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Start-up notification for branches

A branch of a foreign trader means a part of a foreign organisation or foundation that professionally runs business activities in Finland, from this country, in the name of or on behalf of the foreign business or foundation.

The foreign trader must submit a start-up notification concerning its branch to the Trade Register before the branch commences its operations.

If the trader is from a country outside the European Economic Area (EEA), it will also need a permit from the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH) for the establishment of the branch. Read more about permit to establish a branch of an organisation.

On this page, you will find information on the following:

Who can file

The notification is signed by the representative of the branch or the person entitled to sign the company name of the branch, or by someone authorised by that person.

If an authorised person signs the notification, enclose a certified copy of a special power of attorney or the original general power of attorney.

How to file

File your notification using online or paper forms.

You need Form Y1 and Appendix Form 3 and our Personal Data Form. Open: Instructions on how to fill in Form Y1. (pdf, 0.6 MB)

Save the forms to your computer before filling them in.

Please fill in the forms in Finnish or in Swedish.

Please note: use the Personal Data Form to file personal identification details with the Finnish Trade Register. Do not include personal identity codes or home addresses on any other notification forms.

Details to be given in form Y

Fill in the following details in the form Y:

  • The company name of the branch
      • The company name must include the foreign trader’s company name together with a supplement showing that a branch is concerned
      • Example: “CDE Cargo Ltd., Suomen sivuliike"
  • The branch’s postal address
  • The line of business
      • The branch must operate in the same line of business as the foreign trader.
      • Branches whose line of business is narrower than the foreign trader’s have, according to our practice, been approved for registration.
  • The foreign trader’s company name and legal form
      • Example: company name “CDE Cargo Ltd." and legal form “company limited by shares"
  • The register in which the trader opening the branch has been entered in his home state and the number of the trader in that register
      • Example: The Registrar of Companies for England and Wales, Companies House, Cardiff
  • The personal details of a representative
      • The representative is a person who is entitled to receive summons and other notifications on behalf of the trader (see section 6 of the Finnish Enterprise Act (565/2023)).
      • The representative must be resident in the European Economic Area (EEA), if the trader is a foreign corporate body or foundation that is founded under the legislation of a country belonging to the EEA and has its registered office (designated in the statutes), its central administration or head office in a country belonging to the EEA.
      • In other cases, the representative must have a place of residence in Finland.
  • Personal data on each person authorized to sign the company name of the branch and an account of how the company name must be signed
  • The persons authorized to represent the trader as a statutory body or as members of such body and their personal data
      • In many cases the body referred to in the law is the board of directors of the foreign company. The situation is to be interpreted in accordance with the law of the home state of the foreign organization or foundation.

If a foreign trader opening a branch has his statutory place of residence, central administration or main establishment outside the European Economic Area, the start-up notification must also indicate the state whose laws govern the trader, and the statutory place of residence, central administration or main establishment of the trader.

If the foreign trader from a country outside the European Economic Area is a limited or comparable company, the notification must also indicate the share capital or comparable capital unless it is given in the memorandum of association or the articles of association or in a corresponding document.

How to file your notification using online forms

Log in to the online form “Notification to the Finnish Trade Register". Please note that the form is only available in Finnish and Swedish.

To log in, you need to have a Finnish personal identity code and additionally one of the following: personal internet banking codes, a mobile certificate, or an electronic identity card (HST card). What to do if you do not have a Finnish personal identity code.

After you have logged in, select the matter you want to file with the Finnish Trade Register. Send the forms, receipt for the handling fee, and the other required documents (see “What documents need to be enclosed" below) as PDF files. Send.

Go to the online form “Notification to the Finnish Trade Register" in Finnish or in Swedish. Open link in a new tab

How to file your notification using paper forms

Fill in, print out and sign the forms. Send the forms, receipt for the handling fee, and the other required documents (see “What documents need to be enclosed" below) by post. The address can be found on form Y.

Foreign organisations with Business ID

If a foreign organisation establishing a branch already has a Business ID, use the following forms to report the establishment: Form Y4, Appendix Form 3 and the Personal Data Form. Before you start, read our instructions (in Finnish or Swedish) on how to fill in Form Y4 at ytj.fi. Open link in a new tab

Give your previous Business ID on the form.

Save the forms to your computer before filling them in.

Form Y4 is bilingual (English and Finnish) and Personal Data Form is in English. They can be sent to us. Appendix Form 3, on the other hand, has to be sent either in Finnish or in Swedish.

Please note: use the Personal Data Form to file personal identification details with the Finnish Trade Register. Do not include personal identity codes or home addresses on any other notification forms.

What documents need to be enclosed

Enclose the following documents with the notification:

  • Receipt for the handling fee
  • Evidence of the establishment of the branch
  • Evidence of the appointment of a representative for the purposes of section 6 of the Finnish Enterprise Act (565/2023)
  • Indication of the persons authorized to represent the trader as a statutory body or as members of such body (often appears from the trade register extract issued by the authority of the company's home state)
  • Indication of granting of the right to sign the company name as well as the manner in which the company name must be signed
  • An extract from the register i n which the foreign trader has been entered in its home state or other evidence of its existence
  • A Finnish or Swedish-language copy or a legally valid translation of the memorandum of association, articles of association, rules or other corresponding documents of the trader
  • If the organization or foundation establishing the branch is from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) , an account thereof that a permission to establish a branch has been obtained from the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH)
  • If a person is reported for entry in the Register who has no Finnish personal identity code, the notification must be accompanied by a proof of the existence of the person
      • The proof can, for example, be a certified copy of his or her passport.
      • If the person concerned is mentioned in the extract from the register concerning the foreign organization or foundation, no other proof of his or her existence is needed.

A copy of the minutes of a board meeting of the foreign company often serves as the evidence of the establishment of the branch, of the appointment of a representative and of granting of the right to sign for the company.

The laws of the company's home state shall determine the body competent to decide on such issues, whereas the body representing the company under law often appears from the trade register extract issued by the authority of the company's home state.

If a document in a foreign language is attached to the notification, it must be accompanied by a translation of it in Finnish or Swedish.

Please note that all the details and documents you submit will be made public, apart from the personal data form and copies of passports. Do not include any other documents that contain personal identity codes, home addresses, or other confidential details (such as health details or business secrets).

Price

Notification using an online form: EUR 370

Notification using a paper form: EUR 370

Make the payment in advance and enclose the receipt with your notification. Read more in our payment instructions.

What to do if you do not have a Finnish personal identity code

If you do not have a Finnish personal identity code you can file your start-up notification for branches in our online form if the following conditions are met:

  1. You are a citizen of an EU country and you don’t have a Finnish personal identity code.
  2. You use the means of identification of some other EU country.

File your notification by logging in to the online form “Identification method for foreign persons - Notification to the Finnish Trade Register". When you log in, select the country whose means of identification you use.

After you have logged in, select “Start-up notification for branches" as the matter to be filed. Fill in the company details. Add the notification forms you have filled in (see our instructions above) and other necessary attachments as PDF files. Send.

Go to the online form “Identification method for foreign persons – Notification to the Finnish Trade Register".Open link in a new tab

Monitor the progress of your notification

You can monitor the progress of your notification using the notification search in the Virre Information Service. Go to the notification search in Virre. Open link in a new tab

If you do not know the Business ID, you can start by searching your ID using the company search in Virre.

Printable version Latest update 01.01.2024