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Frequently asked questions: Finnish citizenship

Applying for citizenship

1. How much does it cost to apply for citizenship?

See the page Processing fees and paying methods for a list of processing fees.

If you apply for Finnish citizenship online in Enter Finland, pay the processing fee online as well. If you submit a paper application, pay the processing fee when you visit a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service and submit your application.

2. Do foreign-language attachments to citizenship applications and declarations need to be translated into Finnish, Swedish or English? Do the translations need to be official?

If a document is in a language other than Finnish, Swedish or English, it must be provided in a translation into one of these languages prepared by an official translator.

3. I’m applying for Finnish citizenship. Can I add my spouse as my co-applicant?

No, adding a spouse as a co-applicant is not possible. You can only apply for Finnish citizenship for yourself and for children under 18 years of age in your care.

4. My citizenship application is pending and my passport and my residence permit are expiring soon. What should I do?

Get a new passport and apply for a residence permit before your current ones expire. When you apply for citizenship, you must have a valid residence permit and a valid passport. The expiry of a passport or residence permit is not a reason to expedite your citizenship application.

5. Why have I not received a decision on my citizenship application?

There are currently backlogs in the processing of citizenship applications. In particular, the backlogs concern applications where we have to ask for additional information or documents in order to process them.

The processing time is shortest for applications where the customer has arrived in Finland with a permit obtained in advance, the customer has a national passport and he or she meets the general requirements for naturalisation.

For more information, please see our customer bulletin: Backlogs in the processing of citizenship applications.

If you have not yet received a decision on your application, please wait patiently. We will contact you if additional information is needed for your application.

Period of residence

6. Next year I will have lived in Finland for the period of residence required for citizenship and I am planning to complete the National Certificate of Language Proficiency (YKI). Can I submit my citizenship application now?

If you do not meet all the requirements or do not have all the obligatory attachments, you should not submit your citizenship application. If you do not meet the requirements or an obligatory attachment is missing, the processing of your application will be slowed down and may result in a negative decision.

7. I've heard that there is a long queue of citizenship applications at the moment. I don’t meet the residence requirement just yet, but I will in 2 years. Can I submit a citizenship application already now so that I'll get a decision as soon as I meet the requirements?

You can submit a citizenship application at any time. However, it is not advisable to apply before you meet all the requirements. If we start processing your application before you fulfil the required period of residence, we will have to issue a negative decision on your application.

8. I have submitted a citizenship application but no decision has been issued yet. Can I travel abroad? How will my trips abroad affect the processing of my application?

You may travel abroad even after submitting a citizenship application. Notify the Finnish Immigration Service of your trip by phoning our service number or by sending an email to state when and where you will be travelling and when you will return to Finland. We can issue a positive decision on your application only after you have returned to Finland. When we calculate whether or not you meet the required period of residence, all trips that you have made after submitting your citizenship application will be considered.

9. I have a citizenship application pending. I am about to go abroad for an extended period of time. Am I required to notify the Finnish Immigration Service of my departure?

If you are away for over 2 weeks, notify the Finnish Immigration Service by phoning the service number or sending an e-mail. By doing so you ensure that you will not receive a negative decision for the reason that you have not responded to a possible request for additional information.

10. Is the reason for staying abroad of any relevance to the interruption of continuous residence? For example, does it make any difference if my Finnish employer has sent me abroad on an assignment?

No, the reason for spending time abroad is of no significance. Read more about the required period of residence.

11. Is my period of residence affected by the fact that my stay abroad has been temporary or that, during my stay abroad, I have:
- paid taxes to Finland,
- received a study grant from Finland,
- been registered in the Finnish Population Register, or
- been registered at a Finnish university?

The time you have spent abroad will not be included in the residence period for any of the reasons mentioned. Read more about the required period of residence and how it is calculated.

12. I have had an A residence permit. I forgot to apply for a new residence permit on time, and there is now a 2-month gap between my permits. I've been living and working in Finland the whole time. I can send my payslips from that time to the Finnish Immigration Service as proof. Will this still be regarded as an interruption in my continuous period of residence?

To be counted towards the required period of residence, your residence in Finland must be both legal and authorised. Since there is a gap between your residence permits, your period of residence will most likely be considered interrupted. However, if there is, for example, a health-related reason for the gap, the time that you have lived in Finland without a permit may be counted towards the required period of residence.

