Register data for research use
The Finnish Centre for Pensions’ register data can be requested for scientific research use.
Pension Register data and Earnings and Accrual Register data on employment covered by earnings-related pension insurance can be used for research purposes in accordance with the Act on the Openness of Government Activities, the Data Protection Act, and the Act on the Secondary Use of Health and Social Data (Act on Secondary Use), even though individual-level data is confidential. The research must be clearly specified, scientific and based on a research plan. Register data are not extracted for commercial purposes.
The Finnish Centre for Pensions has transferred the authorisation powers under the Act on Secondary Use (552/2019) to Findata. The transfer was made because of amendments to the Act on Secondary Use that came into force on 1 May 2026. Findata grants both data permits and data request decisions, as well as decisions on amendments to them. Amendments due to this transfer have been considered in the instructions below.
Permit procedures
Following the amendment to the Act on Secondary Use, an applicant may submit a centralised application to Findata or apply separately to each of the controllers referred to in the Act. In the latter case, each organisation issues its own decisions on data permits and data requests, as well as any decisions on amendments to them (decentralised authorisation).
The permit is granted by either the Finnish Centre for Pensions or Findata:
- A permit must be requested from Findata if the data can be disclosed for research purposes under the Act on Secondary Use. In both the centralised and decentralised procedures, the applicant submits the application to Findata.
- A permit must be requested from the Finnish Centre for Pensions if the disclosure of the research data is not subject to the Act on Secondary Use. Access to the data is granted under a special law or the Act on the Openness of Government Activities, in accordance with the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ instructions.
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The Pension Register contains information on old-age pensions, disability pensions and other pension benefits granted as earnings-related pensions.
The Earnings and Accrual Register contains information generated in connection with insuring work for which earnings-related pensions accrue: periods of employment and self-employment, as well as unsalaried periods due to, for example, unemployment, studies and parenthood.
The privacy notices of the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ register data (in Finnish) are posted on the website of the Finnish Centre for Pensions. Model descriptions of the field lists of the research data sets are also available.
Descriptions of field lists:
- Content of Pension Register data items compiled for research purposes (pdf)
- Content of Earnings Register data items compiled for research purposes (pdf)
Read more on Etk.fi
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The Finnish Centre for Pensions cannot grant a permit for register data if the extraction of research data is covered by the Act on Secondary Use.
Findata grants the permit
Following the amendment to the Act on Secondary Use, Findata may grant permits centrally on behalf of the organisations listed in the Act (Chapter 6, Sections 1–8). Alternatively, those organisations may each issue their own decisions on data permits, data requests and any amendments to them (decentralised authorisation). When determining which authority should issue the permit, all data used in the research are taken into account.
When determining which authority is competent, all data used in the research that are subject to the Act on Secondary Use are considered. Permit applications must be submitted in accordance with Findata’s instructions, and the permit procedure and data extraction are carried out in accordance with those instructions.
As a result of the transfer of the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ authorisation powers, Findata is responsible for permit applications, data requests and decisions on any amendments where data from the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ registers are combined with:
- social and health data held by an authority referred to in the Act on Secondary Use,
- data saved in the Kanta service,
- data of a private sector social and health care service provider, or
- Findata’s ready-made datasets.
The data controllers listed in the Act on Secondary Use (Chapter 6, Sections 1–8) are as follows:
- 1 Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (STM),
- 2 Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL),
- 3 Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland),
- 4 (revoked)
- 5 Finnish Supervisory Agency (welfare and health)
- 6 Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (TTL)
- 7 Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea)
- 8 Public social welfare and healthcare service organisers
- 9 Statistics Finland (as regards the cause of death)
- 10 Finnish Centre for Pensions (pension register and earnings and accrual register)
- 11 Digital and Population Data Services Agency.
Advice from the Finnish Centre for Pensions
The Finnish Centre for Pensions provides applicants with free advice under the Act on Secondary Use, maintains a description of its data resources, and provides cost estimates.
The Finnish Centre for Pensions is not responsible for compiling datasets
The Finnish Centre for Pensions provides Findata with data extracted from its register in accordance with the permit. Since Findata has granted the permit, it is responsible for compiling the dataset.
The Finnish Centre for Pensions delivers the data to Findata
Under the Act on Secondary Use, any data extracted must be made available in a secure data environment or another secure processing environment specified in the Act. The Finnish Centre for Pensions provides Findata with the extracted register dataset, which Findata then transfers to the processing environment specified in the decision. Findata pseudonymises the data.
A secure processing environment as specified in the Act on Secondary Use is required for all purposes of use for which a data permit is needed. These purposes of use include scientific research, statistics, teaching, as well as the planning and reporting duties of an authority.
The use of another secure processing environment requires an exceptional data permit, and only Findata may grant such a permit.
