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Obtaining Finnish citizenship for children of female couples made easier by new Maternity Act

Publication date 24.4.2019 11.14
Press release

A child born to a same-sex female couple can now obtain Finnish citizenship directly. This change is part of the new Maternity Act that entered into force in Finland on 1 April 2019.

Under the new Maternity Act, a child’s second parent may also be a woman. Before this, a child’s second parent by law was the child’s father.

Finnish citizenship will pass on to the child automatically or by declaration

A child born to a female couple can get Finnish citizenship, if the couple has received assisted fertility treatment in health care after 1 April 2019. When the maternity of the second parent has been established at a maternity clinic, her Finnish citizenship will automatically pass on to the child if the child is born in Finland.

A child who is born outside Finland after 31 May 2003 can obtain Finnish citizenship by declaration. This is possible if the birth mother’s partner was Finnish citizen at the time the child was born and her maternity has been established.