13. I've been granted an A residence permit in Finland 20 February 2015. I moved to Finland 1 March 2015. During the time I've been living in Finland, I've made 3 trips abroad, and each trip has taken 3 months. I meet the language skills requirement. Is my period of residence long enough to meet the residence requirement?

Your period of residence begins from the day when you moved to Finland. In your example, that was 1 March 2015. This is because you had already been granted a continuous (A) permit before you moved to Finland.

Since you meet the language skills requirement, you are required to have lived in Finland for a continuous period of 4 years (continuous period of residence) or for 6 years in total (accumulated period of residence). When counting your accumulated period of residence, only the time you have lived in Finland after reaching the age of 15 will be counted towards the accumulated period of residence.

Your continuous period of residence is not interrupted by trips that last longer than 2 months but less than 6 months if you have made a maximum of 2 such trips within the last 4 years. This means that you meet the residence requirement if you have made no more than 2 of the trips during the last 4 years.

If you have made all the 3 trips during the last 4 years, there has been an interruption in your continuous residence. In that case, the accumulated period of residence can be used to determine whether you have lived in Finland long enough to qualify for citizenship.

Calculating your accumulated period of residence begins from the day when you moved to Finland, which in your example is 1 March 2015. This is because you had already been granted a continuous (A) residence permit before you moved to Finland. Since you meet the language skills requirement, you are required to have lived in Finland for at least 6 years, with the last 2 years without interruption. Normal holiday trips are, however, allowed during the two years before your application is decided. In this case, normal holiday trips mean that you may travel for 4 months in total during the whole two-year period.

Count your accumulated period of residence between 1 March 2015 and the present day. Subtract your trips. The result will be your accumulated period of residence. If the sum exceeds 6 years, you meet the requirement.

14. I moved to Finland to study and I have been living in Finland with a B permit for a total of 6 years. I was granted an A permit for about 6 months ago. I meet the language skills requirement. I have only made a few short trips abroad. Is my period of residence long enough to get Finnish citizenship?

Since you meet the language skills requirement, you are required to have lived in Finland for either 4 years without interruption (meaning a continuous period of residence), or you must have a total of 6 years of accumulated period of residence. Only half of the time you have lived in Finland with a temporary (B) residence permit will be counted towards your continuous period of residence.

Another requirement is that when we decide your citizenship application, you must have had either a continuous residence permit (A permit) or a permanent residence permit (P permit) for at least one year immediately preceding the citizenship decision. This means that your period of residence is not yet sufficient. At the earliest, it will be sufficient in approximately 6 months.

15. When I first came to Finland, I was granted B permits for studies. After them, I was granted A permits on the basis of work for a total of 5 years. Now, my current residence permit is a B permit for studies. How do I calculate my period of residence in this case?

Half of the time you have lived in Finland with a B permit before getting an A permit will be counted towards your continuous period of residence. When you apply for Finnish citizenship, you must have either a valid continuous residence permit (A permit) or a permanent residence permit (P permit). You must have lived in Finland with either a continuous or a permanent residence permit (A or P permit) for at least one year before the decision on your citizenship application is made. If you hold a B permit when the decision is made, you do not meet the residence requirement.

16. I applied for asylum in Finland on 1 April 2016. At first, I received a negative decision, but then the administrative court approved my appeal and returned the matter to the Finnish Immigration Service. I was granted asylum on 1 November 2016. When did my period of residence begin?

As you have been granted asylum in Finland, your period of residence is considered to begin on the day when you submitted an asylum application in Finland, which in this example is 1 April 2016.

17. Is the required period of residence shortened by the fact that I used to be married to a Finn?

No, it is not. You are required to have a continuous period of residence of five years or accumulated residence of seven years. Accumulated residence may consist of a number of separate periods of residence in Finland. Read more about the required period of residence.

Language skills

18. I have lived in Finland for 4 years and want to apply for Finnish citizenship. How do I prove my language skills?

The standard residency requirement is 5 years. If you have attained the language skills required for citizenship before you have been a resident for 5 years, you may apply for citizenship earlier, that is, after 4 years of continuous residence in Finland.

A list of certificates that are accepted as proof of your language skills is available on the page Language skills.

19. I have lived in Finland for 10 years. Must I prove my language skills when I apply for Finnish citizenship?

Yes, evidence of language skills is always required, no matter how long the applicant has resided in Finland before applying for citizenship.

