Extracts from the criminal records for working with children

Organisations that organise volunteer activities have a statutory right to check the criminal backgrounds of their volunteers.

The criminal background can be checked if the volunteer's duties essentially and permanently include teaching, counselling, treatment or care of minors or personal interaction with a minor. The duties must also be carried out alone or in circumstances in which the minor's personal integrity cannot reasonably be guaranteed.

A volunteer's criminal background is checked by ordering an extract from their criminal record.

Ordering extracts requires guidelines for the activity

If your organisation is ordering extracts from the criminal records for the first time, you must draw up guidelines for the activities. The guideline describes how the personal integrity of minors is protected during the activity. The guideline must be enclosed with your first application. If you have updated the guideline, you must include the updated guidelines with your next application. You can make use of the SOSTE Finnish Federation for Social Affairs and Health's guideline (in Finnish) .

You must also determine which volunteer duties require checking the volunteer's criminal background. When you are looking for volunteers for these duties, you must inform applicants that their criminal records will be checked.

Ordering an extract requires the volunteer's consent

You can request extracts of the criminal records of several volunteers with a single application. Enclose the written consent of every volunteer included in your application.

Consent is given in the form of a power of attorney. You can use the LRC's form (PDF)   for the power of attorney. The declaration of content must be signed. It must specify that consent is being given for ordering the extract from the criminal records required for volunteer activities, as well as the duration of the consent.

Attach the signed declarations of consent to the extract application in PDF format.

All documents and enclosures related to the application must be included in the same submission. Incomplete applications will delay processing.

Order the extract electronically or by post

If you are the volunteer activity organiser's representative entered in the Register of Associations, you can order the extract from the LRC's electronic service.

If that is not the case, you will first need to obtain a Suomi.fi e-Authorization for ordering the extract from the criminal records. When you have obtained the authorisation, you can log into our electronic service to file the application.

If your organisation does not have Suomi.fi credentials, use the LRC's application form (PDF) . Complete the application carefully and send it to us by one of the following methods:

• Through the Suomi.fi/messages service (Legal Register Centre > Register services).
• By email to [email protected]. We recommend the Ministry of Justice's secure messaging service . Enter your email address into the service and register it. You will then be sent an email link that will take your message securely to its recipient.
• By post to Legal Register Centre/ Criminal records, PO BOX 157, 13101 Hämeenlinna, Finland.

Delivery of the extract

The price of the extract is 6 euros in the electronic service and 12 euros if ordered through another channel. You will be asked to pay for the extract immediately in the electronic service. An invoice will be sent for applications sent by post or email.

The processing time of an application is 7 business days, and applications are processed in order of arrival. The processing time does not include delivery time by post.

When the extract is ready, it will be delivered to your organisation's postal address. The person on whom the extract was ordered is able to view and print the extract in the LRC's electronic service as well.

Extract processing: read these instructions carefully!

The law provides precise instructions for processing the extracts ordered on volunteers. The party checking the extract

• may not make copies of the extract; and
• may not store other information from the extract than the date of issue and the identity of the person whose extract was checked.

When the extract has been checked, it must be immediately returned to the volunteer in question.

The person checking the extract from the criminal records is under a non-disclosure obligation concerning the information in the extract from the criminal records. This non-disclosure obligation does not end when the person who checked the extract moves to different duties. A breach of this non-disclosure obligation is punishable by law.

An entry in the extract does not automatically prevent choosing the person for the task. Rather, the organiser of the activities must evaluate whether they are suitable for the task.