimate. Separate processing fees apply to expired and negative decisions.
For more details, visit: Pricing
Data request decisions pricing
| Price category | Criteria | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Data request for a thesis | A data request is related to a thesis for an applicant who is domiciled in Finland or another EU or EEA country. If the project produces several theses or other outputs not related to the thesis, this is a normal or extensive information permit. | 250,00 EUR |
| Data request decision for researcher-driven research | Research is conducted without external funding or with funding from a public health care unit, university, research institute or other public or non-profit association. The applicant must be established in an EU or EEA country and the application must be accompanied by an explanation of how the research will be funded. | 1 250,00 EUR |
| Data request | All other data requests. | 2 500,00 EUR |