20. I’m retired. Do I need to provide evidence of my language skills in my citizenship application?

Yes, evidence of language skills is required from you. If you apply for Finnish citizenship, you must prove that you have the required language skills.

21. Which examination do I need to complete, the National Certificate of Lan-guage Proficiency (YKI) or the Civil Service Language Proficiency Certificate?

You can use either examination to prove the required language skills. You can choose yourself which one to take. Read more on the page Language skills. Read more on the page Language skills.

22. Will a certificate of studies at a university, university of applied sciences or other institute of higher education be considered sufficient proof of language proficiency?

You can demonstrate your language proficiency using a certificate of studies from a university, university of applied sciences or other institute of higher education if your certificate states that:

  • you have passed a maturity test in either Finnish or Swedish as part of the degree or qualification; or
  • you have demonstrated the level of Finnish or Swedish language proficiency that civil service personnel are required to have when working for bilingual authorities. This is known as "Finnish (or Swedish) for civil servants".

23. Are studies in "Finnish for foreigners" organised by a university or university of applied sciences considered sufficient to demonstrate language skills, if I have taken at least 15 study credits of such studies?

No, they are not sufficient. You can demonstrate your language proficiency using a certificate of studies from a university, university of applied sciences or other institute of higher education only if the certificate states that:

  • you have passed a maturity test in either Finnish or Swedish as part of the degree or qualification; or
  • you have demonstrated the level of Finnish or Swedish language proficiency that civil service personnel are required to have when working for bilingual authorities. This is known as "Finnish (or Swedish) for civil servants".

24. Is the passing of a maturity test as part of a higher education degree considered sufficient demonstration of language skills?

Yes, if you took the maturity test in Finnish or Swedish.

25. Can I demonstrate my language proficiency using a type of language certificate that is not mentioned on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service?

No. Language proficiency can only be demonstrated using a certificate mentioned on the Finnish Immigration Service website.

No other language certificate can be used to demonstrate language proficiency even if such a certificate shows a skill level of 3 or "satisfactory".

26. How can a 15-year-old who has not yet completed comprehensive education demonstrate his or her language skills?

In that case, the applicant can attach to the application the most recent school report that shows the grade awarded in the Finnish or Swedish language.

27. I have completed compulsory basic education and/or upper secondary education in Sweden. Can a certificate of Swedish basic education or upper secondary education be used to demonstrate that I meet the language skills requirement?

No, it cannot. You can demonstrate that you meet the language skills requirement by submitting a Finnish comprehensive school or upper secondary school leaving certificate showing that you have passed the examination in Finnish or Swedish as your native language or as a second language.
If you have completed basic education or upper secondary education in Sweden, we would advise you to obtain the National Certificate of Language Proficiency (YKI) or the Civil Service Language Proficiency Certificate, for example, and attach the certificate to your application.

See the page Language skills for more information on the certificates that may be used to demonstrate that you meet the language skills requirement.

Income requirement and repayment of loans

28. What kind of account of my livelihood do I need to provide when I apply for Finnish citizenship?

In your application, you must provide an account of your source of livelihood for the entire period of residence required of you. Attach the following documents to your application:

  • References (certificates of employment) from any previous employment. If you do not have such documents, give the name and contact information of your employer(s) in your application.
  • If you are presently in paid employment, attach your employment contract and your most recent payslip.
  • If your livelihood is based on income from your own business, please attach:
    • an accounting firm’s statement on wages paid or amounts taken for personal use;
    • your company’s income statement and balance sheet covering the previous accounting period;
    • an extract from the Trade Register no older than 6 months.
  • If your livelihood is based on social assistance, indicate the type of assistance received.

For more information, see the page Means of support.

29. My spouse is a Finnish citizen. Do I need to provide evidence of my means of support when I apply for Finnish citizenship? Do I have to meet the same requirements as other applicants?

Yes, you must provide an account of your livelihood for the entire required period of residence. The required period of residence, however, is shorter for the spouse of a Finnish citizen.
If your spouse is a Finnish citizen, you need to have lived in Finland at least

  • for the past 4 years without interruption (continuous period of residence); or
  • for 6 years in total after reaching the age of 15, and out these 6 years, the last 2 years without interruption (accumulated period of residence).

Besides the required period of residence, the requirements for obtaining Finnish citizenship are the same for a spouse of a Finnish citizen as for other applicants.

30. I have taken out a student loan but I’m making all payments on time. Does a student loan prevent me from becoming a Finnish citizen?

