Progress of personal identity code reform in the Kanta services

Changes related to the reform of personal identity codes will be introduced in the Kanta services in stages. In the first stage, the sufficient availability of personal identity codes will be ensured by introducing new intermediate characters. The change can be tested in the client test environment in the first half of 2023.

Personal identity codes are being reformed. In the current personal identity code model, each day has a limited number of codes, and now the number of identity codes is running low for some days. In the later stages of the reform, an identifier will be introduced for use alongside the personal identity code, and the gender identifier will be removed from the new personal identity codes.

The reform requires action from other organisations whose systems make use of personal identity codes. More detailed information on the reform of personal identity codes can be found on the website of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (dvv.fi).

First stage: new intermediate characters will be introduced

In the first stage of the reform, sufficient availability personal identity codes will be ensured by introducing new intermediate characters. After the reform, the intermediate characters used are:

For those born in or after 2000, the current A, and the new B, C, D, E, F.
For those born in the 20th century, the current hyphen (-), or the new letters Y, X, W, V, U.
For those born in the 19th century, the current plus sign (+) – no new intermediate characters will be introduced.

In the first half of 2023, technical changes and support will be implemented in the Kanta services to support the new intermediate characters.

Testing in the client test environment

The introduction of the new intermediate characters does not require joint testing. However, system providers must verify the operation of their own systems, and conduct independent testing in the client test environment of the Kanta services. You can request personal identity codes with the new intermediate characters for testing from Kela at yhteistestaus@kanta.fi. If the codes need to be suomi.fi-compatible, please indicate this in your request.

The table below provides service-specific information about when support for the change will be in place, and when system providers can start testing their own implementation in the client test environment.

Table 1. Schedules for independent client testing and production by service
Kelain	From 18 January 2023	02/2023
Prescription service	From 18 January 2023	05/2023
Kanta PHR	From 02/2023	03/2023
MyKanta	From 04/2023	05/2023
Patient data repository	From 04/2023	06/2023
National imaging materials	From 04/2023	06/2023
The Client Data Repository for Social Welfare Services	From 06/2023	10/2023

Next stages of the reform

For now, the Kanta services do not support new the identifiers independent of personal data. The introduction of identifiers is voluntary for organisations.

The Patient Data Repository, the Client Data Repository for Social Welfare Services and the Prescription Services already support a gender-neutral personal identity code introduced at a later stage of the reform, as gender is not determined from the personal identity code in these services. There is currently no detailed information on or timetable for the progress of the reform after the reform of the intermediate characters in personal identity codes.