Eirekisteröity

Eirekisteröinti, also known as Finnish heritage recognition, is a process in Finland where an individual or a family can apply to have their non-Finnish place of origin recognized as part of their Finnish heritage. The purpose of eirekisteröinti is to acknowledge and honor the ties an individual or family has with a specific region or culture outside of Finland, while simultaneously stating their connection to the Finnish nation.

The process involves submitting an application to the National Archive of Finland, which then conducts a thorough examination of the submitted information, including documents, proofs, and other relevant materials. The application must demonstrate a direct ancestry to a specific region or culture of interest.

During the examination process, the National Archive assesses the validity of the provided information, verifies historical records and documents, and evaluates the overall significance of the heritage recognition. If the application is deemed valid, the registered person or family will receive a heritage recognition certificate, known as "eirekisteröintibeville".

Eirekisteröinti has been active in Finland since its inception in 1930, enabling hundreds of thousands of Finns to register their maternal or paternal ancestry from foreign countries, including Sweden, Russia, and other European nations. As of date, it is estimated that over 55,000 registration records have been established under the eirekisteröinti scheme.

By acknowledging and sharing their non-Finnish cultural and ethnic heritage, the registrants are invited to participate in the effort to promote understanding, tolerance, and respect for diverse cultural backgrounds. Specifically, families are encouraged to take part in heritage discovering and genealogical research while engaging with international roots that are deeply influenced by their Nordic nationality.