Finland to introduce citizenship test as changes to Citizenship Act take effect on 1 January 2027

The Finnish Parliament has approved changes to the Citizenship Act, introducing stricter requirements for acquiring Finnish citizenship. The new rules enter into force on 1 January 2027 and will apply to applications submitted on or after 1 March 2027.

In the future, acquiring citizenship will require sufficient knowledge of and integration into Finnish society. You can meet the requirement for sufficient knowledge of Finnish society by passing the new citizenship test. Alternatively, sufficient knowledge can be demonstrated by completing the matriculation examination in Finnish or Swedish, or by earning a Finnish- or Swedish-language higher education degree in Finland.

The requirement for sufficient knowledge of Finnish society applies to applicants aged 18–64. Exemptions from the requirement may be granted in some cases for reasons of health or disability, or for other very serious reasons.

The Finnish Immigration Service is responsible for organising the citizenship test and other related official duties. More information on how to prepare for and take the test will be made available during autumn 2026.

What will the citizenship test look like?

The questions in the citizenship test will be based on learning material that will be published on our website well in advance of the first test. All applicants will have access to the same publicly available set of study materials, which ensures that the test is fair for everyone applying for Finnish citizenship. The materials will help you prepare for the test in advance.

The test will cover topics such as key legislation governing life in Finnish society, fundamental and human rights, Finnish history and culture, as well as questions of equality, including equality between genders. You can take the test in Finnish or Swedish.

The changes will apply to applications submitted on or after 1 March 2027

The new rules regarding the requirement for sufficient knowledge of Finnish society enter into force on 1 March 2027 following a transition period from 1 January to 28 February 2027. The purpose of the transition period is to make sure that you have enough time to prepare for and take the citizenship test before applying for citizenship.

All applications submitted before 1 March 2027 via the Enter Finland online service or at a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service will be processed according to the rules of the current Citizenship Act. In other words, the changes to the Citizenship Act will not apply to your application if you submit it on or before 28 February 2027.

The new requirements will apply if you submit your application on 1 March 2027 or later.

Apply for citizenship only when you meet all the requirements

Before you apply for citizenship, make sure that you meet all of the requirements for becoming a Finnish citizen. If you apply for citizenship before you meet the requirements, you may receive a negative decision. Please also note that the processing of your application will take longer if we need to ask you for additional information or documents.

See our page on Finnish citizenship for more information.

Further information

• Press release by the Ministry of the Interior: Citizenship test to be introduced in early 2027 (intermin.fi)
• Website: Reform of the Citizenship Act (intermin.fi)