Finnish citizenship for a child

A child will automatically become a Finnish citizen if the mother is a Finnish citizen when the child is born. The child will get Finnish citizenship regardless of which country he or she is born in. 

If a child has two mothers and only the non-birth mother is a Finnish citizen, the child will acquire Finnish citizenship in one of the following ways:

• by birth if the child is born in Finland
• by declaration if the child is born outside Finland.

In both cases, the maternity of the non-birth mother must have been officially confirmed.

If only the child’s father is a Finnish citizen, the child’s citizenship depends on:

• whether the child’s parents are married when the child is born; and
• whether the child is born in Finland or abroad.

1. Child born to parents who are married (in wedlock)

A child will automatically become a Finnish citizen if the father is a Finnish citizen when the child is born and is married to the child’s mother.

If the child’s father has died before the child is born, the child will automatically become a Finnish citizen at birth if the father, at the time of his death, was a Finnish citizen and married to the child’s mother.

2. Child born to parents who are not married (out of wedlock) 

If a child is born to parents who are not married to each other, the way the child may acquire Finnish citizenship depends on the child's place of birth.

Child born in Finland to parents who are not married

If the child is born in Finland, the child will automatically become a Finnish citizen when the paternity has been officially confirmed.

If the child’s father has died before the child is born, the child will automatically become a Finnish citizen if:

• the father was a Finnish citizen at the time of his death and
• the paternity is confirmed.

Child born abroad to parents who are not married

If a child is born out of wedlock outside Finland to a father who holds Finnish citizenship, the child can become a Finnish citizen by declaration.

If the child was born before 1 June 2003, a citizenship application must be submitted for him or her.

3. Parents marry after the child is born 

If the child’s father is a Finnish citizen and the child’s parents marry each other after the child is born, the child will automatically become a Finnish citizen.

In this case, becoming a citizen requires that:

• the paternity is confirmed and the acknowledgement of paternity is also valid in Finland (dvv.fi) ; and
• the father has been a Finnish citizen without interruption since the child was born.

4. How the annulment of parenthood affects a child’s citizenship 

A child may lose his or her Finnish citizenship if:

• the child has become a Finnish citizen based on the father’s or the non-birth mother’s citizenship; and 
• the parenthood is annulled. 

An adopted child under 12 years of age will automatically become a Finnish citizen when:

• at least one of the adoptive parents is a Finnish citizen; and
• the adoption is legally valid in Finland. 

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency will enter the child’s Finnish citizenship in the Population Information System if the citizenship has been automatically acquired.

An adopted child of 12–17 years of age can become a Finnish citizen by declaration.

A child who is not automatically granted Finnish citizenship on the basis of the mother’s or father’s citizenship, the parents’ marriage, or by declaration, may become a Finnish citizen on application.

A child who is born in Finland but whose parents do not have Finnish citizenship can become a Finnish citizen without the parents obtaining citizenship only in rare cases. In such a case, the child will become a Finnish citizen based on his or her place of birth.