Information for new Finnish citizens

See this page for information you may need after obtaining Finnish citizenship.

Finnish passport

If you are in Finland, you can submit a passport application to the police (poliisi.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab. To apply for a passport abroad, contact a Finnish mission (finlandabroad.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab. Passports are issued based on the information in the Finnish Population Information System. Please note that you cannot get a passport before your information is visible in the Population Information System.

If you already have a Finnish personal identity code, your new Finnish citizenship will be visible in the Population Information System on the same day.
If you do not have a Finnish personal identity code, it will take 1–2 weeks before your status as a Finnish citizen is entered into the Population Information System.

Important points of contact for Finnish citizens

The Finnish Immigration Service decides on the acquisition and loss of Finnish citizenship. If you have other questions about Finnish citizenship or life in Finland, please contact the relevant authority responsible for the topic.

Military service

For information about military service or voluntary military service for women, see the website of the Finnish Defence Forces (puolustusvoimat.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab.

For information about non-military service, see the website of the Centre for Non-Military Service (siviilipalveluskeskus.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab.

Pensions

For information about statutory pensions and how to apply, see the website of Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (kela.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab. The website contains information about national pensions and about earnings-related pensions paid by Kela to employees, civil servants and self-employed persons. For information about earnings-related pensions, see also the website of the Finnish Centre for Pensions (etk.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab.

EU citizenship

Finland is a member of the European Union (EU), meaning that Finnish citizens are also EU citizens. EU citizens have the right to freely move and work within the European Union. For more information about EU citizens’ rights, see the website of the European Union (europa.eu)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab and the Europe Information website of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (eurooppatiedotus.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab.

Addresses and personal data in official registers

If you are a Finnish citizen and live abroad, your personal data and addresses are not automatically updated in the official registers in Finland. If some of your data changes, you need to notify the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (dvv.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab or your nearest Finnish mission (finlandabroad.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab in your current country of residence to have the changes registered.

Your data needs to be up to date when you apply for a Finnish passport or wish to vote in your current place of residence, for example.

Identity card

For information about how to apply for a Finnish identity card, see the website of the Finnish police (poliisi.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab.

Travelling

For information about border checks at border crossings, see the website of the Finnish Border Guard (raja.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab.

For information about import and export of goods, see the website of the Finnish Customs (tulli.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab.

For information about travel safety in other countries and about the services of Finnish missions abroad, see the website of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (um.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab. Information about the rules of travelling within the Schengen area can also be found on the website.

If you have questions about passports or visas, you can contact your nearest Finnish mission abroad or email the Ministry for Foreign Affairs at visa.passports@formin.fi.

Moving

Submit a notification of move every time you move house so that your address in the Finnish Population Information System gets updated. Submit a notification of move if you move within Finland, move between Finland and another country or move while living abroad. Submit a notification of move to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV). If you are a Finnish citizen and live abroad, you can submit a notification of move through the local Finnish mission.

For contact information of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency, see the website of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (dvv.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab. For contact information of Finnish missions abroad, see the Finland Abroad website of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (finlandabroad.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab.

For information about the rules and restrictions on bringing goods, vehicles or pets to Finland when you move, see the website of the Finnish Customs (tulli.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab. As for vehicles, see also the website of the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency, Traficom (traficom.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab.

Studies

For information about education, study programmes, admissions and the recognition of foreign qualifications, see the website of the Finnish National Agency for Education (oph.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab.

For information about the financial aid available for studying in Finland or abroad, see the website of Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (kela.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab.

Births, deaths and other changes in the family

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency maintains the Finnish Population Information System. If a birth, death, marriage, divorce, adoption or other family event takes place in Finland, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency will automatically be informed of it.

However, if you live abroad, you need to notify your local Finnish mission of births, deaths and other changes in your family so that the relevant information can be updated in the Finnish Population Information System. For contact information of Finnish missions abroad, see the Finland Abroad website of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs (finlandabroad.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab.

Social security

For information about social security in Finland, see the website of Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (kela.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab.

Work

For information about employment services for employed or unemployed persons or persons about to start working as well as for employers, see the website of the TE services (te-palvelut.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab.

Taxation

For information about taxes, see the website of the Finnish Tax Administration (vero.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab.

Voting

For information about elections and voting, see the elections website of the Ministry of Justice (vaalit.fi)Link to an external website, Opens in a new tab.

Finnish citizenship