Application for the return of a child in a child abduction case
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- Nationwide
- Public service
If your child has been wrongfully removed from Finland to another Contracting State of the Hague Child Abduction Convention, contact the Unit for International Judicial Assistance at the Ministry of Justice, which functions as the central authority, to submit an application for the return of the child. The Contracting States of the Hague Child Abduction Convention include almost all European count ...
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Submitting an application for the return of a child
If your child has been taken to a Contracting State to the Hague Convention, you may contact the Ministry of Justice, which will send you an application form and provide instructions on filling it in if necessary. Please carefully fill in the form and include at least the following information:
- a claim for the return of the child
- the child’s personal data
- the personal data of the applicant and the parent or other person who has wrongfully taken the child abroad
- the legal grounds on which the applicant’s claim for the return of the child is based; a report on the child's custody and its violation, and residence in Finland
- a detailed description of the situation in which the child has been removed or retained
- information relating to the child’s whereabouts
- the application should be supplemented by a custody decision, a certificate of the child’s day care place or school attendance, an authorisation granted to the central authority, and photographs of the child and the parent.
In the central authority’s experience, it is useful to be assisted by a lawyer familiar with international family law. They can help you prepare your application. This will also make any communication with a foreign lawyer run more smoothly.
You can contact the Unit for International Judicial Assistance at the Ministry of Justice to submit an application for the return of the child. When preparing your application, we recommend using the services of a lawyer familiar with family law. Please send the completed, signed application with the necessary attachments by email to central.authority.om@gov.fi.
To whom and on what terms
Conditions and criteria
A case usually constitutes international child abduction when it meets the following criteria:
- The child has been taken abroad from their country of permanent residence or has not been returned after a parent has exercised their right of access, for instance.
- The child has been removed or retained without the custodian’s consent.
- The custodian has actually exercised their rights of custody.
- The child is under 16 years of age.
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An application for the return of a child may be completed by the custodian of the child.