Family in Helsinki

Before getting married you must request, in writing, an examination of possible impediments to your marriage. You must request the examination from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency well in advance of the wedding. Civil marriages are conducted at the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and require an appointment.

Digital and Population Data Services Agency, Helsinki
Lintulahdenkuja 2 D, 2nd floor
Tel. 0295 536 244

Read more about marriage, marital contract or other family matters on the InfoFinland page: Marriage in Finland.

Information regarding a child’s birth is sent from the hospital to the Finnish Population Information System. You must inform the Digital and Population Data Services Agency about the child’s names, native language and other necessary information on a separate form that will be sent to your home.

You can read more about the registration of a child’s birth, recognition of paternity and maternity and custody on the InfoFinland page: When a child is born in Finland.

Helsinki offers services and support for childcare and education. You can get advice and help with caring for a newborn at Helsinki’s maternity and child health clinics. If you need help with everyday situations, can ask the home service.

Child home care allowance

If you are caring for a child under three at home, you can receive child home care allowance (kotihoidon tuki). You can claim the allowance from Kela. In addition, the City of Helsinki pays a municipal care allowance supplement for families who care for a child under 12 months at home.

You can read more about childcare and education outside the home on the InfoFinland pages Early childhood education and Education in Helsinki.

Guidance and home service for families with children in Helsinki

Do you need advice and help with looking after a child at home or with everyday challenges? You can contact the City of Helsinki’s social counselling for families with children online or by phone. You can also apply for home service (kotipalvelu). Home service means assisting the family in their everyday activities.

Tel. 09 3101 54 54. The service is available on weekdays at 8:00–13:00, counselling at 9:00–12:00.

Home service for families with children is subject to a fee. Read more about the hourly rates and the home service on the City of Helsinki website.

Temporary childcare

If you need a temporary nanny in your home, you can contact the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare (Mannerheimin lastensuojeluliitto) or Väestöliitto. Temporary child care help is subject to a fee.

Helsinki also offers a home care service for families with children, which is subject to a fee and depends on the family’s monthly income.

There are playgrounds and family houses in Helsinki in which activities are organised for children and parents who care for children at home. Activities can include sports, singing and arts and crafts.

Some playgrounds and family houses organise Finnish language courses for parents. During the course, a childminder takes care of your child.

Part-time clubs for children between the age of 2 and 4 who do not attend early childhood education are organised at day-care centres, family houses and playgrounds. Similar clubs are also organised by the parishes of Helsinki and various associations.

Helsinki’s playgrounds have activities called See You Today (Tänään tavataan) café, where you can learn everyday Finnish together with children and parents. The activities include singing, play and exercise, for example. No registration is required for the activities. For more information, please visit the nearest playground.

Problems in marriage and relationships

Parents of children under school age can get help with relationship problems from the City of Helsinki’s relationship counselling (parisuhdetyö). You can apply for the service online or by calling the social counselling for families with children.

Social counselling for families with children (Lapsiperheiden sosiaalineuvonta)
Tel. 09 310 15454, Mon–Fri 9.00–12.00

Familia organises relationship counselling for intercultural couples in Finnish, English and Spanish. The Family Federation of Finland also provides relationship counselling and couples therapy in several languages.

You can also get help for relationship and family problems from the family counselling of the Lutheran parish of Helsinki.

To read more, go to: Family.

Help for women in different languages

If you have experienced violence or threats, you can get help and support at Crisis Center Monika. You can make an appointment beforehand by calling the helpline or you can just turn up. The service is completely confidential and you do not have to give your name. You can get help in many different languages.

Helpline 0800 05058, Mon 9.00–19.00 and Tue–Fri 9.00–16.00
Crisis Center Monika (Kriisikeskus Monika)
Address: Hermannin Rantatie 12 A, 4th floor.
Opening hours: Mon–Fri 9 am–5 pm

If a member of your family uses violence against you or threatens to do so, you can contact a shelter (turvakoti). The Mona Shelter is a shelter women and their children. It provides services in several languages.

Mona Shelter (24h)
Tel. 045 639 6274

You can also contact the shelters of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area shelter association (Pääkaupungin turvakoti ry).

Hertta Shelter (Turvakoti Hertta)
Address: Työnjohtajankatu 7 C
Tel. 09 4777 180 (24 h)

Tilkka Shelter (Turvakoti Tilkka)
Address: Mannerheimintie 164 B, 9th floor
Tel. 050 565 0636 (24 h)

Help for men

Lyömätön linja is a service that helps men who have used violence against their wife. Tel. 044 751 1334.

