Citizenship application for a child

If you are a Finnish citizen you can with this application apply for Finnish citizenship for a minor child who is in your care and lives with you. For the best interest of the child or for a weighty reason, the application can also be submitted by the child’s guardian or a foreign national who has custody of the child.

Expected processing time
5–9 months
Electronic application fee
380 €
Paper application fee
480 €

This is what you should do

1

Make sure the child meets the requirements for becoming a citizen.

2

Make sure you have all the attachments needed. If necessary, have them translated and legalised.

3

Fill in your application.

4

Pay for your electronic application in the e-service Enter Finland. Pay for a paper application at a service point.

5

Book an appointment for a visit at a service point.

6

Wait for a decision. The Finnish Immigration Service will contact you if necessary.

7

Read what happens after you have applied.

Requirements

Make sure you meet the requirements for becoming a citizen before you submit an application.

A child’s identity can be established by showing us reliable documents (such as a passport or some other identity document) or by giving us reliable information about at least the child’s name, date of birth, nationality and family ties. When we are determining your child’s identity, we will also take into account any information you have given us earlier about his or her identity. Read more on the page Establishment of identity.

Children can prove their language skills in many ways, for example with a National Certificate of Language Proficiency or a leaving certificate issued by a Finnish comprehensive school. Children who are over 15 years of age but do not yet have a leaving certificate from a Finnish comprehensive school can prove their language skills with their latest school certificate, showing a passing mark in Finnish or Swedish as their native language or as a second language. Read more on the page Language skills.

If the child is younger than 15 years of age, his or her permanent residence and domicile must be in Finland when a decision is made on the citizenship application.
If the child is 15 years of age or older, his or her permanent residence and domicile must be in Finland. In addition, the child needs to have lived in Finland
- for the past four years without interruption; or
- for a total of six years after he or she turned seven, with the last two years without interruption.
If the child is a Nordic citizen and 15 years of age or older, his or her permanent residence and domicile must have been in Finland for the past two years without interruption.