No, a student loan does not prevent you from obtaining Finnish citizenship as long as you make the repayments on time.

Loss of Finnish citizenship

31. Will I lose my Finnish citizenship, if I apply for and acquire citizenship of another state?

No, you will not lose your Finnish citizenship in that case. Finnish legislation allows multiple nationality (dual citizenship).

Although multiple nationality is allowed, a person with citizenship in more than one country (dual nationality) may lose his or her Finnish citizenship at age 22 if he or she lacks a sufficient connection to Finland.

32. I lost my previous citizenship when acquiring Finnish citizenship. Is it possible to regain it?

The Finnish Nationality Act allows multiple citizenship. You should consult the authorities of the country in question regarding the possibility of regaining citizenship. The easiest way to do so is to contact the embassy of the state in question.

Release from Finnish citizenship

33. If I am released from Finnish citizenship but later wish to regain it, what are the requirements for regaining Finnish citizenship?

As a former Finnish citizen, you can apply for Finnish citizenship by declaration.

However, you cannot regain Finnish citizenship by declaration if you lost it because you gave false information in your earlier citizenship application and received your citizenship on wrongful grounds.

You also cannot regain Finnish citizenship by declaration if you lost it because of the annulment of paternity.

Former Finnish citizen

34. I am a former Finnish citizen. How can I regain my lost Finnish citizenship?

As a former Finnish citizen, you can apply to regain Finnish citizenship by declaration.

35. If I lost my Finnish citizenship when I turned 22, how can I get my citizenship back?

If you are a former Finnish citizen, you can submit a citizenship declaration in order to regain your citizenship. Read more about citizenship declarations.

36. Do the attachments to a citizenship declaration need to be original or certified copies of the original?

Documents attached to your citizenship declaration must be original documents when you submit your application at a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service in Finland or a Finnish mission abroad. When your application is being processed, you must also present original documents, if requested, to the Finnish Immigration Service.

Documents issued by foreign authorities must be legalised. For further information on legalisation, see Legalisation of foreign documents (dvv.fi).

37. Why does my decision contain my former name?

If you are a former Finnish citizen and your name has changed, you might still get a decision that contains your old name. This is because the Finnish Immigration Service issues the decisions based on the name that has been entered for you in the Finnish Population Information System.
The name that is shown in your national passport or is based on other documentary evidence will be in brackets after the name that has been obtained from the Population Information System. The Finnish Immigration Service does not have the right to decide on an applicant’s official name; that responsibility belongs to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

If your personal information has changed, you can ask your nearest Finnish mission or the Digital and Population Data Services Agency to update your information. Further information for expatriate Finns is available from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (ddv.fi).

Finnish citizenship for a child

38. If the father of a child born before 1 June 2003 is a Finnish citizen, does the child also hold Finnish citizenship? How can a child acquire Finnish citizenship?

A child born before 1 June 2003 received Finnish citizenship at birth if his or her father was a Finnish citizen at that time and was married to the mother of the child.

If the child of a father who is a Finnish citizen was born out of wedlock, but the parents married before 1 June 2003, the child received Finnish citizenship when the marriage was contracted. This is the case if the child’s paternity was established.

However, a child did not receive citizenship upon the contract of his or her parents’ marriage if:

  • at the time of the contract of marriage, his or her guardian was a person other than his or her own parents,
  • he or she had reached the age of 18,
  • he himself or she herself had contracted marriage before the parents were married.

The Nationality Act was amended on 1 September 2011. Read more about the ways in which a child can acquire Finnish citizenship.

39. Me and my spouse have applied for citizenship. Our child was born after we had submitted our citizenship applications. How do I apply for citizenship for the child? Do we need to fill in a new application? Is it necessary to apply for a residence permit for a newborn?

In this case, you do not need to submit a new application. Instead, fill in the supplement form for a child to add your child as a co-applicant to your citizenship application. If you submitted your citizenship application online in Enter Finland, you can add the supplement form as an attachment to your existing application in Enter Finland. If you applied for citizenship with a paper application, visit a service point of the Finnish Immigration Service to submit the supplement form. See the page Citizenship for adults for more information.

Please note that the child must come to the service point with you. Even if you supplement your online application in Enter Finland, you still must visit a service point with the child.

A newborn child does not need a residence permit but residence permit must be applied for within 3 months of a child’s birth. This means that if you do not get a decision on your citizenship applications within 3 months of the child being born, you will need to apply for a residence permit for the child.