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Citizenship for adults

Apply for Finnish citizenship by submitting a citizenship application if:

  • you are at least 18 years old and
  • you meet the requirements for becoming a citizen.

If you have children under the age of 18 in your care, you can apply for citizenship for them as well.

You must be in Finland to apply for Finnish citizenship.

  • Expected processing time for application

    7–30 months

  • Electronic application fee
    490 €

  • Paper application fee
    690 €

This is what you should do

1

Make sure you meet the requirements for becoming a citizen.

2

Make sure you have all the attachments needed for the application and that they are up to date. If the documents are not in Finnish, Swedish or English, have them translated.

3

Fill in your application in the online service Enter Finland. If you cannot use Enter Finland, fill in a paper application.

4

Pay for your online application in Enter Finland. If you submit a paper application, pay for it at a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service.

5

Book an appointment for a visit at a service point. Bring with you your passport and the original documents needed for your application.

6

Wait for the decision, the Finnish Immigration Service will contact you if necessary.

Requirements

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

How to add your child as co-applicant

Your child may obtain Finnish citizenship at the same time as you if:

Your child’s application is free of charge if he or she applies for Finnish citizenship together with you.
 

Add the following documents to your application:

  • a copy of your valid travel document or some other identity document if you do not have a travel document. The travel document must be valid during the entire time your application is being processed.
  • a copy of the certificate of your language skills
  • documentation of current and earlier income during the entire period of residence; you do not need to add documents on income from Kela.
  • Jatkoselvitys matkoista / Fortsatt utredning om resor

When you visit a service point, bring with you the original documents.

If you request an exception to the language skills requirement:

  • a statement from your employer confirming that you have a permanent full-time job in Finland that is unreasonably difficult to attend to without Finnish citizenship 
  • your own free-form statement explaining that there is a special and weighty reason why an exception to the period of residence requirement should be made in your case.

If you request an exception to the language skills requirement:

  • a medical certificate
  • a certificate of illiteracy 
  • a certificate of your language proficiency containing an assessment of your speaking and comprehension skills in the Finnish or Swedish language
  • a certificate of regular participation in Finnish or Swedish studies
  • a statement from your employer confirming that you have a permanent full-time job in Finland that is unreasonably difficult to attend to without Finnish citizenship, or
  • your own free-form statement concerning the exception to the language skills requirement. 
  • Read more about exceptions to the language skills requirement.
     

You may avoid having to visit a service point if you apply for citizenship online in Enter Finland

You may avoid having to visit a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service if:

  • you submit your application in Enter Finland;
  • you pay for the application before you submit it; and
  • you are applying for citizenship for yourself only.
    • If you apply for citizenship for your children as well, you will need to visit a service point to prove your identities.

See the page Identification for more information on how to avoid having to visit a service point.