Finnish citizenship application now online

As of autumn 2012, the Finnish Immigration Service has been accepting online applications.

You may now apply for Finnish citizenship using an application form that you fill out online. Your application will be processed more speedily if you use the online form, as electronic documents are quicker to transfer from one authority to another. It is also easy to change or add to your application through the online service.

First applicant surprised at how quickly the application was processed

Dmitry Zhabin, who lives in Tampere, became the first person to apply for Finnish citizenship using the online service. He submitted his application in late autumn 2012 and received a decision less than five months later.

– It was surprisingly fast. I thought it would take at least until summer, says Zhabin, who now holds dual citizenship.

Dmitry Zhabin was born in Russia and came to Finland to study in 2005. Having found a job, he decided to stay here indefinitely. Although Finnish citizenship was not initially his goal, he came to realise that it would make his employment as a software designer in Finland or elsewhere in Europe much easier.

– It is also easier to travel. I have long dreamed about travelling by train from London to Paris. Before now, I would have needed a visa for the trip.

Zhabin commends the online application process for how easy and quick it is. Also, less paper equals less work for the authorities and less of a burden on the environment.

– At every point there are clear explanations of what each point on the form means. In the end, it took very little time to fill in the application form. The only slight complication was getting the appendices scanned, as I do not have a scanner at home.

Monitor your application online: aiming for a five-month processing time

It has been possible to apply for Finnish citizenship online since October 2012. Through our E-services, applicants can also monitor the progress of their applications, change or add to their applications and receive a notification when the decision has been made or is ready to deliver.

The Finnish Immigration Service aims to take applications under consideration within five months of when the customer visits a police service point to verify his/her identity and to present the originals of the appendices submitted with the application. Usually it is not possible to make a decision immediately. The processing time of any given application depends on whether additional investigations have to be made.

Visit and log in to our E-services.