Before, same-sex couples could only register their partnership in Finland. Today, same-sex couples can also get married. It is no longer possible to register a partnership in Finland.
A partnership registered abroad can be notified to the Finnish Population Information System for registration.
Many of the rights and responsibilities of persons living in a registered partnership are the same as those of married spouses. The Information about marriage page explains more about the impacts of marriage.
In practice, there are only a few differences between registered partnerships and marriage. A couple living in a registered partnership for example cannot:
adopt a child together from outside the family
take a common surname.
If you live in a registered partnership, you can convert it into a marriage by submitting a notification to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. This applies only to partnerships registered in Finland. A partnership registered abroad cannot be converted into a marriage in Finland.
Married same-sex couples have the same rights as married couples who are of different sexes. When you convert your registered partnership into a marriage, you can take a common surname.