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If the extraction of the research data is not subject to the Act on Secondary Use, the permit procedure and data extraction are carried out under the Act on the Openness of Government Activities or another special law, in accordance with the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ instructions.
If the data are not combined with data held by one or more controllers listed in Chapter 6, Sections 1–8, the Finnish Centre for Pensions grants the permit under the Act on the Openness of Government Activities or another special law.
Act on the Openness of Government Activities
Under the Act on the Openness of Government Activities, the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ register data may be disclosed for scientific research. This may include, for example, university research that requires data on earnings-related pensions but does not involve data from other organisations covered by the Act on Secondary Use (such as Kela’s national pensions).
Special law
In this context, special laws are laws that determine the right of access to data held by the Finnish Centre for Pensions. Such laws are acts that apply to individual organisations.
The Clinical Drug Trials Act and the Medicines Act are also special laws. The extraction of data is not subject to the Act on Secondary Use. Instead, the Finnish Centre for Pensions grants the permit under the Act on the Openness of Government Activities.
Read more on other sites:
- Amendments to the Act on Secondary Use regarding clinical research on 1 January 2026 – see instructions for transferring data – Findata (findata.fi)
- Amendments to the Act on the Secondary Use of Health and Social Data concerning clinical trials and investigations to enter into force on 1 January 2026 – Fimea.fi – Fimea (fimea.fi)
- Permit and data requests – Disclosure of registry data for clinical studies (thl.fi)
Permit application
Submit a permit application in free form to the Finnish Centre for Pensions and include the following information:
- the title of the project/research, the name of the applicant/contact person, the name of the organisation applying for the permit,
- the name of the controller of the register that contains personal data,
- the project/research plan, researchers and organisations processing the data,
- purpose of use of the data (research, statistics, planning duties of an authority),
- a description of the data requested, the data extraction and any other datasets to be combined with it,
- statement on how the data will be protected against unauthorised use (data protection),
- other documents required by law.
The research plan must justify the need for individual-level personal data and explain why the research cannot be conducted without personal data.
If individual-level data are not required, the data can be provided in the form of anonymous statistical data, in which case no permit application procedure is needed. If the research dataset is small and includes only statistical data (no personal data), access can be granted for free as an information service.
Privacy protection is also ensured for statistical datasets.
Submitting an application
Send the signed application and its attachments (.pdf) by secure e-mail to tutkimusaineistot(at)etk.fi or by post to the address below.
If you do not have access to secure e-mail, contact the Finnish Centre for Pensions by e-mail first. We will send you a secure e-mail link. You can then send the application securely by using the reply function of that e-mail.
Finnish Centre for Pensions
Planning Department
Statistics Manager
FI-00065 ELAKETURVAKESKUS, Finland
Data permit
The Finnish Centre for Pensions grants access to data in the Pension Register and the Earnings and Accrual Register for scientific research purposes. The permit is granted for a fixed period and for the necessary register data required by the research plan.
The period of use and any restrictions are set out in the terms and conditions of the permit. The permit decision is delivered to the applicant by e-mail or as a PDF file.
The Finnish Centre for Pensions charges the direct staff and IT costs incurred in issuing the permit decision and extracting the register data. It provides an estimate of the costs in advance.
Processing time
Permit applications are processed promptly. On average, the permit process takes one month. Preparing the application carefully before submitting it helps speed up processing.
The data are extracted from the Pension Register and the Earnings and Accrual Register in accordance with the provisions of the permit. On average, the research dataset is delivered within one month.
However, the process may take more than one month if required documents are missing or if the research requires permit decisions and data extractions by several data controllers.
The Finnish Centre for Pensions charges direct staff and IT costs for the permit decision and for register data extraction. An estimate of the costs is given in advance.
If Findata processes the permit, the total cost estimate of the permit decision and the data sampling is calculated by Findata. When Findata processes the permit, the Finnish Centre for Pensions issues a cost estimate for the extraction costs from its registers in accordance with the secondary legislation.
Fees of the Finnish Centre for Pensions in 2026
| Assignment | Fee |
|---|---|
| Advice and cost estimate | Free of charge |
| Fee for a new permit issued by the Finnish Centre for Pensions* | €860 |
Amendment of earlier permit granted by the Finnish Centre for Pensions
|
€430 |
Register data extraction and delivery or other required data processing
| Assignment | Fee |
|---|---|
| Data extraction from one register** | €1,071 |
| Data extraction from several registers | €535,50/register data |
| Data processing during one working day, for example, identification of the target group of the study | €1,071 |
*The basis of calculation is the price of a person-workday. Processing the data permit takes approximately one workday.
** One register data extraction takes approximately one workday, and the costs includes computational IT service costs.
More on other sites:
- Regulation (EU) 2016/679) of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation)
- Data Protection Act (finlex.fi)
- Act on the Openness of Government Activities (finlex.fi)
- Act on the Secondary Use of Health and Social Data (in Finnish, finlex.fi)