How to request information about your origins

The extracts from the register are issued by city and rural municipality governments as well as the Ministry of the Interior's IT and Development Centre (SMIT). You can also access your data by means of the population register’s e-service on the State Portal eesti.ee

If you are looking for old information about your origins and family tree, you should turn to the National Archive. These institutions should explain to you how to request the information from the archive.

Examination of your request

In practice, it should not be difficult to obtain the requested data about your origins.

If you want to access information that is restricted and not generally available to the public you should indicate your reasons for obtaining the information in your request. The relevant institution will evaluate your request and decide whether to give you access to such information. 

In taking this decision, they will balance your right to know your origins against the privacy of those persons whose information you have requested. Therefore, depending on your specific situation, the institution may deny your request or may only partially fulfil it. Such a decision must contain sufficient reasoning and also indicate where to appeal it and how.

Decision

The institution examining your request must take a decision no later than 30 days from the day it received your signed application or a verbal request. If it denies access to the information you requested, it should explain the reasons for this and indicate how you can appeal the decision. Read more about how to complain.

Fees

Although you have the right to access information about your origins, you may be required to cover the fees for finding or making copies of the documents containing the information requested. Such fees should not exceed the expenses incurred to collect the information.

Resources

Last updated 11/04/2024