Children’s problems

Nurses at the child health clinic can give advice about issues connected to young children’s health or growth and development.

If your child is of school age, you can ask help from the school nurse.

If you want to ask for advice about issues connected to raising children or their development, you can make an appointment for family counselling (perheneuvola). Family counselling helps children under the age of 18 years and their parents.

The Family Federation of Finland (Väestöliitto) helps families in matters connected to raising children and the well-being of families.

Counselling in different languages:

Tel. 050 325 6450 (Finnish, Sorani, Dari, Persian)
Tel. 050 325 7173 (Finnish, Russian, English)

Young people’s problems

Helsinki Youth Station (Helsingin nuorisoasema) provides help to young people aged 13–23 years living in Helsinki. Help is given for mental health problems or with stopping substance abuse or gambling, for example. The parents of a young person can also contact the youth station.

Girls aged 10–28 can receive support and advice at the Girls’ House (Tyttöjen talo) and boys at the Boys’ House (Poikien talo).

The Red Cross has a shelter for young people aged 12–19 years. At the Emergency Youth Shelter, you can talk to someone and get a temporary place to stay and sleep. Contact information for the Emergency Youth Shelter:

Uudenmaankatu 32 A
Open: weekdays 24 h, weekends 17.00–10.00
Tel. 09 622 4322
E-mail: turvatalo.helsinki@punainenristi.fi (Link opens default mail program)

To read more, go to: Children.

Either spouse alone or both spouses together can file for a divorce. You can file for a divorce alone, even if your spouse does not wish to separate from you. Applications can be sent to the District Court office by post or e-mail.

Helsinki District Court
Porkkalankatu 13
Tel. 029 56 44200

If you need help negotiating matters with your spouse, you can get help from family mediation (perheasioiden sovittelu). 

Read more about divorce proceedings and documents on the InfoFinland page: Divorce.

Children in a divorce

If you and your spouse have children, make an appointment to see a child supervisor (lastenvalvoja). The child supervisor will confirm an agreement on living arrangements, custody, visitation rights and child maintenance support.

Child supervisor appointments:
Tel. (09) 310 44999

Guidance on child supervisor services:
Tel. (09) 310 43447

If you need help agreeing matters related to your children, you can apply for family mediation.

Read more about children’s living arrangements, custody, visitation rights and child maintenance allowance on the InfoFinland page: Children in a divorce.

Do you need a lawyer?

If you need legal help, contact the Helsinki Legal Aid Office (Helsingin oikeusaputoimisto).

Helsingin oikeusaputoimisto
Address: Porkkalankatu 13 J, 2nd floor.
Tel.: 029 56 60120
E-mail: helsinki.oikapu@oikeus.fi (Link opens default mail program)

You can also find a private lawyer through the Finnish Bar Association website.

Senior Info service is provided by the City of Helsinki and offers guidance in services for the elderly in Helsinki. Senior Info is intended for elderly people who live in Helsinki, and their relatives. Senior Info provides services in Finnish and Swedish. You can also ask for an interpreter.

Seniori-info
Address: Siltasaarenkatu 2 (Mon–Fri 9 am–15 noon)
Tel. 09 3104 4556 (Mon–Fri 9 am–15 noon)
Email: seniori.info@hel.fi (Link opens default mail program)

Supported and service housing

Some people, such as elderly or disabled persons, have difficulties in dealing with everyday tasks without assistance. The city organises services for them to help them live independently.

Elderly or disabled persons who are incapable of living independently can reside in sheltered housing or institutional care. You can receive more information on the services from a local social services unit.

Read more on the InfoFinland page: Supported and service housing.

If you care for a family member at home

If you are taking care of an elderly, ill or disabled family member at home, you may be entitled to informal care allowance. You can obtain more information from the local social and contact work unit (sosiaali- ja lähityön toimipiste).

Read more: Elderly.

Funeral homes help with the practicalities of burials. You can search for funeral homes on the website of the Finnish Association for Funeral Homes, for example.

Helsinki has several cemeteries. The Evangelical Lutheran Church maintains most of them. There are also the Orthodox Christian Cemetery of Helsinki, the Jewish Cemetery of Helsinki and the Islamic Cemetery for Tatars of Helsinki, they are in Hietaniemi.

The Muslims of Helsinki have a special burial section at the Honkanummi Cemetery in Vantaa. Honkanummi Cemetery also has a non-denominational area for burying those who did not belong to any religion.

If someone close to your has died and you need mental support, you can call the Crisis Emergency Support (kriisipäivystys). You can call at any hour. The number is 09 310 44222.

Read more: When a close family member dies in Finland.